Hurricane Floyd (1987)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Floyd was the only hurricane to make landfall
in the United States in the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season
. The final of seven tropical storms and three hurricanes, Floyd developed on October 9 just off the east coast of Nicaragua
. After becoming a tropical storm, it moved northward and crossed western Cuba
. An approaching cold front
caused Floyd to turn unexpectedly to the northeast, and late on October 12 it attained hurricane status near the Florida Keys
. It moved through southern Florida, spawning two tornadoes and leaving minor damage. The hurricane also produced rip tides that killed a person in southern Texas. Floyd maintained hurricane status for only 12 hours before the cold front imparted hostile conditions and caused weakening. It passed through the Bahamas before becoming extratropical
and later dissipating on October 14.
in the Gulf of Honduras
on October 5. Over the subsequent few days, it drifted eastward and later southward to a position off the east coast of Nicaragua
. On October 9, a Hurricane Hunters
flight confirmed the development of an organized circulation
, which indicated that Tropical Depression Thirteen had developed. After continuing a southward drift, the depression turned to the north and later northwest due to a building ridge
to its east. With an anticyclone
aloft, the depression gradually organized, intensifying into Tropical Storm Floyd on October 10.
After reaching tropical storm status, Floyd accelerated to the north in the western Caribbean Sea, due to an approaching cold front
. Steadily intensifying, the storm moved over extreme western Cuba early on October 12. Initially it was forecast to make landfall between Naples
and Fort Myers, Florida
. Unexpectedly the storm turned sharply northeastward into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Based on reports from the Hurricane Hunters, Floyd briefly attained hurricane status on October 12. Around the same time, the nearby cold front spawned a low pressure area that cut off the hurricane's inflow
. While moving through the Florida Keys
, Floyd became the only hurricane to affect the United States that year. However, its convection was rapidly decreasing over the center due to the front, and shortly thereafter Floyd weakened to tropical storm status. The circulation became nearly impossible to track on satellite imagery, although surface observations indicated it passed just south of Miami, Florida
. The storm underwent extratropical
transition as it weakened over the Bahamas, and Floyd was no longer a tropical cyclone by late on October 18. The circulation dissipated within the cold front early the next day.
was issued for the Swan Islands
as well as Grand Cayman
. Shortly thereafter, a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch was issued for the northeast Yucatán Peninsula
before the storm dropped heavy rainfall along the coast. A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were also issued for Cuba west of Havana. In preparation for the storm, Cuban officials in Pinar del Rio Province
evacuated 100,000 people, as well as 40,000 head of cattle. In addition, international flights were canceled for a day during Floyd's passage. Despite passing over western Cuba as a tropical storm, Floyd left no serious damage or fatalities in the country.
When Floyd was a tropical storm located over Cuba, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Florida Keys as well as the southwest Florida coast to Venice
. It was the first warning in the state related to the storm, and was issued due to the anticipated intensification to hurricane status as well as short notice. A tropical storm watch, and later warning, was issued for eastern Florida. After the track became more easterly, a hurricane warning was issued for southeastern Florida, as well as the northwestern Bahamas. Officials in southern Florida closed schools due to the storm, and a few flights were canceled at Miami International Airport
. Roughly 100 F-4 and F16 fighter jets were transported out of Homestead Air Force Base to safer facilities. The American Red Cross
opened 55 shelters in 10 Florida counties, housing about 2,000 people at some point, primarily in Lee County
. People in the hurricane's path prepared by purchasing supplies from supermarkets, gassing up their vehicles, and securing loose outside items.
Floyd was the first named storm to strike southern Florida since Hurricane Bob
in 1985. While passing south of Florida, Floyd produced its strongest winds over water away and from land. The strongest wind in the Florida Keys was 59 mph (94 km/h) at Duck Key
, although wind gusts were stronger. The Air Force
station on Cudjoe Key
reported an unofficial gust of 92 mph (152 km/h). Rainfall directly from Floyd's rainbands produced minimal rainfall less than 1 in (25.4 mm). However, the interaction between the hurricane and the approaching cold front produced much heavier rainfall. Precipitation reached as far north as Daytona, peaking at 10.07 in (255.8 mm) in Fort Pierce
. While bypassing the Florida Keys, Floyd spawned a waterspout that moved ashore in Rock Harbor
. It damaged a few boats and homes. The hurricane produced rip tides as far west as the Texas coast, killing one person along South Padre Island
.
Across southern Florida, the hurricane left minor damage of around $500,000 (1987 USD), largely due to downed trees and power lines, as well as minor crop damage in Dade County
. The rainfall flooded roads in southern Florida, which caused several vehicles to fail on the Florida Turnpike. After affecting Florida, Floyd caused minor wind damage in the Bahamas. In the country, the highest reported gust was 48 mi/h at Freeport, Grand Bahama. Freeport International Airport reported sustained winds of 40 mi/h from the remnants of Floyd.
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...
in the United States in the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season
1987 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1987 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average hurricane season that was limited by an ongoing El Niño. The season officially began on June 1, 1987, and lasted until November 30, 1987, although activity began on May 25 when a tropical depression developed in the east central...
. The final of seven tropical storms and three hurricanes, Floyd developed on October 9 just off the east coast of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. After becoming a tropical storm, it moved northward and crossed western Cuba
Cuba
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...
. An approaching cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
caused Floyd to turn unexpectedly to the northeast, and late on October 12 it attained hurricane status near 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...
