Hurricane Maria (2011)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Maria was the thirteenth named storm and third hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season
. Maria developed from a strong tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in early September. Moving westward, the wave organized rapidly, and became a tropical storm on September 6. Continuing to move westward, the system did not strengthen, and began to enter unfavorable conditions several hundred miles to the east of the Leeward Islands
. Subsequently, Maria weakened as it approached the islands. As the system passed over the islands, heavy rain and gusty winds were recorded. In Puerto Rico
, an island already severely affected by Hurricane Irene
, several inches of rain fell, resulting in more flooding. After moving to the north of the Caribbean islands, Maria began to strengthen as wind shear abated. Then, during the afternoon hours of September 15, Maria became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
. Moving towards the northeast at a very fast pace, Maria made landfall just to the northwest of Cape Pine, Newfoundland during the afternoon hours of September 16. The cyclone became post-tropical shortly afterwards.
southwest of the Cape Verde Islands associated with an area of convection
developed on the morning of September 5. The system quickly organized and became associated with a low pressure area
later that day. During the morning hours of September 6, the system became more organized, and by that afternoon, satellite imagery
indicated that the formation of a tropical depression was imminent.
The system was designated Tropical Depression Fourteen at 2100 UTC on September 6, with wind
s of 35 mph (55 km/h) and movement to the west-northwest. The depression failed to strengthen through the morning of September 7, possibly due to influence from a weak upper-level trough
to the northwest of the cyclone. The depression intensified into a tropical storm later that morning, with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) as it moved to the west
at 23 mph (37 km/h). Wind shear
combined with the quick movement of the storm were responsible for a lack of strengthening as the day continued.
The system became more disorganized in its appearance on the morning of September 8, with Maria becoming a "shapeless cluster of deep convection". The system also lacked a closed circulation. Maria continued to be affected by an upper-level low to the northwest, which was causing shear over the cyclone, keeping it from increasing in intensity. As the day progressed, the cloud
system became more disorganized and the winds weakened; however, the cyclone's cloud pattern stabilized that evening as convective coverage began to increase.
The storm intensified on the morning of September 9, with surface pressure
s falling and large increases in convection. Despite these two factors, the overall organization of the storm had not changed. The storm maintained its intensity on the morning of September 10, as Maria began impacting the Lesser Antilles
. As the day progressed, shear from the upper-level low and trough to the cyclone's northwest caused Maria to weaken. Strong winds were no longer a threat to the Lesser Antilles; however, heavy rain
remained a threat. Maria gained intensity in the evening hours of September 10, and by the early morning of September 11, Maria began to take on the classical appearance of a cyclone on satellite imagery. Winds had increased to 60 mph (95 km/h), while its minimum central pressure remained relatively the same at 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg). Wind shear continued to hamper any further development, and the location of the center of Maria became hard for the National Hurricane Center
to determine on the evening of September 11.
The cyclone maintained its intensity into the morning of September 12 as strong shear associated with the upper-level low to the northwest and cold water wake from Hurricane Katia
continued to damper any intensification that would have occurred. As the day went on, the wind shear from the low pressure system increased, leading to a weakening of the tropical storm. While continuing its westward course, Maria had begun moving much slower, at only 2 mph (4 km/h). Overnight into September 13, Maria continued to maintain winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) as it began turning to the northwest, with still relatively slow movement. The storm became close to stationary in the afternoon before turning northward in the early evening. The upper-level shear had also weakened, allowing the storm to begin strengthening slightly.
By the early morning hours of September 14, the winds in the storm had increased to 60 mph (95 km/h), while the central pressure remained relatively high at 1001 mbar (hPa; 29.56 inHg). The cyclone maintained its intensity through the morning, as wind shear continued to limit its ability to strengthen. Because Maria had not yet passed through the wake of Hurricane Katia, which had colder sea surface temperatures, the official forecast did not call for the storm to become a hurricane; however, approximately half of the models
predicted intensification to hurricane strength. Through that evening, Maria began strengthening and increasing speed as the storm moved northward, and the official forecast from the National Hurricane Center was that Maria would become a hurricane by the late morning of September 15. The storm maintained its intensity into September 15 and winds began increasing to 70 mph (110 km/h) by late morning. Satellite imagery also showed that an eye
had formed.
Maria was upgraded to a Category 1
hurricane in the early evening of September 15 with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The hurricane continued to move quickly to the north-northeast, while becoming more symmetrical. Through the early morning hours of September 16, the hurricane strengthened, with sustained winds reaching 80 mph (130 km/h) and gusts to 100 mph (155 km/h). The pressure fell to 979 mbar (hPa; 28.91 inHg), and the cyclone's movement had shifted to the northeast at 45 mph (72 km/h). By the late morning, Maria had begun the transition to an extratropical cyclone
, with the deep convection rotating north of the center, and the cloud tops had begun warming. Maria made landfall at approximately 2:30 p.m. AST (1830 UTC) just northwest of Cape Pine
on the Avalon Peninsula
of Newfoundland with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). After crossing Newfoundland, Maria had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone after losing many tropical characteristics, including the loss of closed circulation. The system continued to move off to the northeast at 58 mph (93 km/h).
by September 9. These were dropped on September 10 since the main thunderstorm activity was far removed from the center of circulation
. Some flooding of cistern
s was reported from the U.S. Virgin Islands
. In Puerto Rico
, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides. U.S. President Barack Obama
declared the island a federal disaster area about a month after the storm occurred, which allocated federal assistance available for residents in three municipalities.
