1974 Atlantic hurricane season
Encyclopedia
The 1974 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1974, and lasted until November 30, 1974. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone
s form in the Atlantic basin
. The season
had near average activity, with eleven total storms and four hurricanes forming.
The most notable storms of the season were Hurricane Carmen
, which made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula
and in Louisiana
, causing at least $150 million (1974 US dollars) in damages; and Hurricane Fifi
, which killed 8,000 people as it skimmed along the northern coast of Honduras
.
(ACE) rating of 61. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
near Trinidad
. This system tracked across the Caribbean Sea
over the following days and began showing signs of organization. On May 19, before the official start of the hurricane season, a tropical depression developed along the northern coast of Honduras
. Tracking northwestward, the system tracked through a region the was unfavorable for development
and the storm attained peak winds of 30 mph (45 km/h). Early on May 20, the system made landfall
along the northern border of Belize
and Mexico
before weakening. As it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula
and entered the Gulf of Mexico
, the low no longer retained tropical characteristics and was reclassified as a tropical disturbance.
While over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, heavy rains from the depression impacted several areas; however, the overall effects of the system were minimal. Gusty winds and rainfall associated with the system were felt as far away as Jamaica
and the Florida Keys
. Additionally, high seas spread as far northward as the United States Gulf Coast.
on June 22. As the depression moved southwestward, convection began to fire well northeast of the center forming a new cyclone by June 24. Convection over the new system was poorly organized, and it became a subtropical depression late on June 24. It strengthened into a subtropical storm on June 25 with its winds far away from the center. It crossed Florida
that day, but that night, it became more frontal in character. It lost what tropical characteristics it had on June 25.
Subtropical Storm One caused three drowning deaths and $10 million in damage ($42 million in 2005 USD) when it passed over central Florida.
. The storm moved southeastward, followed by a north, then northeast motion. The storm reached its peak of 60 mi/h late in its life, just prior to being absorbed by a frontal boundary on August 15.
(ITCZ) disturbance on August 12 over the southern tropical Atlantic. It moved steadily westward, reaching a peak of 65 mi/h on the way. It crossed the island of Trinidad
, the southernmost track of a Trinidad hit since 1933. On August 15, it moved into northern Venezuela
, and the high mountain tops destroyed the circulation.
Alma was responsible for two fatalities on Trinidad as well the crash of a passenger aircraft on Isla de Margarita, off the coast of Venezuela, that killed 47 people.
A sprawling system, the depression brought light to moderate rainfall to much of Texas leading to minor flooding. In Wink
, more than 1.5 in (38.1 mm) fell in six hours.
. It moved northeastward, where it reached its peak of 115 mi/h. As it approached unfavorable conditions, Becky fell apart, dissipating on September 2.
toward the end of August. The wave traveled westward, spawning a tropical depression east of the Lesser Antilles
on August 29. The storm moved through the Caribbean Sea
, and in an environment conducive to intensification, it quickly strengthened to its initial peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane. Subsequently, it moved ashore on the Yucatán Peninsula
where, despite being in a sparsely populated region, the hurricane caused significant crop damage and killed several people. Prior to the storm, officials set up several evacuation centers, and many residents moved to higher ground.
Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico
, Carmen turned northward and re-intensified as it approached the United States
. Initially threatening the major city of New Orleans, it veered westward and made landfall again over the marshland of southern Louisiana
, eventually dissipating over eastern Texas
on September 10. Coinciding with the issuance of tropical cyclone watches and warnings, approximately 100,000 residents left their homes and sought shelter. Damage was lighter than first feared, but the sugar crop suffered substantial losses.
emerged off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean. Over the following five days, no development took place and the wave later entered the Caribbean Sea
on September 13. The following day, the system developed into a tropical depression as it steadily tracked west-northwestward. On September 16, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fifi just off the coast of Jamaica
. The storm quickly intensified into a hurricane the following afternoon and attained its peak intensity on September 18 as a strong Category 2 hurricane. Maintaining hurricane intensity, Fifi brushed the northern coast of Honduras
before making landfall in Belize
the following day. The storm quickly weakened after landfall, becoming a depression late on September 20. Continuing westward, the former hurricane began to interact with another system in the eastern Pacific
.
Early on September 22, Fifi re-attained tropical storm status before fully regenerating into a new tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Orlene. Orlene storm traveled in an arced path toward Mexico while quickly intensifying into a Category 2 hurricane before landfall. The storm weakened after landfall and dissipated fully during the afternoon of September 24 over the mountains of Mexico. Along its path, Fifi impacted nine countries, leaving over 8,000 fatalities and $1.8 billion in damage. Most of the loss of life and damage occurred in Honduras where extreme rainfall from the hurricane triggered widespread flash flood
ing and mudslides.
disturbance on September 28, located east of the Lesser Antilles
. As it approached the islands, it rapidly strengthened to a tropical storm late on September 28, and to a hurricane six hours later. Prior to reaching the islands, the convection was sheared from the center, leaving behind a minimal tropical storm as it passed through the Lesser Antilles
on October 2. The system dissipated on October 4 over the southeastern Caribbean Sea
.
