1989 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1989 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started June 1, 1989, and lasted until November 30, 1989.
The most notable storm of 1989 was Hurricane Hugo, which tracked across the Lesser Antilles and into South Carolina. Hugo killed 49 and at $7 billion ($9.4 billion in 2000 dollars) in damage, was the most expensive Atlantic hurricane until Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Although Hugo was by far the most damaging storm of the season, other storms caused significant damage.
Tropical Storm Allison caused half a billion dollars (1989 dollars) in damage and killed eleven when it made landfall near Freeport, Texas. All significant damage was caused by severe inland flooding as it meandered across East Texas. Twelve years later a similar storm, also named Tropical Storm Allison, affected the same area, causing even greater damage.
Hurricane Chantal, the first hurricane of the season, was responsible for $100 million (1989 dollars) in damage when it made landfall at High Island, Texas. Thirteen people died, ten of which drowned when an offshore oil pipeline construction platform capsized near Morgan City, Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Allison
A tropical depression formed off the
Mexican coast on
June 24 from a tropical wave influenced by the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Cosme. It was upgraded to Tropical Storm Allison two days later and made landfall on the
Texas coast near
Freeport. Although it rapidly became extratropical over land, the remnants wandered over the southern
USA for several days bringing heavy rains. The maximum amount measured in the cyclone was 25.67" at Winnfield, Louisiana. For a map showing the storm total rainfall, click here: [
1]. The storm reached as far north as
Indiana before heading south again and finally dissipating over
Arkansas on
July 7.
11 deaths by drowning were attributed to the rains associated with Allison, and flood damage in Texas, Louisiana and
Mississippi was estimated at $500 million in 1989 terms.
(Not to be confused with
2001's
Tropical Storm Allison, which caused extensive flooding to the
Houston area, causing the name "Allison" to be retired.)
Tropical Storm Barry
Tropical Storm Barry formed midway between
Africa and the
Lesser Antilles becoming a storm on
July 11. It dissipated 2 days later without approaching land.
Hurricane Chantal
Chantal developed from an ITCZ disturbance first observed near
Trinidad, but did not become a storm until north of
Yucatan on
July 31. It strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane before landfall at
High Island, Texas on
August 1. It dissipated in south-west
Oklahoma.
13 deaths were reported, including 10 crew of the oil-rig construction vessel
Avco 5 which capsized off
Morgan City, Louisiana. Damage caused by wind and flooding was estimated at $100 million.
Hurricane Dean
Hurricane Dean developed as a tropical storm in mid-Atlantic
August 1 and a hurricane the next day. Initially headed for the
Leeward Islands it swung to the north, with the eye passing over
Bermuda on
August 6. It later passed over
Nova Scotia and
Newfoundland before losing its tropical characteristics.
Damage in Bermuda approached $10 million dollars, with 16 persons injured. No significant damage was reported from
Canada.
Hurricane Erin
Erin became a storm
August 19 500 miles west of Cape Verde. It headed generally northwards becoming a hurricane and then weakening before becoming extratropical on
August 27. It did not approach land.
Hurricane Felix
Felix became a storm
August 26 north of Cape Verde. It headed generally northwards with varying intensity, eventually becoming a hurricane on
September 7. It became extratropical two days later without approaching land.
Hurricane Gabrielle
Gabrielle developed south of Felix and took a more westerly course. It became a storm by
August 31 and a developed into a major hurricane reaching Category 4 on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale by
September 3. It continued northwards merging with a non-tropical storm off
Newfoundland on
September 13.
Although it never approached close to land, it generated swells up to 20 ft all the way from the Caribbean to Canada. These were responsible for eight deaths on the
East Coast of the United States.
Hurricane Hugo
Main article: Hurricane Hugo
A devastating hurricane, at the time this was the costliest in US history (and still the fifth costliest), causing great damage in the Caribbean and
South Carolina.
Tropical Storm Iris
Iris developed 400 miles east of
Barbados from a tropical wave following the one which spawned Hugo. It reached storm strength on
September 18 but was dominated by outflow from Hugo, tracked north of the
Lesser Antilles and had dissipated north-east of the
Turks Islands by
September 22. It brought further heavy rains to regions already drenched by Hugo, but no further damage or casualties were reported.
Hurricane Jerry
Jerry developed from an
African tropical wave, but no development occurred before it crossed
Yucatan into the
Bay of Campeche. There it became a tropical storm on
October 13. It tracked generally northwards and reached hurricane strength on
Galveston Island on
October 15. The remnants were absorbed by a frontal trough over
Arkansas.
Three people died when an automobile was blown off
Galveston seawall and
Texas State Highway 87 was washed away from
High Island, Texas to the eastern portion of
Sea Rim State Park. Total property damage was estimated at $35 million.
Tropical Storm Karen
Karen developed to a storm south of the
Isle of Youth on
November 30. It wandered southwest and had lost its circulation by
December 4. The remnants passed over
Nicaragua. Karen brought heavy rain to western
Cuba causing damage to property and crops. No casualties were reported.
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1989. The names not retired from this list were used again in the
1995 season. This is the same list used for the
1983 season except for Allison, which replaced Alicia. Storms were named Allison, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Hugo, Iris, Jerry, and Karen for the first time in 1989. Names that were not assigned are marked in
gray.
* Allison
* Barry
* Chantal
* Dean
* Erin
* Felix
* Gabrielle |
* Hugo
* Iris
* Jerry
* Karen
* Luis (unused)
* Marilyn (unused)
* Noel (unused) |
* Opal (unused)
* Pablo (unused)
* Roxanne (unused)
* Sebastien (unused)
* Tanya (unused)
* Van (unused)
* Wendy (unused) |
Retirement
The
World Meteorological Organization retired one name in the
spring of
1990: Hugo. It was replaced in
1995 by Humberto.
*
Lists of tropical cyclone names*
List of notable tropical cyclones* [ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1989/ Detailed information on all storms from 1989]
*
UNISYS hurricane tracks for 1989
