000 ABNT30 KNHC 031432 CCA TWSAT MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY...CORRECTED NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 800 AM EDT WED OCT 1 2008 ...CORRECTED FOR MONTH IN GUSTAV PARAGRAPH... FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY DURING SEPTEMBER WAS NEAR AVERAGE...WITH FOUR NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMING...OF WHICH TWO WERE HURRICANES AND ONE A MAJOR HURRICANE. ON AVERAGE...FOUR NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES FORM DURING SEPTEMBER...WITH TWO BECOMING HURRICANES AND ONE STRENGTHENING INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE. HURRICANES GUSTAV AND HANNA...WHICH FORMED IN AUGUST...WERE ALSO ACTIVE DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. GUSTAV MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST NEAR COCODRIE LOUISIANA ON 1 SEPTEMBER AS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. AFTER LANDFALL...GUSTAV WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA ON 2 SEPTEMBER...THEN BECAME EXTRATROPICAL OVER THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE GUSTAV REMNANT LOW WAS ABSORBED OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES ON 5 SEPTEMBER. DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH GUSTAV WAS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED IN THE AUGUST MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY. HANNA WAS A TROPICAL STORM CENTERED ABOUT 150 MILES NORTH OF GRAND TURK ISLAND AS SEPTEMBER BEGAN. HANNA BEGAN MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD AND QUICKLY STRENGTHENED REACHING HURRICANE STATUS DURING THE AFTERNOON OF 1 SEPTEMBER. HANNA REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 80 MPH AS ITS CENTER PASSED OVER PORTIONS OVER THE CAICOS ISLANDS THE NEXT DAY. STRONG SHEAR WEAKENED THE HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY AS IT CONTINUED TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWARD. OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO HANNA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM AND MADE A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE LOOP BETWEEN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE NORTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA. HANNA THEN MOVED NORTH OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS LATE ON 3 SEPTEMBER...AND BEGAN MOVING NORTHWESTWARD...PASSING JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE NEXT DAY...THE CYCLONE MOVED JUST EAST OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS AND THEN TURNED NORTHWARD...PASSING ABOUT 150 MILES EAST OF THE COAST OF NORTH FLORIDA. HANNA ACCELERATED NORTHWARD AND MADE LANDFALL WITH 70 MPH WINDS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 6 SEPTEMBER NEAR THE BORDER OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. HANNA WEAKENED BUT REMAINED A TROPICAL STORM AS IT PASSED OVER NORTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN VIRGINIA. HANNA TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND MOVED ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. THE STORM MADE ANOTHER LANDFALL OVER LONG ISLAND AND EXITED THE COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS EARLY ON 7 SEPTEMBER. AFTER MOVING INTO THE ATLANTIC HANNA QUICKLY LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF HANNA MOVED ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CANADA...THEN TURNED EASTWARD AND MOVED OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THE LOW PASSED JUST WEST OF IRELAND ON 10 SEPTEMBER...THEN TURNED NORTHWARD AND MOVED INTO ICELAND ON 12 SEPTEMBER BEFORE DISSIPATING LATER THAT DAY. PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE THAT HANNA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN HAITI THAT RESULTED IN AT LEAST 175 DEATHS. DAMAGE INFORMATION FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS REMAINS INCOMPLETE AT THIS TIME. IN THE UNITED STATES...HANNA PRODUCED MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CAROLINAS NORTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN NEW ENGLAND. IKE WAS A MAJOR CAPE VERDE HURRICANE THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND MANY DEATHS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND ALONG THE COASTS OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. IKE ORIGINATED FROM A WELL-DEFINED TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE COAST OF WEST AFRICA ON 28 AUGUST AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 1 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1470 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION QUICKLY STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY BUT THEN WENT THROUGH A MORE GRADUAL INTENSIFICATION FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AS IT MOVED WEST-NORTHWEST OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. IKE BECAME A HURRICANE ON 3 SEPTEMBER AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED TO A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING CONTINUED...TO CATEGORY 4 STATUS...AS IKE ACHIEVED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 145 MPH ON 4 SEPTEMBER WHEN IT WAS LOCATED 550 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THEREAFTER...NORTHEASTERLY SHEAR INCREASED OVER THE SYSTEM WHEN STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILT OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...AND IKE WEAKENED A BIT AS IT MOVED WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD FROM 5-6 SEPTEMBER. THE WEAKENING TREND WAS SHORT-LIVED...AND IKE REGAINED CATEGORY 4 STATUS JUST BEFORE MOVING ACROSS THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND GREAT INAGUA ISLAND IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS EARLY ON 7 SEPTEMBER. IKE CONTINUED WESTWARD AND MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHEAST COAST OF CUBA IN THE PROVINCE OF HOLGUIN EARLY ON 8 SEPTEMBER WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ESTIMATED TO BE 125 MPH. IKE THEN MOVED ACROSS EASTERN CUBA FOR SEVERAL HOURS...RE-EMERGED OFF THE SOUTH COAST LATER THAT DAY...AND MAINTAINED CATEGORY 1 STATUS AS IT MOVED WEST-NORTHWEST ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA. IKE MADE A SECOND LANDFALL IN CUBA OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE PROVINCE OF PINAR DEL RIO ON 9 SEPTEMBER WITH WINDS OF 80 MPH...AND MOVED INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATER THAT DAY. IKE DEVELOPED A LARGE WIND FIELD AS IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS AND GRADUALLY INTENSIFIED AS IT APPROACHED THE TEXAS COAST. IKE MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTH END OF GALVESTON ISLAND IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 13 SEPTEMBER AS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE...WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 110 MPH. THE HURRICANE WEAKENED AS IT MOVED INLAND ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND ARKANSAS AND THEN TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY...WHERE ITS EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS PRODUCED WIND GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES FROM IKE KILLED 74 PEOPLE IN HAITI AND 2 IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. NO DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS...ALTHOUGH ABOUT 70 TO 80 PERCENT OF THE HOUSES ON GREAT INAGUA ISLAND SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE. IKE ALSO CAUSED EXTENSIVE WIND AND STORM SURGE DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED THE ISLAND OF CUBA...WHERE 7 DEATHS WERE REPORTED. ALTHOUGH IKE PRODUCED SOME WIND DAMAGE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...THE DESTRUCTION FROM STORM SURGE WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF THE HURRICANE... PARTICULARLY ALONG THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA EAST OF GALVESTON. PRELIMINARY MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE THAT THERE WERE 8 DIRECT DEATHS FROM IKE...6 OF WHICH WERE FROM DROWNING IN STORM SURGE. AS OF THE END OF THE MONTH THERE WERE STILL ABOUT 400 MISSING PERSONS FROM THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON AREA. THE REMNANTS OF IKE ALSO CAUSED WIND DAMAGE AND SEVERAL DOZEN INDIRECT DEATHS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS. JOSEPHINE DEVELOPED FROM A WELL-ORGANIZED TROPICAL WAVE THAT DEPARTED THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA EARLY ON 1 SEPTEMBER. A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED EARLY ON THE NEXT DAY...LOCATED ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER ON 2 SEPTEMBER AS THE SYSTEM WAS MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. JOSEPHINE REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 65 MPH ON 3 SEPTEMBER WHILE THE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 305 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THEREAFTER...A COMBINATION OF MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WIND SHEAR AND COOLING WATERS CAUSED THE STORM TO SLOWLY WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. EARLY ON 6 SEPTEMBER...JOSEPHINE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AND SIX HOURS LATER DISSIPATED AS A TROPICAL CYCLONE BECAUSE IT WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE DEEP CONVECTION. THE REMNANT LOW OF JOSEPHINE CONTINUED MOVING TO THE WEST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE DISSIPATING SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. KYLE ORIGINATED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT FORMED IN THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 19 SEPTEMBER. THE LOW MOVED SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND THEN DRIFTED OVER WESTERN PUERTO RICO AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINS AND PLENTY OF DAMAGE OVER PUERTO RICO DUE TO FLASH FLOODS. ONCE THE LOW MOVED NORTHWARD AWAY FROM HISPANIOLA IT DEVELOPED A WELL-DEFINED CENTER AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON 25 SEPTEMBER. KYLE MOVED ON A GENERAL NORTHWARD TRACK AND PASSED WELL TO THE WEST OF BERMUDA ON THE MORNING OF 27 SEPTEMBER AND BECAME A HURRICANE LATER ON THAT DAY. KYLE ACCELERATED NORTHWARD WITH NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH AND MOVED OVER WESTERN NOVA SCOTIA LATE ON 28 SEPTEMBER. IT CONTINUED NORTHWARD AND LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AS IT APPROACHED NEW BRUNSWICK. THE EFFECTS OF KYLE IN CANADA ARE STILL BEING EVALUATED. LAURA ORIGINATED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE CENTRAL NORTH ATLANTIC. IT FORMED AS A SUBTROPICAL STORM WITH 60 MPH WINDS EARLY ON 29 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1000 MILES WEST OF THE WESTERNMOST AZORES ISLANDS. LAURA INITIALLY MOVED WEST- NORTHWESTWARD BUT IT SOON TURNED NORTHWARD. ON 30 SEPTEMBER...THE SYSTEM MADE THE TRANSITION TO A TROPICAL STORM. AT MONTH'S END...LAURA'S WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OVER THE COLD WATERS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC A FEW HUNDRED MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS ------------------------------------------------------------------- MH GUSTAV 25 AUG - 2 SEP 150 122 H HANNA 28 AUG - 7 SEP 80 175* MH IKE 1 SEP - 14 SEP 145 92* TS JOSEPHINE 2 SEP - 6 SEP 65 H KYLE 25 SEP - 29 SEP 80 TS LAURA 29 SEP - 60 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MH DENOTES MAJOR HURRICANE...CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. * DENOTES INCOMPLETE DATA NOTE...DATES BASED ON COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC) $$ HURRICANE SPECIALISTS UNIT