. It moved northwestward, strengthening to subtropical storm force winds, and brushing the east coast of Florida. The storm moved out to sea, merging with a cold front on October 9 after becoming extratropical on October 8.
or a wave
or low, and all of the damage figures are in 1974 USD.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s form in the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin
The Atlantic Basin is the Atlantic Ocean.Atlantic Basin may also refer to:* Atlantic Basin Iron Works, an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century...
. The season
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic are called hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition, there have been several storms over the years that have not been fully...
had near average activity, with eleven total storms and four hurricanes forming.
The most notable storms of the season were Hurricane Carmen
Hurricane Carmen
Hurricane Carmen was the most intense tropical cyclone of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season. A destructive and widespread storm, Carmen originated as a tropical disturbance that emerged from Africa toward the end of August. The wave traveled westward, spawning a tropical depression east of the...
, which made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
and in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, causing at least $150 million (1974 US dollars) in damages; and Hurricane Fifi
Hurricane Fifi
Hurricane Fifi was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that killed between 3,000 and 10,000 people in Honduras in September 1974, ranking it as the fourth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Originating from a strong tropical wave on September 14, the system steadily tracked...
, which killed 8,000 people as it skimmed along the northern coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
Season summary
The season's activity was reflected with a cumulative accumulated cyclone energyAccumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
(ACE) rating of 61. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
Tropical Depression
In early May, a tropical disturbance emerged out of the Intertropical Convergence ZoneIntertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
near Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. This system tracked across the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
over the following days and began showing signs of organization. On May 19, before the official start of the hurricane season, a tropical depression developed along the northern coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Tracking northwestward, the system tracked through a region the was unfavorable for development
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
and the storm attained peak winds of 30 mph (45 km/h). Early on May 20, the system made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
along the northern border of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
before weakening. As it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
and entered the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, the low no longer retained tropical characteristics and was reclassified as a tropical disturbance.
While over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, heavy rains from the depression impacted several areas; however, the overall effects of the system were minimal. Gusty winds and rainfall associated with the system were felt as far away as Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
. Additionally, high seas spread as far northward as the United States Gulf Coast.
Tropical Depression One
On June 22, a tropical depression formed. It remained weak and dissipated on June 26.Subtropical Storm One
A tropical depression formed over the southwestern Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on June 22. As the depression moved southwestward, convection began to fire well northeast of the center forming a new cyclone by June 24. Convection over the new system was poorly organized, and it became a subtropical depression late on June 24. It strengthened into a subtropical storm on June 25 with its winds far away from the center. It crossed Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
that day, but that night, it became more frontal in character. It lost what tropical characteristics it had on June 25.
Subtropical Storm One caused three drowning deaths and $10 million in damage ($42 million in 2005 USD) when it passed over central Florida.
Tropical Depression Two
On July 13, a tropical depression formed. It remained weak and dissipated on July 17.Subtropical Storm Two
A convective area of cloudiness existed northeast of the Bahamas in mid July in response to a stationary frontal boundary. A subtropical depression formed on July 16, and it became Subtropical Storm Two on July 17. As it moved northeastward it gradually became absorbed by a large extratropical low pressure system, with the system dissipating on July 20.Tropical Depression Three
On July 31, a tropical depression formed. It remained weak and dissipated on August 2.Subtropical Storm Three
Subtropical Storm Three formed from a frontal wave on August 10, located 300 mi (482.8 km) south of Cape CodCape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. The storm moved southeastward, followed by a north, then northeast motion. The storm reached its peak of 60 mi/h late in its life, just prior to being absorbed by a frontal boundary on August 15.
Tropical Storm Alma
The tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Alma formed from an Intertropical Convergence ZoneIntertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
(ITCZ) disturbance on August 12 over the southern tropical Atlantic. It moved steadily westward, reaching a peak of 65 mi/h on the way. It crossed the island of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, the southernmost track of a Trinidad hit since 1933. On August 15, it moved into northern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and the high mountain tops destroyed the circulation.
Alma was responsible for two fatalities on Trinidad as well the crash of a passenger aircraft on Isla de Margarita, off the coast of Venezuela, that killed 47 people.
