Hurricane Juan (1985)
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | October 26, 1985 |
Extratropical | November 1 |
Dissipated | November 3, 1985 |
Category 1 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 85 mph (140 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 971 mbar (hPa); 28.67 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 12 |
Damage | $1.5 billion (1985 USD) |
Areas affected | Gulf Coast of the United States (especially Louisiana), central United States, Canada |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Juan was a large and erratic
Juan was the last of three hurricanes to move over Louisiana during the season, after
Meteorological history
The interaction between a
Under the effects of a larger upper-level low, Juan slowed on October 28 while approaching the Louisiana coastline.
On October 31, the storm moved across the
Preparations
Before Juan made landfall, about 100 people evacuated from the area around Port Arthur, Texas. In Louisiana, about 6,550 people evacuated, including only 700 of the 1,900 residents on Grand Isle; many of those who stayed behind there were trapped after the onslaught of the storm surge. About 6,000 people evacuated in Mississippi due to the threat for flooding.[8] Many schools were closed along the coast in Louisiana and Mississippi, and two beaches were closed both sides of the Brownsville, Texas shipping channel.[9] On October 28, governor Edwin Edwards declared a state of emergency for 13 Louisiana parishes,[10] while officials issued flash flood watches for 42 of Louisiana's 64 parishes.[11] Governor George Wallace also declared a state of emergency for Alabama, and shelters were opened along the coast.[12]
Due to the erratic motion and large size of Juan, tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued for large portions of the northern Gulf Coast.[13] Around the time of landfall, hurricane warnings were issued from Port Arthur, Texas to Mobile, Alabama, with gale warnings farther to the east to Apalachicola, Florida and extending to the west to Port O'Connor, Texas.[9] The storm's quick development left people generally unprepared. National Hurricane Center forecaster Neil Frank likened Juan to "a spinning top [that] will spin around unpredictably and do whatever it wants."[14]
Impact
While on its erratic path off the northern Gulf Coast, Juan killed 12 people, nine of whom offshore due to overturned oil rigs or boats.[2] The hurricane directly caused about $1.5 billion in damage, making it the fourth costliest United States hurricane at the time without adjusting for inflation; it was behind only Hurricane Frederic of 1979, Hurricane Agnes of 1972, and Hurricane Alicia of 1983.[15] The damage total included losses to the oil industry, wrecked crops, and overall flooding damage, mostly in Louisiana.[2] According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Juan injured 1,357 people, mostly to a minor extent.[16] Juan struck less than two months after Hurricane Elena hit the northern Gulf Coast, resulting in further damage to already ravaged areas.[8]
For about five days, Juan and its precursor produced gale-force winds along the northern Gulf of Mexico. The strongest winds in relation to Juan were on offshore oil rigs, with one rig recording peak sustained winds of 92 mph (148 km/h) and gusts to 110 mph (176 km/h). Juan also produced
Because it looped twice near the coastline, Hurricane Juan brought extensive rainfall from eastern Texas to the western
Hurricane Juan was one of the latest tropical cyclones in the year to affect Texas. The heavy rainfall from the storm caused flooding in the southeastern portion of the state, primarily in low-lying areas and along bayous. The flooding forced several roads to close, but there was minimal housing damage. Tides reached about 4 ft (1.2 m) above normal near Galveston, causing coastal flooding and closing a portion of Texas State Highway 87, but little beach erosion. Due to Juan's structure being closer to a subtropical cyclone than a typical hurricane, it produced strong winds well away from its center, with gusts of 58 mph (93 km/h) reported along the Texas coast. The winds were strong enough to knock down trees and power lines, causing power outages.[8] One person drowned in a boating accident off the Texas coast.[16]
In Mississippi, heavy rain from Juan flooded about 340 homes and businesses, mainly in the southern portion of the state. High winds and waves damaged ports in
Farther east in
Louisiana
Due to the
Near
While approaching its final landfall as a weak tropical storm, Juan created a storm surge of 6.5 ft (2.0 m) along the Chandeleur Islands to its west, resulting in extensive beach erosion. The island chain is an important buffer to parts of mainland Louisiana against storms, but is frequently physically manipulated by intense hurricanes. Hurricanes Danny and Elena also impacted the islands in 1985.[25] Large portions of the Louisiana coastline lost 40 to 100 ft (12 to 30 m) of beach due to the storm, with several new temporary inlets created along barrier islands.[23]
Inland and Mid-Atlantic
In the states inland from the
The rains from Juan and the low it spawned in the Mid-Atlantic moistened grounds across the region. The hurricane's track helped bring a plume of moisture into the Mid-Atlantic, which set the stage for a major flooding event when a low pressure area stalled on November 5 west of Washington, D.C. Major flooding occurred in Virginia and West Virginia, causing $1.4 billion in damage and 62 deaths.[6][7]
Aftermath
On October 29, Louisiana Governor
Despite the dramatic damage caused by the storm, the name Juan was not retired (although it was eventually retired following a storm in 2003).
