1970 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1970 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started June 1, 1970, and lasted until November 30, 1970.
Notable storms of 1970 include Hurricane Celia, which killed 20 and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage as it passed over Cuba and into Corpus Christi, Texas; and Tropical Storm Dorothy, which killed 51, most in Martinique.
Hurricane Alma
An area of disturbed weather persisted over the southwestern
Caribbean Sea in the middle of May. It gradually organized, and a tropical depression formed on
May 17th. In response to low shear aloft and warm water temperatures, the depression rapidly strengthened on the 20th, becoming a storm early in the day and a hurricane by night. This didn't last, and Alma weakened to a storm on the 21st and a depression the following, mostly due to upper level shear. The depression continued its general northward movement, with a brief jog to the west, and hit
Cuba on the 24th as a 30 M.P.H. tropical depression. As Alma crossed the eastern
Gulf of Mexico, it retained a very well defined circulation with an eye appearing on radar, but shear limited convection and strength. Alma crossed the
Florida coast on the 25th, and became extratropical 2 days later over
North Carolina.
Alma was one of only 3 May hurricanes during the 20th century in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tropical Storm Becky
A rain system from the Intertropical Convergence Zone near
Panama joined a low level vorticy maximum over the northwest Caribbean, becoming a tropical depression on
July 19th. The next day it organized over the Yucatan Channel and became Tropical Storm Becky. Becky reached a peak of 65 M.P.H. winds over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but upper level winds weakened it to a tropical depression prior its
Florida Panhandle landfall on the 22nd. The storm weakened further over land, and dissipated over western
Kentucky on the 23rd.
Hurricane Celia
Main article Hurricane CeliaHurricane Celia developed from a tropical wave moving through the Caribbean, becoming a tropical depression on
July 31st and a tropical storm on the 1st. In the Gulf of Mexico, it rapidly became a major hurricane, but weakened steadily to an 85 M.P.H. hurricane. On the 3rd, it again rapidly strengthened to a major hurricane, this time reaching 130 M.P.H. winds prior to its
Texas landfall. Celia killed 20 due to extreme gusts, and caused hundreds of millions in damage.
Tropical Storm Four
A tropical depression formed in the western Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas on
August 15th. It moved northwestward for a day, followed by a northeast motion for another day, but it remained weak. On the 18th, in combination with baroclinic processes, the depression strengthened rapidly to a 70 M.P.H. tropical storm prior to becoming extratropical on the 19th south of
Newfoundland.
Tropical Storm Dorothy
A tropical wave led to a tropical depression beginning 500 miles east of the
Lesser Antilles on
August 17th. As it moved west-northwestward, it slowly strengthened, reaching tropical storm strength on the 19th. On the 20th, it reached its peak of 70 M.P.H. while moving through the islands, but an upper level cold core trough destroyed Dorothy on the 23rd.
Hurricane Ella
Hurricane Ella developed from a surface trough near
Swan Island in the Western Caribbean on
September 8th. It moved northwestward without strengthening, but on the 10th, as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, it rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm, and a hurricane 6 hours later. Hurricane Ella gradually intensified prior to landfall, reaching 130 M.P.H. winds on the 12th just before hitting the La Pesca/Sota la Marina area of
Mexico. Ella rapidly dissipated over land.
Tropical Storm Felice
An upper level trough led to the formation of a tropical depression on
September 12th over the southern Bahamas. Land interaction limited strength initially, but as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, it was able to strengthen to a 70 M.P.H. tropical storm. Shortly after its peak Felice moved inland near
High Island, Texas on the 16th, and dissipated the next day over northeastern Texas.
Tropical Storm Greta
Tropical Storm Greta began quickly, forming as a tropical storm from a tropical wave over the Bahamas on
September 26th. Greta didn't get any further, and soon became disorganized, weakening to a tropical depression the next day as it crossed the
Florida Keys. The depression moved across the Gulf of Mexico without strengthening, and eventually hit the coast of
Tampico, Mexico on the 4th, where it dissipated shortly thereafter.
Hurricane Nine
An elongated cold core circulation north of
Puerto Rico organized enough to be called a subtropical depression on
October 12th. The next day it reached storm intensity, and after a drift to the west, reached hurricane intensity on the 16th. On the 16th it passed by
Bermuda, but damage was minimal. Baroclinic processes let the storm reach a peak of 100 M.P.H. winds before becoming extratropical on the 17th.
Hurricane Ten
A subtropical depression formed west of the
Azores from an area of non-tropical origin on
October 20th. It strengthened to a tropical storm the next day. It slowly moved eastward, gaining strength but losing size. When it became a hurricane on the 27th, its hurricane force winds were only 5 miles apart and its tropical storm force winds were only 60 miles apart. This compact cyclone became extratropical on the 28th after passing safely by the Azores.
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1970. The name Celia was later retired.
* Alma
* Becky
* Celia
* Dorothy
* Ella
* Felice
* Greta
* Hallie (unused)
* Isabel (unused)
* Judith (unused)
* Kendra (unused)
* Lois (unused)
* Marsha (unused)
* Noreen (unused)
* Orpha (unused)
* Patty (unused)
* Rena (unused)
* Sherry (unused)
* Thora (unused)
* Vicky (unused)
* Wilna (unused)
*
Lists of tropical cyclone names*
List of notable tropical cyclones*[ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1970/ Detailed information on all storms from 1970]
