Meteorological history of Hurricane Gordon
southeast United States | |
Part of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season |
As Gordon made its fourth landfall crossing the
Hurricane Gordon was the seventh named storm and third hurricane of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. Although it never made landfall as a hurricane, in its meandering course the storm included six separate landfalls: four as a tropical storm and two as a tropical depression. Three of its landfalls were in the U.S. state of Florida.
Formation
During the first week of November 1994, a large area of disturbed weather developed just north of Panama over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. A tropical wave passed through the area and gave it mild convection. A second wave passed through the area on November 6 and introduced cyclonic circulation to the disturbance. Over the next two days, the system gradually organized and sparked a deep convection off Nicaragua's southeast coast.[1] This organization, with initial maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (48 km/h), was designated Tropical Depression Twelve.[2] Moving northwest, the storm began to slowly strengthen[1] and its upper-level outflow became favorable to further development.[3] Spots of convection flared on the morning of November 9;[4] banding features appeared as its center made landfall on the northeastern Nicaraguan coast near Puerto Cabezas.[5] A full day later a trough to the storm's northwest over the Gulf of Mexico moved the depression offshore,[6] to the northeast, and over the warm waters of the western Caribbean Sea.[1] Fueled by these warm waters, on the night of November 9, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon with 40 mph (64 km/h) winds.[7]
Lacking firm movement because of weak steering currents,[7] Gordon meandered north-northeast in the presence of mild west-southwesterly wind shear,[1][8][9] unable to strengthen under the adverse conditions.[10] By November 11, a trough prodded Gordon to the north-northeast at 8 mph (13 km/h),[11] and it strengthened by 6 mph (9.7 km/h) as it moved through the central Caribbean Sea.[12] The trough continued steering Gordon, bending it eastward towards Jamaica on the afternoon on November 12. Despite the warm waters, Gordon did not strengthen that day as strong upper-tropospheric shear hindered development,[13][14] disorganized the upper-level circulation, and reduced its winds to 40 mph (64 km/h).[15]
Through the Greater Antilles
November 13 was an active day for Tropical Storm Gordon. The trough over southern Florida and the Gulf of Mexico continued to push Gordon eastward towards Jamaica.[16] In the pre-dawn hours, the storm clipped the eastern edge of the island,[1] leaving 7.44 in (18.9 cm) of rainfall.[17] Southwesterly wind shear kept the storm from developing beyond 45 mph (72 km/h), but neither the shear nor the landfall significantly disrupted the cyclone's organization.[18] Accelerating, Gordon turned towards the northeast.[1] Continued shear prevented the upper-level development needed for typical cyclonic organization, but a strong lower-level circulation had formed. Its sustained winds were still only 40 mph (64 km/h), but as the system approached eastern Cuba a gust of 120 mph (190 km/h) was reported.[19] The center crossed near Guantánamo Bay and the storm dumped heavy rainfall as it passed over the eastern portion of the island;[1] even heavier rain fell in Haiti to the west, where 22.94 in (58.3 cm) of rain was recorded at Camp-Perrin.[20]
Meanwhile, the broad-scale circulation that was covering most of the Caribbean Sea (of which Tropical Storm Gordon was only a part) was interacting with an upper-tropospheric trough near the Straits of Florida.[21] This trough strengthened the broad upper-level cyclone, which in turn strengthened Gordon and spawned several other low-level circulations in the western Caribbean Sea.[1] When Gordon crossed eastern Cuba, the National Hurricane Center determined that it had become the most dominant of these low-level systems and had absorbed their convections.[1] (Meteorologist Jose Fernandez-Partagas voiced the minority opinion that Gordon's circulatory center had dissipated over Cuba and that a low-pressure system near the Bahamas was now the dominant system, which would have meant the demise of Tropical Storm Gordon and the emergence of a new tropical storm.[22] While possible, this view was not accepted by the official hurricane summaries.[1][23]) By nightfall of November 13, Gordon had not only made two landfalls and survived interactions with three competing systems but also, in assimilating the Bahamian low, had gained the cool central core typical of a subtropical cyclone.[1][24]
The deep-layered cyclone within which Gordon was embedded steered the storm west-northwest, south of
Second Florida landfall and peak strength
Steering currents remained weak[31][32] giving the storm a chance to fully re-develop its deep convection while immobile at sea.[1][32][33] During this time, Tropical Storm Gordon began to spawn tornadoes. As the storm center was well offshore most were probably unreported, but six tornadoes touched down on the Florida coast. Four of the tornadoes were rated F0 on the Fujita scale, two were rated F1, and one was given an F2 rating with estimated wind speeds of 113–157 mph (182–253 km/h).[34]
After stalling offshore for almost a day, a mid- to upper-tropospheric trough over the central U.S. slowly pulled Tropical Storm Gordon northward then north-northeastward towards Florida's west coast.