. It moved through southern Florida, spawning two tornadoes and leaving minor damage. The hurricane also produced rip tides that killed a person in southern Texas. Floyd maintained hurricane status for only 12 hours before the cold front imparted hostile conditions and caused weakening. It passed through the Bahamas before becoming extratropical
Extratropical 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...
and later dissipating on October 14.
Meteorological history
The origins of Hurricane Floyd were from a low pressure areaLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
in the Gulf of Honduras
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras....
on October 5. Over the subsequent few days, it drifted eastward and later southward to a position off the east coast of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. On October 9, a Hurricane Hunters
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
flight confirmed the development of an organized circulation
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
, which indicated that Tropical Depression Thirteen had developed. After continuing a southward drift, the depression turned to the north and later northwest due to a building ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to its east. With an anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
aloft, the depression gradually organized, intensifying into Tropical Storm Floyd on October 10.
After reaching tropical storm status, Floyd accelerated to the north in the western Caribbean Sea, due to an approaching cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
. Steadily intensifying, the storm moved over extreme western Cuba early on October 12. Initially it was forecast to make landfall between Naples
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
and Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
. Unexpectedly the storm turned sharply northeastward into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Based on reports from the Hurricane Hunters, Floyd briefly attained hurricane status on October 12. Around the same time, the nearby cold front spawned a low pressure area that cut off the hurricane's inflow
Inflow (meteorology)
Inflow is the flow of a fluid into a large collection of that fluid. Within meteorology, inflow normally refers to the influx of warmth and moisture from air within the Earth's atmosphere into storm systems. Extratropical cyclones are fed by inflow focused along their cold front and warm fronts...
. While moving through 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...
, Floyd became the only hurricane to affect the United States that year. However, its convection was rapidly decreasing over the center due to the front, and shortly thereafter Floyd weakened to tropical storm status. The circulation became nearly impossible to track on satellite imagery, although surface observations indicated it passed just south of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. The storm underwent extratropical
Extratropical 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...
transition as it weakened over the Bahamas, and Floyd was no longer a tropical cyclone by late on October 18. The circulation dissipated within the cold front early the next day.
Preparations and impact
Around when Floyd first attained tropical storm status, a tropical storm warningTropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
was issued for the Swan Islands
Swan Islands, Honduras
The Swan Islands, or Islas Santanilla, are a chain of three islands located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately ninety miles off the coastline of Honduras, with a land area of .-Detailed location and features:...
as well as Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
. Shortly thereafter, a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch was issued for the northeast 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...
before the storm dropped heavy rainfall along the coast. A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were also issued for Cuba west of Havana. In preparation for the storm, Cuban officials in Pinar del Rio Province
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
evacuated 100,000 people, as well as 40,000 head of cattle. In addition, international flights were canceled for a day during Floyd's passage. Despite passing over western Cuba as a tropical storm, Floyd left no serious damage or fatalities in the country.
When Floyd was a tropical storm located over Cuba, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Florida Keys as well as the southwest Florida coast to Venice
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
. It was the first warning in the state related to the storm, and was issued due to the anticipated intensification to hurricane status as well as short notice. A tropical storm watch, and later warning, was issued for eastern Florida. After the track became more easterly, a hurricane warning was issued for southeastern Florida, as well as the northwestern Bahamas. Officials in southern Florida closed schools due to the storm, and a few flights were canceled at Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
. Roughly 100 F-4 and F16 fighter jets were transported out of Homestead Air Force Base to safer facilities. The American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
opened 55 shelters in 10 Florida counties, housing about 2,000 people at some point, primarily in Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
. People in the hurricane's path prepared by purchasing supplies from supermarkets, gassing up their vehicles, and securing loose outside items.
Floyd was the first named storm to strike southern Florida since Hurricane Bob
Hurricane Bob (1985)
Hurricane Bob was a hurricane that affected the southeast United States in July 1985. The second tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season, the system developed from a tropical wave on July 21 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Bob began moving east, striking southwestern...
in 1985. While passing south of Florida, Floyd produced its strongest winds over water away and from land. The strongest wind in the Florida Keys was 59 mph (94 km/h) at Duck Key
Duck Key, Florida
Duck Key is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the middle Florida Keys. The CDP also includes the neighboring island of Conch Key. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 443.-Geography:...
, although wind gusts were stronger. The Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
station on Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key, Florida
Cudjoe Key is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the lower Florida Keys. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 1,695.It was originally called Littleton Island....
reported an unofficial gust of 92 mph (152 km/h). Rainfall directly from Floyd's rainbands produced minimal rainfall less than 1 in (25.4 mm). However, the interaction between the hurricane and the approaching cold front produced much heavier rainfall. Precipitation reached as far north as Daytona, peaking at 10.07 in (255.8 mm) in Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
. While bypassing the Florida Keys, Floyd spawned a waterspout that moved ashore in Rock Harbor
Rock Harbor, Florida
Rock Harbor is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located in the upper Florida Keys on Key Largo on US 1 northeast of Thompson and southwest of Newport and the CDP of Key Largo.-Geography:...
. It damaged a few boats and homes. The hurricane produced rip tides as far west as the Texas coast, killing one person along South Padre Island
South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 2,816 at the...
.
Across southern Florida, the hurricane left minor damage of around $500,000 (1987 USD), largely due to downed trees and power lines, as well as minor crop damage in Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
. The rainfall flooded roads in southern Florida, which caused several vehicles to fail on the Florida Turnpike. After affecting Florida, Floyd caused minor wind damage in the Bahamas. In the country, the highest reported gust was 48 mi/h at Freeport, Grand Bahama. Freeport International Airport reported sustained winds of 40 mi/h from the remnants of Floyd.
See also
- Other storms of the same name