1978 Atlantic hurricane season
Encyclopedia : 1 : 19 : 197 : 1978 Atlantic hurricane season
The
1978 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on
June 1,
1978, and lasted until
November 30,
1978. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cyclones form in the
Atlantic basin.
Tropical Storm Amelia, which killed 30 when it flooded the Guadalupe River in Texas, was the most notable storm of the season. Hurricane Greta caused moderate damage in Central America, avoiding fears that it would be a repeat of the devastating Hurricane Fifi. A very unusual subtropical storm formed in mid-January, the only storm (tropical or subtropical) to do so in the Atlantic basin.
The 1978 season was the last hurricane season when only female names were used for hurricanes and the last season before the modern hurricane naming system was developed.
Storms
Subtropical Storm One
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| One satellite picture and track map
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A meteorological oddity, the first storm of the season developed from an upper level trough on January 18 while 1725 miles (2,800 km) east-northeast of Puerto Rico. It moved westward, intensifying to a 45 mph subtropical storm (70 km/h) over the central Atlantic Ocean. Climatology prevailed, and the storm dissipated on January 23, 230 miles (370 km) northeast of Puerto Rico.
Subtropical Storm One became the earliest recorded tropical or subtropical storm to form in the Atlantic basin, and the only one to do so at all during January, when it formed on January 18. Note that two storms on record, Hurricane Alice from the 1954 season and Tropical Storm Zeta from the 2005 season have formed during December and lasted into January.
Tropical Storm Amelia
- Main article: Tropical Storm Amelia (1978)
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| Amelia satellite picture and track map
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Tropical Storm Amelia formed in the western
Gulf of Mexico near
Brownsville, Texas on
July 30. The storm moved over land, but continued to intensify to a 50 mph tropical storm. Land then took its toll, and the storm dissipated over
Texas on
August 1. Flooding rains led to the deaths of 30 people in Texas.
Tropical Storm Bess
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| Bess satellite picture and track map
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Tropical Storm Bess formed in the central
Gulf of Mexico on
August 5. Due to a strong high pressure system over
Texas, the storm moved southwestward, strengthening to a 50 mph storm. The storm hit Naulta, Mexico on early
August 8, and dissipated later that day.
Hurricane Cora
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| Cora satellite picture and track map
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The tropical depression that became Hurricane Cora formed on
August 7 in the tropical
Atlantic. It gradually strengthened to a 90 mph Category 1 hurricane, but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved through the
Windward Islands. The storm continued to weaken, and dissipated on
August 12 near the island of
Aruba.
Tropical Storm Debra
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| Debra satellite picture and track map
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Tropical Storm Debra began its life in the central
Gulf of Mexico, north of the
Yucatán Peninsula on
August 26. It moved towards the
Louisiana coast, steadily intensifying to a 60 mph storm, and made landfall halfway between
Lake Charles, Louisiana and
Beaumont, Texas.
Hurricane Ella
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| Ella satellite picture and track map
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Hurricane Ella formed from a stationary frontal zone in late August over the central Atlantic. It moved west-northwestward, passing
Bermuda far to the south, and intensified to a major hurricane. After a brief stall on
September 2, Ella accellerated to the northeast, rapidly strengthening to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane south of
Nova Scotia. It brushed the coast of
Newfoundland and dissipated out at sea.
Hurricane Flossie
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| Flossie satellite picture and track map
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Hurricane Flossie formed in the tropical Atlantic on
September 4, midway between
Cape Verde and the
Lesser Antilles. The system moved to the west-northwest, reaching 45 mph winds before upper level shear ripped apart the system. After two days of moving to the northeast, the storm re-strengthened to a tropical storm, and became a hurricane on
September 12, located about halfway between
Bermuda and the
Azores Islands. Cool waters eventually led the system to its death.
Hurricane Greta
- Main article: Hurricane Greta-Olivia
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| Greta satellite picture and track map
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The tropical depression that became Hurricane Greta formed 75 miles west-northwest of
Trinidad on
September 13. The storm moved through the Central Caribbean, steadily strengthening. When it neared the coast of
Honduras it rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane, bringing winds to the country. It stayed offshore, but came to shore at
Stann Creek District,
Belize on
September 19 as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm dissipated the next day, but later redeveloped in the Eastern Pacific as Hurricane Olivia. Luckily, death and damage was much lower than
Hurricane Fifi, a similar hurricane that devastated the same area in
1974. This was likely due to the lack of flooding, as well as using proper warnings from the affected countries. In all, Greta caused 5 deaths and over $75 million (2005 USD) in damage.
Tropical Storm Hope
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| Hope satellite picture and track map
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Tropical Storm Hope formed just off the northeast coast of
Florida on
September 12. It remained a tropical depression for 3 days as it moved generally eastward. It ultimately attained 65 mph winds over the open Atlantic, but passed cooler waters before it could reach hurricane strength. Still, the storm retained tropical characteristics to nearly 60ºN, not far from
Iceland.
Tropical Storm Irma
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| Irma satellite picture and track map
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Tropical Storm Irma formed in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean near the
Azores on
October 2. The storm moved north-northeastward, attaining a maximum windspeed of 50 mph and passing through the Azores before it dissipated on
October 5.
Tropical Storm Juliet
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| Juliet satellite picture and track map
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Juliet formed from a tropical wave on
October 7 about 600 miles east of
Puerto Rico. The storm passed north of the island, attained a wind speed of 50 mph, and headed into the open Atlantic before dissipating on
October 11 southwest of
Bermuda.
Hurricane Kendra
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| Kendra satellite picture and track map
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The final storm of the season formed east of the
Bahamas on
October 28. The storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained windspeeds of 80 mph, and weakened to a tropical depression on
November 1, before dissipating on
November 3.
1978 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic basin in 1978. This was the last year that only female names were used. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
Retirement
No names were retired after the 1978 season.
See also
- redirect[[Template:Portal]]
External links
Tropical cyclones of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season
|stormname=One
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_One
|storminitial=1
}}
|stormname=Amelia
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=Tropical Storm Amelia
|storminitial=A
}}
|stormname=Bess
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Bess
|storminitial=B
}}
|stormname=Cora
|strength=Category 1
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane Cora
|storminitial=C
}}
|stormname=Debra
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Debra
|storminitial=D
}}
|stormname=Ella
|strength=Category 4
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane Ella
|storminitial=E
}}
|stormname=Flossie
|strength=Category 2
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane Flossie
|storminitial=F
}}
|stormname=Greta
|strength=Category 4
|linkname=Hurricane Greta-Olivia
|storminitial=G
}}
|stormname=Hope
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Hope
|storminitial=H
}}
|stormname=Irma
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Irma
|storminitial=I
}}
|stormname=Juliet
|strength=Tropical Storm
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Juliet
|storminitial=J
}}
|stormname=Kendra
|strength=Category 1
|linkname=1978_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane Kendra
|storminitial=K
}}
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