Hurricane Bonnie (1998)
Mid-Atlantic States | |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Bonnie was a major hurricane that made landfall in
Fearing a major hurricane strike, coastal locations from Florida to
Hurricane Bonnie made landfall as a borderline Category 2–Category 3 storm, with intense wind gusts of up to 104 mph (167 km/h) and rainfall peaking at about 11 in (280 mm). Reports of downed trees and powerlines, as well as structural damage such as blown-out windows and torn-off roofs, were reported. In coastal North Carolina, the storm washed ashore tens of thousands of tires that had been part of an artificial reef. Crop damage was extensive, but the storm was overall less severe than initially feared. Total damage was estimated at $1 billion (1998 USD). At the time, it was the costliest Atlantic tropical cyclone to not have its name retired following the season, as Bonnie was used again in the 2004 season.
Meteorological history
On August 14, 1998, a
Late on August 20, the first reconnaissance plane entered the storm and found a minimum central barometric pressure of 1001 mb. The storm brushed the Leeward Islands, although the main thunderstorm activity remained to the north of the storm over the open ocean.
A mid- to upper-level trough slowed the storm almost to a halt early on August 23,[10] before a drift to the north-northwest began. The next National Hurricane Center (NHC) advisory then reported that the eye was becoming more distinct and well-defined. This strengthening trend abated because the storm had churned up the waters over which it was passing, bringing cooler water to the surface as a result of the slow track. Another inhibiting factor may have been related to the same trough that caused the northward turn, though due to a large anticyclone situated over the hurricane, the weakening effects were not substantial.[11] Despite wind shear, the large and powerful circulation resisted weakening for a time.[12] Early on August 25, the shear and the entrainment of drier air into the hurricane took its toll on Bonnie, giving it a ragged appearance on satellite imagery, and the eye briefly became cloud-filled.[13]
The storm accelerated somewhat by August 26, and early that day, it was moving at about 14 mph (23 km/h).
Preparations
On August 20, a tropical storm watch was posted for the islands of
Florida and South Carolina
Initially the storm posed a threat to Florida, where military officials kept abreast of the situation. Heavy surf advisories were posted from central portions of the state northward to
Some computer forecast models initially predicted that the storm would move towards South Carolina or Georgia.
North Carolina and Virginia
About 815 guardsmen were called to North Carolina, where they assisted local authorities with the extensive preparations, including evacuating 750,000 state citizens.
A study was performed on the storm in eight counties in North Carolina to determine the cost of evacuation for hurricanes, and included 1,029 households.
In Virginia, where 15 jurisdictions declared local emergencies, local governments took action to inform and protect citizens. Residents in mobile home parks, as well as campgrounds, were advised to evacuate, and 13 jurisdictions opened shelters by August 26. State Governor Jim Gilmore declared a State of Emergency, and as a result, the State Emergency Operations Center was activated. Beaches and piers were shut down in Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Gloucester counties, where communities canceled some local events due to the threat of Bonnie. Voluntary evacuations throughout the state were issued, and some hotels reached maximum capacity as a result.[36] Roughly 60 Navy ships were ordered to leave port at Norfolk, and ride out the storm far out to sea.[37] The State of Virginia banned swimming along the coast.[31] As Bonnie progressed northward, a tornado watch was posted for much of eastern Virginia.[38]
Impact
While located north of the
South Carolina
As the hurricane passed to the east of the state, rainfall ranged from 2 to 4 in (51 to 102 mm), and
North Carolina
Hurricane Bonnie came ashore just at or below major hurricane intensity, bringing with it intense wind gusts of up to 98 mph (158 km/h) in North Carolina,
One direct death occurred in North Carolina; a young girl was killed when a tree fell on her
Several locations received significant physical impacts. On
Virginia
Bonnie passed just offshore of southeast Virginia, lashing the region with heavy rain and high winds. Sustained winds reached 81 mph (130 km/h) at
Between 320,000 and 650,000 customers lost power in the state.
Throughout the Tidewater region, there were estimates of thousands of downed trees, and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged. Of these, about 40 structures were declared uninhabitable. Debris was blown several blocks inland from the coast. Among the hardest hit locations was
Mid-Atlantic, New England and Atlantic Canada
As the storm moved offshore, outer rain bands affected the
Bonnie moved well to the south of Cape Cod, although a significant outer rain band affected southern Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Torrential downpours produced 4 in (100 mm) of precipitation at Whitehorse Beach, and other locations reported over 1 in (25 mm). Winds reached 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 km/h), although offshore the Georges Bank Buoy reported a 52 mph (84 km/h) gust. A man was killed when his rowboat capsized in rough surf of 1 to 2 ft (0.30 to 0.61 m); his companion safely swam to shore.[64][65]
On the afternoon of August 29, Bonnie entered the Canadian Hurricane Centre's area of responsibility as a tropical storm, and passed south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Precipitation along the coast of Nova Scotia ranged from 15 to 25 mm (0.59 to 0.98 in) and winds gusted to around 102 km/h (63 mph). Slightly higher gusts were reported off the coast. On Sable Island, the storm dropped 30 mm (1.2 in) of rainfall. An offshore buoy recorded a wave height of 17.9 m (59 ft).[66]
Aftermath and observation
Following the hurricane in North Carolina, 10 counties were declared federal disaster areas,
Both during and after Hurricane Bonnie's onslaught, analysis of the storm was extensive; it was deemed "the most observed hurricane in history." When examined with
During the storm, the
See also
- Hurricane Arthur
- Other storms of the same name
- List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–1999)
- List of Delaware hurricanes
- List of New Jersey hurricanes
- List of Maryland hurricanes
- List of New England hurricanes
References
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