Hurricane Nicole (2016)
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Article does not use the Tropical Cyclone Report for Nicole.(August 2023) |
North Atlantic Coastlines | |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Nicole was the first
The storm's approach and eventual impact on Bermuda forced schools, businesses, and government offices to close, while flight, bus, and ferry services were interrupted. One person drowned due to large swells that Nicole generated along its track that washed ashore along the East Coast of the United States. On the island of Bermuda, several people were injured, but no life-threatening injuries were reported. Overall, damage from Nicole amounted up to $15 million, which was less than what was anticipated.
Meteorological history
On October 1, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a weak tropical wave-induced low-pressure area producing scattered showers and thunderstorms, along with winds just shy of tropical storm intensity, over the central Atlantic. Strong wind shear prevented the disturbance from organizing significantly as it tracked northwestward for the next several days.[1] On October 4, satellite data confirmed the presence of a well-defined circulation center with gale-force winds.[2][3] Around the same time, thunderstorm activity became better organized and banding features began to evolve over the eastern side of the disturbance. As a result, the NHC classified the system as Tropical Storm Nicole at 15:00 UTC, while it was located about 525 mi (845 km) northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm, still plagued by inhibiting wind shear, was forecast to remain weak.[3][4]
Nicole's cloud pattern gradually improved on October 5, partially shielded from the effects of wind shear by an upper-level low situated atop the tropical storm. Although
By early on October 7, Nicole had finally felt the effects of strong wind shear and quickly weakened back into a tropical storm.
After meandering westward for a time, the hurricane turned north and soon accelerated toward the northeast as it recurved into the
Preparations and impact
Bermuda
On October 10, while the storm was still located about 415 mi (670 km) to the south, the
As a precaution, officials closed
Strong swells from the slow-moving storm started affecting Bermuda on October 6.[42] Later, on October 11, gusty winds along the periphery of Nicole's circulation caused a brief power outage.[43] As the core of the hurricane passed over Bermuda, a weather station on Pearl Island recorded sustained winds of 87 mph (140 km/h) with gusts to 119 mph (192 km/h).[24] An elevated station at Commissioner's Point recorded slightly higher winds.[44] Nicole also dropped extremely heavy rainfall, amounting to 6.77 in (172 mm).[42]
The strong winds brought down trees and powerlines, leaving 27,341 households—approximately 90% of all electric customers in the territory—without service.[45] Service was predominately restored within a few days, though isolated outages reappeared well after the storm's passage, when salt deposits began disrupting the electric power distribution system.[46] The terminal building at L.F. Wade International Airport was partially unroofed, and rainwater leaks were reported throughout the facility.[47] Agriculture took a significant hit, as the storm destroyed fields of fruit and vegetable crops in various stages of growth. At least one farmer reported a nearly total loss of young vegetable plants.[48] Dozens of boats, some up to 80 ft (24 m) in length, were ripped from their moorings and left damaged, sunken, or crushed upon rocky sections of coastline.[49] Low-lying roadways and buildings were flooded, and some homes sustained roof damage, but the hurricane proved less destructive than initially feared. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported, although seven individuals were hospitalized with minor weather-related injuries.[50][51] An unusually high number of blackpoll warblers were spotted in Bermuda after Hurricane Nicole disrupted their transoceanic migration, forcing them to seek shelter.[52] Insured loss were counted at $15 million.[53]
U.S. East Coast
Although only Bermuda was directly affected by the hurricane, Nicole's large size stirred a tremendous area of high seas. Long-period swells propagated across the entire North Atlantic for a prolonged period.