See also
- Other storms of the same name
- Tropical Storm Allison (2001) – weak, slow-moving tropical storm that also caused damaging floods in Texas and Louisiana
- Hurricane Isaac (2012) – slow-moving hurricane that struck Louisiana, causing widespread flooding
References
- ^ a b Gilbert B. Clark. Hurricane Juan Preliminary Report (GIF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ . Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Continental U.S. Hurricanes (Detailed): 1851 to 1945, 1983 to 2012 (Report). Hurricane Research Division. June 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c d David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Hurricane Juan - October 26-November 3, 1985 (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b D.H. Carpenter (1990). Floods in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, November 1985 (PDF) (Report). Water-Resources Investigations Report. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ^ a b Peter Corrigan (November 4, 2010). The Floods of November, 1985: Then and Now (PDF) (Report). Blacksburg, Virginia National Weather Service. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). Storm Data. 27 (10). National Climatic Data Center: 16, 21–24, 28–29. October 1985. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Hurricane Threatens Gulf Coast; 2 Are Missing After Boat Capsizes". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 28, 1985. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ^ "Hurricane Juan Kills 3 As It Batters Gulf Coast". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 28, 1985. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
- ^ "Hurricane Juan Batters Louisiana". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press. October 28, 1985. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ "Erratic Storm Returns to the Gulf, Then Veers Inland Over Alabama". New York Times. Associated Press. November 1, 1985. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ Gilbert B. Clark. Hurricane Juan Preliminary Report (GIF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. p. 4. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ^ a b Storer Rowley (October 29, 1985). "1 Dead, 3 Lost As Hurricane Slams Oil Rigs". Chicago Times. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ^ Paul J. Hebert; Robert A. Case (March 1990). The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes of This Century (and Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts) (PDF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. p. 7. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c Gilbert B. Clark. Hurricane Juan Preliminary Report (GIF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. p. 3. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ a b "Structural check urged for U.S. gulf platforms". Oil and Gas Journal. January 18, 1988. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ "Hurricane Makes Return Visit to Shore and Stalls". The New York Times. October 30, 1985. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ a b c David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall for the Gulf Coast (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall for Florida (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Hurricane Juan Flooding Still a Threat". Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press. November 2, 1985. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ "National Weather Summary" (PDF). Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. 72 (44). United States Department of Agriculture. November 5, 1985. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e United States Minerals Management Service (1996). Proposed oil and gas lease sales 110 and 112, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region: draft environmental impact statement (Report). United States Department of the Interior. pp. D7–D19. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ Janet McConnaughey (November 2, 1985). "Louisiana Surveys Hurricane's Flood Damage". Associated Press. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ Sarah Fearnley; et al. (2009). "Hurricane Impact and Recovery Shoreline Change Analysis and Historical Island Configuration: 1700s to 2005" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. p. 20. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Southeast (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Midwest (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Michael L. Graczyk (October 30, 1985). "Juan grew too fast to evacuate offshore workers, officials say". Evening Independent. Houston, Texas. Associated Press. p. 3. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ United States Department of Homeland Security (November 23, 2004). "Louisiana Hurricane Juan". Federal Emergency Management Agency. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- ^ "Domestic Crude". Platt's Oilgram Price Report. October 31, 1985. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ "National Guard Dropping Hay to Stranded Cattle". Associated Press. November 9, 1985. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ Sandy Johnson (November 8, 1985). "Disaster-Filled Year Drains Red Cross Relief Fund". Associated Press. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
- ^ "Apalachicola Still Gives Thanks After Taking Beatings By Hurricanes". Ocala Star-Banner. November 29, 1985. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- ^ Austin Wilson (June 21, 1989). "'First Line of Defense' for Wetlands Is Also Vanishing". Associated Press. – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
External links
- HPC Juan Rainfall Page
- Preliminary Report Hurricane Juan 26 October – 1 November 1985—NOAA Storm WalletsArchive