Hurricane Hortense

Hurricane Hortense
Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
	Hurricane Hortense near peak intensity
Formed	September 3, 1996
Dissipated	September 16, 1996
Highest winds	1-minute sustained:; 140 mph (220 km/h)
Lowest pressure	935 mbar (hPa; 27.61 inHg)
Fatalities	39 direct
Damage	$158 million (1996 USD)
Areas affected	Guadeloupe, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland
	Part of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season

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This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 1996; for other storms of the same name, see Hurricane Hortense (disambiguation)

Hurricane Hortense was the eighth tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and second Category 4 hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. Lasting from September 3 to September 16, Hortense brought torrential flooding as it moved through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Hitting only one year after Hurricanes Iris, Luis, Marilyn and weeks after Hurricane Bertha, it caused 39 deaths and $158 million (1996 US dollars) in damage.

[edit] Meteorological history

Storm path

A strong low-pressure system exited the coast of Senegal on August 30 and moved westward. A well-defined low-level circulation quickly formed, but convection remained minimal due to strong upper level shear. The shear abated enough to allow shower activity to refire, and the system became Tropical Depression Eight on September 3. As it moved westward under the influence of a high pressure system, convection around the depression remained minimal due to persistent shear. As the depression approached the Lesser Antilles, upper level shear rapidly lessened, and it was able to organize into Tropical Storm Hortense on the September 7.

Hortense moved slowly through the Leeward Islands late on September 7 and into September 8, and despite initial forecasts of quick strengthening to hurricane status, Hortense encountered shear from a fast moving upper-level short trough. Shear quickly abated, and Hortense was able to reach hurricane strength on September 9 while in the northeast Caribbean Sea. The large hurricane turned to the northwest, and passed over southwestern Puerto Rico near Guánica. After two hours over land, it entered the Mona Passage, and paralleled the northeast coast of Dominican Republic as an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane.

Hortense near Puerto Rico landfall

Hurricane Hortense moved northwestward over the Atlantic Ocean, passing north of the Turks and Caicos Islands, where hurricane conditions were reported. Conditions became ideal for development, and the hurricane rapidly intensified to a 140 mph (220 km/h) Category 4 hurricane on September 13, but it was a relatively small system. A developing trough brought Hortense quickly to the northeast, producing shear that rapidly weakened the hurricane. As a Category 1 hurricane on September 15, Hortense crossed over the southeastern Nova Scotian coastline, and turned eastward. Later that day the storm became extratropical while south of Newfoundland, and dissipated on September 16 over the open North Atlantic.

[edit] Impact

Storm deaths by region
Region	Deaths
Puerto Rico	18
Dominican Republic	3
Total	21 [1]

Wettest tropical cyclones in Guadeloupe Highest known recorded totals
Precipitation			Storm	Location
Rank	(mm)	(in)	Storm	Location
1	508	20.00	Marilyn 1995	Saint-Claude.^[1]
2	466	17.28	Lenny 1999	Gendarmerie^[2]
3	318	12.50	Hortense 1996	Maison du Volcan^[3]
4	300	11.81	Jeanne 2004	^[4]
5	223	8.79	Cleo 1964	Deshaies^[5]
6	200	7.90	Erika 2009	^[6]
7	54	2.11	Edith 1963	Basse Terre^[5]
8	41	1.61	Emily 1987	^[7]

[edit] Lesser Antilles

Before becoming a hurricane, Hortense struck the Leeward Islands as a very moist tropical storm, producing as much as 12.50 in (381 mm) of rain when passing over Guadeloupe.^[8] At its height, a local weather station recorded wind speeds of up to 53 mph (85 km/h), with peak gusts surpassing hurricane force.^[8] The storm caused significant crop damage, destroying roughly 50 percent of the banana plantain.^[9]^[10] Further south, heavy rains led to scattered flooding in Martinique, although there were no reports of considerable damage.^[11]

[edit] Greater Antilles

Flooding caused by Hortense near Guayama, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico received the worst of the storm, with over 24 in (600 mm) of rain falling in the eastern mountainous region of the island. Ensuing extreme flooding led to numerous mudslides, overflowing many rivers and damaging 11,463 houses.^[8] Some 1,400,000 people, about 40% of the population, lost power during and after the storm, straining the cleanup effort in the following days and weeks with lack of air conditioning and spoiled food.^[12] Much of eastern Puerto Rico was declared a federal disaster zone in the period after the storm. In all, Hortense was responsible for 18 deaths, and $155 million in damage, 80% of it from coffee and banana crop damage.

Flooding in Puerto Rico

Heavy damage was also experienced in Dominican Republic, where nearly 20 in (510 mm) of rain occurred. One school and one church were destroyed by strong winds, with significant property damage in the northeast part of the country. A nine-foot storm surge combined with the rainfall caused three deaths (with 21 missing) and significant crop damage.

The Bahamas, threatened by their second major hurricane in two weeks, fared well from the storm, with little damage and no casualties.^[12]

In Nova Scotia, Hortense dropped heavy rainfall and caused strong winds, causing power outages, uprooted trees, and moderate structural damage amounting to $3 million (1996 USD).^[13]

[edit] Retirement

The name Hortense was retired in the Spring of 1997 because of this hurricane, and will not be used again in this basin. It was replaced with Hanna in the 2002 season.