Hurricane Jose (1999)

Hurricane Jose

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Hurricane Jose over the Lesser Antilles in mid-October, 1999.
Formed	October 17, 1999
Dissipated	October 25, 1999
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 100 mph (155 km/h)
Lowest pressure	979 mbar (hPa); 28.91 inHg
Fatalities	2 direct
Damage	< $5 million (1999 USD)
Areas affected	Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico
Part of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Jose was a Category 2 hurricane that affected the Leeward Islands between October 20 and October 25, 1999. It was the tenth named storm, and eighth hurricane of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Jose formed on October 17 while 400 miles (640 km) east of the Windward Islands. The storm quickly strengthened into a hurricane on October 19, and later went on to affect the northern Leeward Islands. Over a foot of rain fell on St. Martin and other islands that were affected by it. It weakened to a tropical storm as it approached the U.S. Virgin Islands and as it neared Puerto Rico, Jose turned to the north-northeast. Jose remained on a near-straight line track into the north Atlantic until it lost its tropical characteristics on October 25. It then merged with a non-tropical system.

The storm caused one death in Antigua and one in St. Martin. Extensive damage was reported in St. Martin from flooding and mud slides, but no damage total is attached to this. Damage to Puerto Rico was minimal.

Meteorological history

Storm path

Hurricane Jose originated from a tropical wave that moved of the west coast of Africa on October 8. The tropical wave moved slowly westward for several days until it was halfway between the Lesser Antilles and Africa on October 15. On October 17, the system was declared a tropical depression at 1800 UTC near the Windward Islands. While moving west-northwestward, the depression was upgraded to tropical storm status and was named Jose on October 18.

By October 19, a strong mid-tropospheric high over the southwestern north Atlantic was predicted to steer Tropical Storm Jose to a west-northwestward track. Instead, the high weakened and Jose continued on a north-westerly track. Jose became a hurricane on October 19 and was centered about 150 miles (240 km) east of the Leeward Islands. As it neared the islands, Jose reached a peak of 100 mph (160 km/h) in wind speed, and 979 mbar (28.9 inHg) in pressure.

Jose restrengthening near Bermuda

Turning back on a northwest direction, Hurricane Jose struck the northern Leeward Islands, passing over Antigua around midday on October 20. The center of the storm then moved near St. Barthelemy and St. Martin on October 21. As Jose moved over the Leeward Islands, strong vertical wind shear disrupted the storm and Jose weakened to a tropical storm, while passing over Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on October 21. On the same day, Jose turned back to the northwest as the center passed 50 miles (80 km) east of Puerto Rico.

Jose turned sharply north and northeast, after passing just to the north of Puerto Rico. Jose continued on a northerly track, while slowly restrengthening and accelerating throughout the next couple of days. Jose then briefly regained hurricane strength as it passed east of Bermuda on October 23, with only light showers and gusty winds affecting the island. The storm continued northeastward before being declared an extratropical storm on August 25, when it merged with a mid-latitude system.

Preparations

Twenty-four shelters were set up to be used when Jose passed over, but only 506 people used the shelters.

Impact

Antigua and Barbuda were strongly affected by the hurricane. The storm damage was severe on both of the islands while damage in St. Kitts and Nevis was minor, because the hurricane passed north of those islands.

Antigua and Barbuda

In Antigua and Barbuda, there was considerable flooding of major roads and 2,000 people were severely affected and were evacuated. About 516 of the people were housed in emergency shelters. Across the island, the storm killed one person, injured 12, left an elderly blind man missing, and 500 houses were destroyed including a newly built church. In the village of Crab´s Hill, 64 of the 81 houses were ether seriously damaged or destroyed. The hurricane also disrupted 50% of telephone service and 90% of the homes were left without electricity. A wind gust of 102 mph (164 km/h) was reported by the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service on October 20.

Rest of Caribbean

Total rainfall from Jose

In St. Kitts and Nevis, flooding was the principal hazard as several main roads were washed out and landslides were reported. In St Maarten, maximal sustained wind was 65 knots and a 87 knots wind gust rainfall totaled to 13.75 inches (349 mm), though much of the Leeward Islands received 12 to 15 inches (380 mm) of rain. Because of the rain, numerous mudslides and flash floods were reported, damaging buildings and roads. One person was reported have perished due to the storm's ferocity. Dominica received no more than a little rain, only being persistent for one morning. Damage in Puerto Rico was minimal, though up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain fell in some areas on the island. The highest reported rainfall there was 6.54 inches (166 mm) in Rio Blanco Lower.

Aftermath

After the storm, several villages in Antigua and Barbuda were declared disaster areas and Red Cross workers were called to clean up the damage.

Hurricane Jose will return as the name of the tenth tropical storm of the 2011 season.

See also

• Tropical cyclone
• List of tropical cyclones
• List of Atlantic hurricanes

External links

• Antigua and Barbuda Damage report
• Jose report
• BBC News
• Jose Damage report
• Associated Press
• Irish Examiner
• The Prime Minister of Antigua's address to the nation about Jose

References

Tropical cyclones of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season
A 2 B C D E 7 F G H 11 12 I J K L		Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5