A tropical storm warning was issued for Bermuda
on September 13. As Maria bypassed Bermuda on September 15, the outer bands of the storm produced brief squalls on the island. Tropical storm force winds were also reported on the island. At Commissioners Point, sustained winds reached 52 mph (83 km/h), with gusts as high as 69 mph (111 km/h). In addition, winds of 36 mph (60 km/h) were reported at L.F. Wade International Airport at 11:00 a.m. AST on September 15.
In anticipation of Maria, Environment Canada
issued a tropical storm watch for Newfoundland late on September 15, which was in effect for Arnold's Cove eastward to Brigus South
. A few hours later, after Maria attained hurricane strength, the tropical storm watch in effect was upgraded to a hurricane watch. Simultaneously, Environment Canada also enacted a tropical storm warning, which stretched from Arnold's Cove westward to Jones Harbor. By early on September 16, the hurricane watch in effect from Arnold's Cove to Brigus South was upgraded to a hurricane warning. In addition, the tropical storm warning was extended from Arnold's Cove westward to Stones Cove; another expansion of the tropical storm warning was from Brigus South of Charlottetown, Newfoundland. As Maria was transitioning into a post-tropical storm on September 16, landfall was reported on the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula
of Newfoundland where winds of 64 mph (103 km/h) were recorded. Offshore winds of 77 mph (124 km/h) were measured, and the capital city of St. John's
experienced heavy rain but not to the extent anticipated as the storm moved through more quickly than predicted.
2011 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season is tied for the third most active season on record with 1887, 1995 and 2010. It began on June 1, 2011, and ended on November 30, 2011, however these dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin...
. Maria developed from a strong tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in early September. Moving westward, the wave organized rapidly, and became a tropical storm on September 6. Continuing to move westward, the system did not strengthen, and began to enter unfavorable conditions several hundred miles to the east of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
. Subsequently, Maria weakened as it approached the islands. As the system passed over the islands, heavy rain and gusty winds were recorded. In Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, an island already severely affected by Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
, several inches of rain fell, resulting in more flooding. After moving to the north of the Caribbean islands, Maria began to strengthen as wind shear abated. Then, during the afternoon hours of September 15, Maria became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Moving towards the northeast at a very fast pace, Maria made landfall just to the northwest of Cape Pine, Newfoundland during the afternoon hours of September 16. The cyclone became post-tropical shortly afterwards.
Meteorological history
A 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...
southwest of the Cape Verde Islands associated with an area of convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
developed on the morning of September 5. The system quickly organized and became associated with a low pressure area
Low 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...
later that day. During the morning hours of September 6, the system became more organized, and by that afternoon, satellite imagery
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
indicated that the formation of a tropical depression was imminent.
The system was designated Tropical Depression Fourteen at 2100 UTC on September 6, with wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s of 35 mph (55 km/h) and movement to the west-northwest. The depression failed to strengthen through the morning of September 7, possibly due to influence from a weak upper-level trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
to the northwest of the cyclone. The depression intensified into a tropical storm later that morning, with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) as it moved to the west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
at 23 mph (37 km/h). Wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
combined with the quick movement of the storm were responsible for a lack of strengthening as the day continued.
The system became more disorganized in its appearance on the morning of September 8, with Maria becoming a "shapeless cluster of deep convection". The system also lacked a closed circulation. Maria continued to be affected by an upper-level low to the northwest, which was causing shear over the cyclone, keeping it from increasing in intensity. As the day progressed, the cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
system became more disorganized and the winds weakened; however, the cyclone's cloud pattern stabilized that evening as convective coverage began to increase.
The storm intensified on the morning of September 9, with surface pressure
Surface pressure
Surface pressure is the atmospheric pressure at a location on Earth's surface. It is directly proportional to the mass of air over that location....
s falling and large increases in convection. Despite these two factors, the overall organization of the storm had not changed. The storm maintained its intensity on the morning of September 10, as Maria began impacting 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 the day progressed, shear from the upper-level low and trough to the cyclone's northwest caused Maria to weaken. Strong winds were no longer a threat to the Lesser Antilles; however, heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
remained a threat. Maria gained intensity in the evening hours of September 10, and by the early morning of September 11, Maria began to take on the classical appearance of a cyclone on satellite imagery. Winds had increased to 60 mph (95 km/h), while its minimum central pressure remained relatively the same at 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg). Wind shear continued to hamper any further development, and the location of the center of Maria became hard for the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
to determine on the evening of September 11.
