Hurricane Nate (2011)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Nate was an Atlantic hurricane that made landfall
on the Gulf Coast of Mexico
in early September. The sixteenth named storm
and fourth hurricane
of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season
, Hurricane Nate formed in the Bay of Campeche
on September 7 and initially moved erratically. Slowly intensifying, the cyclone reached a peak intensity of 75 mph (120 km/h) on the afternoon of September 8, although the system's satellite
appearance was not characteristic of such. Succeeding its peak as a minimal hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
, a combination of cooler sea surface temperature
s, due to upwelling
, and dry air caused Nate to weaken below hurricane intensity early on September 9. Tracking towards the west, Nate made landfall as a minimal tropical storm with 45 mph (75 km/h) at midday on September 11, before weakening into a remnant low by 0000 UTC the following day, and dissipating shortly thereafter. No damage was reported in association with Hurricane Nate, although five people were killed in rough seas, and it is estimated that 800 homes were damaged in Veracruz
.
. By the afternoon of September 7, the system had intensified and became Tropical Storm Nate, with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h). During the morning of September 8, Nate continued to strengthen slowly, with winds picking up to 50 mph (80 km/h). The storm remained almost stationary, with most of the changes in the center of the storm being attributed to changes in the definition of the center, rather than actual movement of the system as a whole. By that afternoon, maximum sustained winds had increased to 75 mph (120 km/h) based on oil rig data and Nate became a hurricane (based on post-analysis, it was not considered a hurricane operationally); however, the appearance of the storm on satellite imagery
remained largely unchanged and the satellite appearance resembled a weak tropical storm as opposed to a Category 1 hurricane.
By the early morning of September 9, Nate had weakened slightly due to dry air in western part of the Gulf of Mexico. After largely remaining stationary, Nate finally began moving to the northwest later that morning; however, the storm had become stationary and weakened by that afternoon, with winds falling to 50 mph (85 km/h). This weakening was attributed to the dry air that had previously been hindering Nate's development, as well as a lack of atmospheric instability
. Despite the models
predicting the cyclone would intensify, Nate simply maintained its intensity as the day went on, potentially due to dry air aloft or cooler waters causing a lack of instability near the center of the storm. The National Hurricane Center
(NHC) pointed out that such behavior was a good real-life example of the problems of forecasting the intensity of hurricanes, as the environment was favorable, and the models predicted strengthening, but no such strengthening was actually taking place.
In the early morning hours of September 10, Nate began to slowly move westward at 5 mph (7 km/h), while maintaining its intensity. Upwelling of cool water due to the slow moving nature of the storm counteracted the otherwise favorable environment and kept the storm from strengthening. The cyclone strengthened in the afternoon, with winds increasing to 65 mph (100 km/h), as the storm continued to move to the west after briefly remaining stationary earlier in the day.
On September 11 Nate began weakening, while picking up speed as it headed westward toward land. Nate made landfall
at approximately 11:00 a.m. CDT (1600 UTC
) just north
of Barra de Nautla, Mexico
with 45 mph (75 km/h) winds. After making landfall the storm quickly weakened, with winds dropping to 35 mph (55 km/h) by the afternoon. The storm's path also shifted to the west-northwest. By that evening the NHC determined that Nate had become a remnant low, with winds no greater than 30 mph (45 km/h).
, noting that tropical storm conditions were likely within 12 hours. Early on September 8, a tropical storm watch was issued from Celestún to Progreso
. A day later, a tropical storm watches waere issued from La Cruz to Tampico
and Veracruz
to Punta El Lagarto. A hurricane watch was issued from Tampico to Veracruz, and three hours later, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued. On September 10, the tropical storm watch stretching from Veracruz to Punta El Lagarto was discontinued, and a tropical storm warning was issued from Tampico to Punta El Lagarto. By 1500 UTC, all tropical storm watches were discontinued, and at 2100 UTC, the tropical storm warning area was modified to Tampico to Tuxpan
. At this time, the hurricane watch area was modified to Tampico to Tuxpan, and a hurricane warning was issued from Tampico to Veracruz. The following day, this hurricane warning was changed to a tropical storm warning following Nate's weakening trend. All hurricane watches were discontinued, and during the afternoon hours, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued.
On September 7, the Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas ports, Mexico's two main crude oil export ports, closed in preparation for the storm. Oil companies have said that they are monitoring the situation, but the storm has not yet affected production. Ten contractors for Geokinetics
were forced to abandon their lifeboat after evacuating the Trinity II rig. Seven of the ten men were rescued; however, one later died, and the bodies of two other men were recovered. The body of the tenth man, who had remained listed as "missing" for several days, was recovered by the Mexican Navy on September 14. Throughout Veracruz, 839 homes were damaged by the storm. A child was killed in Pánuco after a tree was struck by lightning and fell on his home.
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...
on the Gulf Coast of Mexico
Gulf Coast of Mexico
The Gulf Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border with the United states at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal regions along the Bay of Campeche. Major cities include Veracruz, Tampico, and...
in early September. The sixteenth named storm
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
and fourth hurricane
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...
of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season
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...
, Hurricane Nate formed in the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
on September 7 and initially moved erratically. Slowly intensifying, the cyclone reached a peak intensity of 75 mph (120 km/h) on the afternoon of September 8, although the system's satellite
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...
appearance was not characteristic of such. Succeeding its peak as a minimal 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...
, a combination of cooler sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s, due to upwelling
Upwelling
Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The increased availability in upwelling regions results in high levels of primary...