Tropical Depression Five
On August 24, a tropical depression formed. It remained weak and dissipated on August 26.A sprawling system, the depression brought light to moderate rainfall to much of Texas leading to minor flooding. In Wink
Wink, Texas
Wink is a city in Winkler County, Texas, United States. The population was 919 at the 2000 census. By 2009, the population had reportedly crept up to 926.Wink was the hometown of singer and songwriter Roy Orbison, although he was born in Vernon, Texas....
, more than 1.5 in (38.1 mm) fell in six hours.
Hurricane Becky
Hurricane Becky formed from an area of showers and thunderstorms on August 26, located to the southwest of BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. It moved northeastward, where it reached its peak of 115 mi/h. As it approached unfavorable conditions, Becky fell apart, dissipating on September 2.
Hurricane Carmen
A destructive and widespread storm, Carmen originated as a tropical disturbance that emerged from AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
toward the end of August. The wave traveled westward, spawning a tropical depression east of the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
on August 29. The storm moved through the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, and in an environment conducive to intensification, it quickly strengthened to its initial peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane. Subsequently, it moved ashore on the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
where, despite being in a sparsely populated region, the hurricane caused significant crop damage and killed several people. Prior to the storm, officials set up several evacuation centers, and many residents moved to higher ground.
Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, Carmen turned northward and re-intensified as it approached the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Initially threatening the major city of New Orleans, it veered westward and made landfall again over the marshland of southern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, eventually dissipating over eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on September 10. Coinciding with the issuance of tropical cyclone watches and warnings, approximately 100,000 residents left their homes and sought shelter. Damage was lighter than first feared, but the sugar crop suffered substantial losses.
Tropical Depression Eight
On September 2, a tropical depression formed. It was long lasting and dissipated on September 11.Tropical Storm Dolly
Dolly developed from a cloud system over the central north Atlantic on September 2. The next day it became a tropical storm, but as the storm moved quickly to the northeast, it encountered cool, dry air, dissipating on September 5.Tropical Storm Elaine
The tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Elaine formed from a tropical wave on September 4 about 600 mi (965.6 km) east of the Lesser Antilles. The depression moved northwestward for five days without strengthening, but on September 9 it moved under a favorable upper-level anticyclone, letting the depression strengthen to tropical storm strength. Elaine reached its peak of 70 mi/h under these favorable conditions, but as they became unfavorable, Elaine weakened, becoming extratropical on September 14.Hurricane Fifi
On September 8, a well-defined tropical waveTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
emerged off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean. Over the following five days, no development took place and the wave later entered the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
on September 13. The following day, the system developed into a tropical depression as it steadily tracked west-northwestward. On September 16, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fifi just off the coast of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The storm quickly intensified into a hurricane the following afternoon and attained its peak intensity on September 18 as a strong Category 2 hurricane. Maintaining hurricane intensity, Fifi brushed the northern coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
before making landfall in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
the following day. The storm quickly weakened after landfall, becoming a depression late on September 20. Continuing westward, the former hurricane began to interact with another system in the eastern Pacific
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
.
Early on September 22, Fifi re-attained tropical storm status before fully regenerating into a new tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Orlene. Orlene storm traveled in an arced path toward Mexico while quickly intensifying into a Category 2 hurricane before landfall. The storm weakened after landfall and dissipated fully during the afternoon of September 24 over the mountains of Mexico. Along its path, Fifi impacted nine countries, leaving over 8,000 fatalities and $1.8 billion in damage. Most of the loss of life and damage occurred in Honduras where extreme rainfall from the hurricane triggered widespread flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing and mudslides.
Hurricane Gertrude
Hurricane Gertrude developed from an Intertropical Convergence ZoneIntertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
disturbance on September 28, located east of the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. As it approached the islands, it rapidly strengthened to a tropical storm late on September 28, and to a hurricane six hours later. Prior to reaching the islands, the convection was sheared from the center, leaving behind a minimal tropical storm as it passed through the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
on October 2. The system dissipated on October 4 over the southeastern Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
.
Subtropical Storm Four
The subtropical depression that became Subtropical Storm Four developed from a stationary cold front on October 4 near the east coast of CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It moved northwestward, strengthening to subtropical storm force winds, and brushing the east coast of Florida. The storm moved out to sea, merging with a cold front on October 9 after becoming extratropical on October 8.
Season Summary
This is a table of all of the storms that will form in the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s) – denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses will be additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but are still related to that storm. Damage and deaths will include totals while the storm was extratropicalExtratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
or a wave
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
or low, and all of the damage figures are in 1974 USD.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1974. Storms were named Carmen, Elaine and Gertrude for the first time in 1974. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
|
Retirement
The names Carmen and Fifi were later retired.See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- 1974 Pacific hurricane season1974 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1974 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1974 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1974 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1974. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeast Pacific Ocean.With...
- 1974 Pacific typhoon season1974 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 1974 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1974, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...
- 1974 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1973–74, 1974–75