The cyclone maintained its intensity into the morning of September 12 as strong shear associated with the upper-level low to the northwest and cold water wake from Hurricane Katia
Hurricane Katia (2011)
Hurricane Katia was the eleventh named storm, second hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. A Cape Verde-type hurricane, Katia developed from a tropical wave south of the Cape Verde Islands on August 29. Tracking west-northwestward, the system gradually...
continued to damper any intensification that would have occurred. As the day went on, the wind shear from the low pressure system increased, leading to a weakening of the tropical storm. While continuing its westward course, Maria had begun moving much slower, at only 2 mph (4 km/h). Overnight into September 13, Maria continued to maintain winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) as it began turning to the northwest, with still relatively slow movement. The storm became close to stationary in the afternoon before turning northward in the early evening. The upper-level shear had also weakened, allowing the storm to begin strengthening slightly.
By the early morning hours of September 14, the winds in the storm had increased to 60 mph (95 km/h), while the central pressure remained relatively high at 1001 mbar (hPa; 29.56 inHg). The cyclone maintained its intensity through the morning, as wind shear continued to limit its ability to strengthen. Because Maria had not yet passed through the wake of Hurricane Katia, which had colder sea surface temperatures, the official forecast did not call for the storm to become a hurricane; however, approximately half of the models
Numerical weather prediction
Numerical weather prediction uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic...
predicted intensification to hurricane strength. Through that evening, Maria began strengthening and increasing speed as the storm moved northward, and the official forecast from the National Hurricane Center was that Maria would become a hurricane by the late morning of September 15. The storm maintained its intensity into September 15 and winds began increasing to 70 mph (110 km/h) by late morning. Satellite imagery also showed that an eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
had formed.
Maria was upgraded to a Category 1
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
hurricane in the early evening of September 15 with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The hurricane continued to move quickly to the north-northeast, while becoming more symmetrical. Through the early morning hours of September 16, the hurricane strengthened, with sustained winds reaching 80 mph (130 km/h) and gusts to 100 mph (155 km/h). The pressure fell to 979 mbar (hPa; 28.91 inHg), and the cyclone's movement had shifted to the northeast at 45 mph (72 km/h). By the late morning, Maria had begun the transition to an extratropical cyclone
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...
, with the deep convection rotating north of the center, and the cloud tops had begun warming. Maria made landfall at approximately 2:30 p.m. AST (1830 UTC) just northwest of Cape Pine
Cape Pine
The Headland of Cape Pine is the point of land marking the boundary of Trepassey Bay on the Avalon Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
on the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
of Newfoundland with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). After crossing Newfoundland, Maria had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone after losing many tropical characteristics, including the loss of closed circulation. The system continued to move off to the northeast at 58 mph (93 km/h).
Preparations and impact
Tropical storm warnings were issued for most of the Lesser AntillesLesser 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...
by September 9. These were dropped on September 10 since the main thunderstorm activity was far removed from the center of 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....
. Some flooding of cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
s was reported from the U.S. Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
. In Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides. U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
declared the island a federal disaster area about a month after the storm occurred, which allocated federal assistance available for residents in three municipalities.
A tropical storm warning was issued for Bermuda
Bermuda
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...
on September 13. As Maria bypassed Bermuda on September 15, the outer bands of the storm produced brief squalls on the island. Tropical storm force winds were also reported on the island. At Commissioners Point, sustained winds reached 52 mph (83 km/h), with gusts as high as 69 mph (111 km/h). In addition, winds of 36 mph (60 km/h) were reported at L.F. Wade International Airport at 11:00 a.m. AST on September 15.
In anticipation of Maria, Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
issued a tropical storm watch for Newfoundland late on September 15, which was in effect for Arnold's Cove eastward to Brigus South
Brigus South, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus South is a small fishing community on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.- History :An ancient fishing settlement situated between Witless Bay and Cape Broyle in a small cove. The earliest record on a map naming it Abra de Brigas , which translates as...
. A few hours later, after Maria attained hurricane strength, the tropical storm watch in effect was upgraded to a hurricane watch. Simultaneously, Environment Canada also enacted a tropical storm warning, which stretched from Arnold's Cove westward to Jones Harbor. By early on September 16, the hurricane watch in effect from Arnold's Cove to Brigus South was upgraded to a hurricane warning. In addition, the tropical storm warning was extended from Arnold's Cove westward to Stones Cove; another expansion of the tropical storm warning was from Brigus South of Charlottetown, Newfoundland. As Maria was transitioning into a post-tropical storm on September 16, landfall was reported on the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
of Newfoundland where winds of 64 mph (103 km/h) were recorded. Offshore winds of 77 mph (124 km/h) were measured, and the capital city of St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
experienced heavy rain but not to the extent anticipated as the storm moved through more quickly than predicted.
See also
- 2011 Atlantic hurricane season2011 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2011 Atlantic hurricane season is tied for the third most active season on record with 1887, 1995 and 2010. It began on June 1, 2011, and ended on November 30, 2011, however these dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin...
- Hurricane Igor
- List of Canada hurricanes
- Other storms with the same name