See also
- List of Bermuda hurricanes
- List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
- Hurricane Dean (1989) – struck Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane
- Hurricane Fabian (2003) – the last major hurricane to strike Bermuda prior to Nicole
- Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo (2014) – two hurricanes that both made landfall in Bermuda in a span of one week in October 2014
- Hurricane Paulette (2020) – another hurricane which made landfall in Bermuda four years later
References
- ^ Robbie Berg. "Tropical Weather Outlook issued 2:00 am EDT Saturday, October 1, 2016". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Richard Pasch. "Tropical Weather Outlook issued 8 am EDT Tuesday, October 4, 2016". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ a b Richard Pasch (October 4, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 1". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Richard Pasch (October 4, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Public Advisory Number 1". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Robbie Berg (October 5, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 6". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ John Cangialos (October 5, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 4". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Richard Pasche (October 6, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Special Advisory Number 10". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Eric Blake (October 7, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Public Advisory Number 12". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 6, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 11". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ John Cangialos (October 6, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 8". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Eric Blake (October 7, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 12". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 7, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 14". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 7, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 15". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 8, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 18". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 8, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 19". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Robbie Berg (October 8, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 17". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 9, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 23". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Jack Beven (October 10, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 24". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 10, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 26". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Daniel Brown (October 11, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 30". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Daniel Brown (October 11, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Intermediate Public Advisory Number 30A". National Hurricane Center.
- ^ Daniel Brown (October 12, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 34". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Michael Brennan (October 12, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Public Advisory Number 36". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Daniel Brown and Robbie Berg (October 13, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Public Advisory Number 38". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Daniel Brown (October 13, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 38". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Avila, Lixion (October 14, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Public Advisory Number 41". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ Berg, Robbie (October 14, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Discussion Number 44". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Berg, Robbie (October 14, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Public Advisory Number 44". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Beven, Jack (October 18, 2016). "Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicole Discussion Number 57". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Todd Kimberlain (October 10, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Public Advisory Number 27". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Lixon Avila (October 11, 2016). "Tropical Storm Nicole Public Advisory Number 29".
- ^ Guy Cabral and Lisa Simpson (October 12, 2016). "Nicole: Residents make final preparations". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Advice, closures and cancellations". The Royal Gazette. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "Nicole upgraded to hurricane". The Royal Gazette. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "Nicole on track to hit Bermuda". The Royal Gazette. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Adrian Robson (October 12, 2016). "Island braced for direct hit". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Nicole live: Regiment adopts state of readiness". The Royal Gazette. October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Photos: Shelter Opens At CedarBridge Academy". Bernews. October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "No Royal Gazette on Thursday". The Royal Gazette. October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Karen Northon (October 11, 2016). "Atlantic Storm System Delays NASA Resupply Launch to Space Station". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Stephen Clark (October 10, 2016). "Critical Antares rocket launch set for Friday night". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "BWS Daily Climatology Written Summary". Bermuda Weather Service. October 26, 2016. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ Jonathan Bell (October 11, 2016). "Belco reports first storm-related outage". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Daniel Brown and Robbie Berg (October 13, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole Tropical Cyclone Update". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Photos: The Aftermath Of Hurricane Nicole". Bernews. October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Salt build-up causing electrical outages". The Royal Gazette. October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ Adam Zacharias (October 22, 2016). "Airport rain leaks 'amplified' by Nicole". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ Simon Jones (October 22, 2016). "Farmers count the cost of hurricane damage". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ Sarah Lagan (October 18, 2016). "Dozens of boats damaged or sunk". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ "Nicole live: storm moves on, Causeway shut". The Royal Gazette. October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Seven suffer minor injuries from Nicole". The Royal Gazette. October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ Owain Johnston-Barnes (October 24, 2016). "Blackpoll Warblers check in for a stopover".
- ^ Owain Johnston-Barnes (March 9, 2017). "Hurricane Nicole caused $15m of damage". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ Stacy Stewart (October 16, 2016). Hurricane Nicole Discussion Number 51 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Bihu Ray (October 13, 2016). "Bermuda braces for extremely dangerous hurricane Nicole". International Business Times. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ "Hurricane Nicole pushes sea turtles back to Florida beaches". Naples Daily News. Melbourne, Florida. Associated Press. October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Joey Flechas and Cresonia Hsieh (October 12, 2016). "King tides arriving in South Florida with extra swell from Hurricane Nicole". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Jess Swanson (October 14, 2016). "Hurricane Nicole and King Tide Already Flooding Fort Lauderdale". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Irene Nolan (October 13, 2016). "Teen swimmer missing off Rodanthe beach". Island Free Press. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Irene Nolan (October 17, 2016). "Update: Body of missing swimmer found near Avon pier". Island Free Press. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
External links
- Advisory archive from the National Hurricane Center
- Damage photo gallery from Bernews