919  
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)  
 

 
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