Third Florida landfall and demise
The
A high-pressure system over the central United States drifted east and added a westward component to Gordon's southward motion,[50] pulling the storm southwest towards Florida.[52] The persistent shear and a continued lack of deep convection eventually reduced the storm's winds to below tropical storm force, and on the morning on November 20, Gordon became a tropical depression.[53] The high pressure system over the continent continued pulling the depression towards the west[54][55] until it made its final landfall near Cape Canaveral that night with winds of 30 mph (48 km/h).[56] Between its three Floridian landfalls, Hurricane Gordon dumped 5–10 in (13–25 cm) of rain on Florida, with a station at Cooperstown recording 16.1 in (41 cm).[57] The storm moved northward across Florida,[58][59] northeastward across Georgia, and finally merged with a frontal system over South Carolina.[1][59]
Track and forecasting
Gordon's track was likened to Hurricane Dawn in 1972.[60][61] The National Hurricane Center described the storm as "a complex system, [which] followed an unusual, erratic path over the western Caribbean Sea and islands, Florida and the southwestern Atlantic." Due to the path, the agency had difficulties in forecasting Gordon, and the forecast errors were 10% to 30% above the average of the previous decade.[1]
See also
- 1994 Atlantic hurricane season
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- Timeline of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Pasch, Richard J. (1995-01-10). "Preliminary Report Hurricane Gordon 8–21 November 1994". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-08). "Tropical Depression Twelve Discussion Number 1". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-08). "Tropical Depression Twelve Discussion Number 2". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-09). "Tropical Depression Twelve Discussion Number 3". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-09). "Tropical Depression Twelve Discussion Number 5". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-09). "Tropical Depression Twelve Discussion Number 4". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ a b Avila (1994-11-10). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 9". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-10). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 10". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-11). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 11". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-11). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 12". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-11). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 13". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-11). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 14". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-12). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 15". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-12). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 16". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-12). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 17". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Jarrell (1994-11-12). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 18". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Rafi Ahmad (2003-08-20). "GEOHAZ2001 page 016". Department of Geography and Geology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-13). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 19". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-13). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 20". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ ORE (1995-01-01). "Rainfall — ORE — Camp-Perrin, Cayes, Haiti - 1994" (PDF). Organization for the Rehabilitation of the Environment. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-13). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 21". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Jose Fernandez-Partagas (1996-01-04). "Gordon: A Complex Weather System". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ISSN 1520-0493. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-13). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 22". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-14). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 23". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-14). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 24". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-14). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 25". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport/Jarrell (1994-11-14). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 26". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-15). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 27". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-15). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 28". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-15). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 29". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b Avila (1994-11-16). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 31". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-15). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 30". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Staff Writers (2008-05-11). "Infamous Florida Hurricanes" (PDF). 2008 Governor's Hurricane Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2009. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-16). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 32". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b Lawrence (1994-11-16). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 33". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-16). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 34". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b Rappaport (1994-11-17). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 35". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-17). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 36". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-17). "Hurricane Gordon Special Discussion Number 37". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-17). "Hurricane Gordon Discussion Number 38". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-17). "Hurricane Gordon Discussion Number 39". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-18). "Hurricane Gordon Discussion Number 40". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-18). "Hurricane Gordon Discussion Number 41". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Rappaport (1994-11-18). "Hurricane Gordon Discussion Number 42". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-18). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 43". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-18). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 44". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Roth, David M (May 12, 2022). "Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic United States". Tropical Cyclone Rainfall. United States Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 6, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Avila (1994-11-19). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 45". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b Mayfield (1994-11-19). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 46". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield, Max B (1994-11-19). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 47". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-19). "Tropical Storm Gordon Discussion Number 48". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-20). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 49". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-20). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 50". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Mayfield (1994-11-20). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 51". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Lawrence (1994-11-20). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 52". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Subtropical Storm/Hurricane Gordon — November 11–22, 1994". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. 1995-01-01. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Pasch (1994-11-21). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 53". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b Jarrell (1994-11-21). "Tropical Depression Gordon Discussion Number 54". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Gordon Batters N.C., Turns Back on Florida" (GIF). The Baltimore Sun. Associated Press. 1994-11-19. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
- ^ "Gordon: Storm Heads Back to Florida" (GIF). The Baltimore Sun. Associated Press. 1994-11-19. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
External links
- NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Gordon
- HPC Report on Gordon's Rainfall
- Hurricane Gordon 1994
- NOAA: The Retirement of Hurricane Names
- Weather Underground: Haiti's Hurricane History Archived 2010-09-18 at the Wayback Machine