, and dry air caused Nate to weaken below hurricane intensity early on September 9. Tracking towards the west, Nate made landfall as a minimal tropical storm with 45 mph (75 km/h) at midday on September 11, before weakening into a remnant low by 0000 UTC the following day, and dissipating shortly thereafter. No damage was reported in association with Hurricane Nate, although five people were killed in rough seas, and it is estimated that 800 homes were damaged in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
.
Meteorological history
On the morning of September 6, rain showers associated with a stationary low pressure system began to increase in intensity in the southern 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...
. By the afternoon of September 7, the system had intensified and became Tropical Storm Nate, with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h). During the morning of September 8, Nate continued to strengthen slowly, with winds picking up to 50 mph (80 km/h). The storm remained almost stationary, with most of the changes in the center of the storm being attributed to changes in the definition of the center, rather than actual movement of the system as a whole. By that afternoon, maximum sustained winds had increased to 75 mph (120 km/h) based on oil rig data and Nate became a hurricane (based on post-analysis, it was not considered a hurricane operationally); however, the appearance of the storm on 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...
remained largely unchanged and the satellite appearance resembled a weak tropical storm as opposed to a Category 1 hurricane.
By the early morning of September 9, Nate had weakened slightly due to dry air in western part of the Gulf of Mexico. After largely remaining stationary, Nate finally began moving to the northwest later that morning; however, the storm had become stationary and weakened by that afternoon, with winds falling to 50 mph (85 km/h). This weakening was attributed to the dry air that had previously been hindering Nate's development, as well as a lack of atmospheric instability
Atmospheric instability
Atmospheric instability is a condition where the atmosphere is generally considered to be unstable and as a result the weather is subject to a high degree of variability through distance and time...
. Despite 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...
predicting the cyclone would intensify, Nate simply maintained its intensity as the day went on, potentially due to dry air aloft or cooler waters causing a lack of instability near the center of the storm. 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...
(NHC) pointed out that such behavior was a good real-life example of the problems of forecasting the intensity of hurricanes, as the environment was favorable, and the models predicted strengthening, but no such strengthening was actually taking place.
In the early morning hours of September 10, Nate began to slowly move westward at 5 mph (7 km/h), while maintaining its intensity. Upwelling of cool water due to the slow moving nature of the storm counteracted the otherwise favorable environment and kept the storm from strengthening. The cyclone strengthened in the afternoon, with winds increasing to 65 mph (100 km/h), as the storm continued to move to the west after briefly remaining stationary earlier in the day.
On September 11 Nate began weakening, while picking up speed as it headed westward toward land. Nate 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...
at approximately 11:00 a.m. CDT (1600 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
) just north
North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
of Barra de Nautla, 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...
with 45 mph (75 km/h) winds. After making landfall the storm quickly weakened, with winds dropping to 35 mph (55 km/h) by the afternoon. The storm's path also shifted to the west-northwest. By that evening the NHC determined that Nate had become a remnant low, with winds no greater than 30 mph (45 km/h).
Preparations and impact
Following Nate's declaration as a tropical cyclone, the Government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning stretching from Chilitepec to CelestúnCelestún
Celestún is a town in Yucatán, Mexico. It is located in the northwest corner of the state, just north of the border with the state of Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico coast at....
, noting that tropical storm conditions were likely within 12 hours. Early on September 8, a tropical storm watch was issued from Celestún to Progreso
Progreso
Progreso or Progresso may refer to:Argentina* Progreso, Santa FeMexico* Progreso, Baja California* Progreso, Coahuila* Progreso, Chihuahua* Progreso, Puebla* Progreso, Sinaloa* Progreso, Sonora* Progreso, Veracruz* Progreso, Yucatán...
. A day later, a tropical storm watches waere issued from La Cruz to Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
and Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
to Punta El Lagarto. A hurricane watch was issued from Tampico to Veracruz, and three hours later, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued. On September 10, the tropical storm watch stretching from Veracruz to Punta El Lagarto was discontinued, and a tropical storm warning was issued from Tampico to Punta El Lagarto. By 1500 UTC, all tropical storm watches were discontinued, and at 2100 UTC, the tropical storm warning area was modified to Tampico to Tuxpan
Tuxpan
Tuxpan is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census of 2005, residing in a total area of 1,051.89 km²...
. At this time, the hurricane watch area was modified to Tampico to Tuxpan, and a hurricane warning was issued from Tampico to Veracruz. The following day, this hurricane warning was changed to a tropical storm warning following Nate's weakening trend. All hurricane watches were discontinued, and during the afternoon hours, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued.
On September 7, the Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas ports, Mexico's two main crude oil export ports, closed in preparation for the storm. Oil companies have said that they are monitoring the situation, but the storm has not yet affected production. Ten contractors for Geokinetics
Geokinetics
Geokinetics, Inc. provides seismic data services to the oil and gas industry. It has its headquarters in Westchase, Houston, Texas.Geokinetics is a leading service company offering a broad range of specialized geophysical services to the petroleum and mining industries, worldwide...
were forced to abandon their lifeboat after evacuating the Trinity II rig. Seven of the ten men were rescued; however, one later died, and the bodies of two other men were recovered. The body of the tenth man, who had remained listed as "missing" for several days, was recovered by the Mexican Navy on September 14. Throughout Veracruz, 839 homes were damaged by the storm. A child was killed in Pánuco after a tree was struck by lightning and fell on his home.
See also
- Another storm with the same nameHurricane Nate (2005)Hurricane Nate was an Atlantic hurricane that threatened Bermuda but remained at sea during early September 2005. The fourteenth named storm and seventh hurricane of the 2005 season, Hurricane Nate formed to the southwest of Bermuda on September 5 and initially moved very slowly to the northeast...
- 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...