1971 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1971 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1971, and lasted until November 30, 1971. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly average, with 13 total storms and 6 hurricanes forming.

The most notable storms of 1971 were Tropical Storm Doria, which did $147 million (1971 dollars) in damage when it made landfall near Morehead City, North Carolina, and Hurricane Edith, which was a Category 5 when it grazed Nicaragua.

Hurricane Ginger was one of the more unusual Atlantic hurricanes, lasting for 27.25 days and becoming the second longest-lived Atlantic storm on record.

Storms

Tropical Storm Arlene

A stationary cold front over the western Atlantic led to the formation of a frontal wave in early July. The system organized rapidly south of Cape Hatteras, becoming a tropical depression on July 4 and a 50 mph tropical storm on the 5th. Arlene moved quickly to the northeast, reaching a peak of 60 mph prior to becoming extratropical on the 7th.

Hurricane Two

A weak circulation existed over the central north Atlantic in late July. It exhibited subtropical characteristics, but it was very weak. As it moved westward, it slowly organized, and it became a tropical depression on August 3 while just southeast of Bermuda. It passed over the island as a 20 mph depression, but conditions remained unfavorable. After a northwest movement, the tropical depression began to move rapidly northeastward, strengthening to a tropical storm on the way via baroclinic energies. When the tropical storm became a hurricane at 46º North, it became the northernmost tropical storm to become a hurricane. At that latitude, it was located 100 miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. It was not named due to the unimpressive nature on satellite images, but after the fact, when ship reports suggested otherwise, it was upgraded to a hurricane.

Hurricane Beth

An upper level low led to the formation of a tropical depression on August 10 just off the coast of Florida. The storm remained weak for the next 4 days, due to the cooler atmosphere about the storm, but on the 14th, conditions became more favorable, with the depression reaching tropical storm strength, and hurricane strength 12 hours later. Beth quickly moved to the northeast, and hit Nova Scotia as a minimal hurricane on the 16th. Beth became extratropical the next day.

Tropical Storm Chloe

Tropical Storm Chloe developed from a tropical wave on August 18, 400 miles east of Barbados. The depression didn't strengthen until it passed through the Lesser Antilles, but favorable conditions in the central Caribbean allowed Chloe to strengthen to a 65 mph tropical storm. Those conditions ended, and Chloe moved across the Caribbean Sea as a weak tropical depression, hitting Belize on the 25th.

Tropical Storm Doria

The tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Doria formed from a tropical wave on August 20 east of the Lesser Antilles. As it moved west-northwestward the storm didn't manage to strengthen until it reached a favorable area north of the Bahamas. Here, the tropical depression became Tropical Storm Doria on August 26, and the following day it reached its peak of 65 mph while moving towards the North Carolina coast. On the 28th, it moved inland near Morehead City, and continued to straddle the eastern coastline of the United States, bringing heavy rain over the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Doria became extratropical on the 29th, but not after causing $147 million (1971 USD ($700 million 2005 USD)) in damage and 6 deaths.

Hurricane Edith

Four tropical systems in the Atlantic

The precursor to Hurricane Edith was a tropical wave that developed in the Caribbean. Edith strengthened at a good pace to a Category 5 hurricane, but after moving across Honduras weakened to a minimal hurricane, and weakened further over the Yucatán Peninsula to a tropical storm. After passing by Mexico Edith moved northeastward, strengthening to a Category 2 storm before hitting Louisiana on the 16th.

Hurricane Fern

Hurricane Fern was the first of four tropical systems to develop from an extended surface trough of low pressure across the Gulf of Mexico into the open Atlantic. The trough developed Hurricane Fern, Hurricane Ginger, Tropical Storm Heidi, and a strong tropical depression. Hurricane Fern developed from a tropical wave interacting with the trough on September 3 in the central Gulf of Mexico. It moved over southern Louisiana on the 4th, but due to increased ridging to the north the depression moved southward back over the gulf. It reached storm intensity late on the 7th, and on the 8th it became a hurricane while slowly moving southwestward. A mid-latitude trough stalled the system for a brief period, followed by another change of direction to the northwest. As the trough moved eastward, Fern moved back to the southwest, paralleling the coast of Texas before making landfall on the 10th between Freeport, Texas and Matagorda, Texas as a tropical storm. Fern dissipated over Mexico on the 13th.

Hurricane Ginger

Hurricane Ginger developed out of the extended surface trough with 3 other systems. Initially a cold core low, a depression formed on September 6, and after 27.25 days of moving around the western Atlantic ocean, Ginger became extratropical, becoming the second longest-lasting tropical storm (after the 1899 Hurricane San Ciriaco).

Tropical Storm Heidi

Tropical Storm Heidi was the last of the 4 tropical systems to develop from the extended surface trough of low pressure. A tropical depression developed out of this on September 11 northeast of the Bahamas, and became Tropical Storm Heidi on the 12th 400 miles east of Jacksonville. The storm never got well organized, partly due to the outflow from Ginger. As it looked like it would go out to sea, a large low-pressure system over the Appalachian Mountains forced the system westward into Maine, where it dissipated on the 15th.

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene formed from a tropical wave on September 11, located about 700 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Its rapid movement and its southerly track over the Caribbean kept it as a tropical depression until the 17th, when it slowed over the southwest Caribbean. Irene intensified at a steady rate to an 80 mph hurricane prior to its September 19 landfall on Nicaragua. After crossing Central America, Irene restrengthened to a 115 mph hurricane in the Eastern Pacific as Hurricane Olivia.

Tropical Storm Janice

The tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Janice developed from a tropical wave that originated off the coast of Africa. Forming on September 21 east of the Lesser Antilles, the depression reached tropical storm strength, but upper level shear disallowed the storm to strengthen beyond 65 mph winds. Janice dissipated on the 24th.

Tropical Storm Kristy

The precursor of Tropical Storm Kristy was a tropical wave combined with an upper level trough. A tropical depression formed from this area of convection on October 18, and on the 20th while moving northeastward, it became Tropical Storm Kristy. As it reached this strength, it was already encountering unfavorable conditions, and Kristy became extratropical on the 21st.

Tropical Storm Laura

A large, sprawling cloud mass originating over Panama formed a tropical depression on November 12 in the Caribbean Sea. Two days after its formation, it became a tropical storm northeast of the coast of Honduras. Laura moved to the northwest for the following days due to an approaching cold front, but when a high pressure built to its north on the 16th, Laura executed a small loop just south of Cuba. Here Laura reached her peak intensity of 70 mph. As Laura moved to the southwest, she weakened drastically, but managed to regain her peak intensity prior to her landfall on Belize (then known as British Honduras) on the 21st. Laura dissipated the next day over Central America.

1971 storm names

The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1971. Names that were not assigned are marked in .* Arlene
* Beth
* Chloe
* Doria
* Edith
* Fern
* Ginger
* Heidi
* Irene
* Janice
* Kristy
* Laura
*
*
*
*
*>

Retirement

No names were retired after the 1971 season.

See also

*List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
*List of Atlantic hurricane seasons

External links

* Monthly Weather Review
* [ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1971/ Detailed information on all storms from 1971]
* Hurricane Fern Rainfall Information