Hurricane Felix (1995)

A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on August 6, and quickly showed signs of a developing circulation. After an increase in convection, or thunderstorms, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified the system as Tropical Depression Seven at 0000 UTC on August 8, about west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands. With a strong ridge to the north, the nascent depression moved generally west-northwestward, and the combination of favorable upper-level conditions and warm sea surface temperatures allowed for gradual intensification. About 18 hours after the depression formed, the NHC upgraded it to Tropical Storm Felix. After continuing to slowly intensify, Felix became a hurricane early on August 11 about east of the Lesser Antilles. On August 12, the Hurricane Hunters observed flight-level winds of , suggesting peak surface winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). At that time, Felix was located north of the Lesser Antilles, moving to the north-northwest due to an approaching trough weakening the ridge. After peak winds, Felix weakened due to stronger wind shear and its eyewall replacement cycle. and it became a minimal hurricane by August 14 with a broad inner core. Late on August 14, Hurricane Felix turned more to the west-northwest, after the trough that previously brought it northward split into two pieces of energy, one moving southward and the other moving northeastward. On August 15, the hurricane passed about 75 mi (120 km) south of Bermuda, and a building ridge was anticipated to allow Felix to continue its trajectory toward North Carolina. Early on August 16, the eye became better defined, although the feature diminished within a few hours, and the NHC was on the verge of downgrading Felix to tropical storm status. A break in the ridge allowed Felix to turn to the north, bringing it about 150 mi (250 km) east of the Outer Banks. An approaching trough turned the hurricane to a northeast drift, During this time, the system remained a minimal hurricane, maintaining a large eye about 60 to 80 miles (95 to 130 km) in diameter, but with weak convection due to cooler air. After the trough that turned Felix to the east-northeast bypassed it to the north, the hurricane turned to the southeast, executing a small loop while northwest of Bermuda. On August 20, Felix weakened below hurricane intensity for the first time in nine days, due to cooler waters and increased wind shear. and another trough brought the storm to the northeast. While passing east of Newfoundland on August 22, Felix became extratropical. The remnants continued to the northeast, eventually passing north of the United Kingdom on August 25. == Preparations ==

While Felix was near peak intensity on August 12, officials in Bermuda issued a hurricane watch for the island. A tropical storm warning was added the next day, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning on August 14. The warnings were downgraded to a tropical storm warning and later discontinued after the hurricane bypassed the island. A tropical storm watch was later issued for Bermuda on August 19 late in Felix's duration when it was drifting offshore the eastern United States. including 125,000 in Dare County. Evacuation orders were dropped and shelters were closed as the storm moved away. The loss of tourism revenue was estimated at $1.2 million in Currituck County alone, Some people in Virginia Beach, Virginia also evacuated voluntarily. The United States Navy moved ships from Norfolk Naval Base to open waters to prevent damage along the docks from the high waves. Then-Virginia governor George Allen declared a state of emergency due to the threat from the hurricane. == Impact ==

Though Felix did not make landfall, its large circulation created large swells across much of the western Atlantic Ocean. In Puerto Rico, waves caused minor coastal flooding in Cataño. The storm also destroyed a few fishing boats and damaged hotels along the island's southern shore, where prolonged high surf caused considerable beach erosion. The Causeway connecting St. David's Island with the mainland sustained some damage, contributing to an estimated $2.5 million in losses on Bermuda. The hurricane's passage postponed the scheduled vote for Bermuda's independence. In some portions of North Carolina, the storm increased beaches due to the displacement of sand, including Long Beach which grew by . Beaches along the Outer Banks and Virginia were closed for several days, The Wakefield, Virginia National Weather Service likened the storm's effects to "a strong nor'easter", with little damage in southeastern Virginia. In the months after the storm, beach nourishment occurred along the Outer Banks to repair the eroded coastlines, On Fire Island in New York, the waves washed away two houses. In Rhode Island, waves overturned a boat along the Sakonnet River, killing one passenger. Along Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, waves reached , and several beaches were closed across the state. In Maine on Bailey Island, a woman required rescue after being swept away by a wave, who became hypothermic and injured due to cuts. Two lobster boats sank in the state, with one occupant requiring rescue and the other swimming ashore. Damage to the boats totaled $75,000 (1995 USD). As Hurricane Felix was looping offshore the eastern United States, it produced swells of 26 ft (8 m) along the Nova Scotia coast on an otherwise sunny day. Beaches were closed. Buoys near the Newfoundland coast recorded wave heights of 49 ft (15 m), while buoys farther offshore reported wave heights of 82 ft (27.5 m). The outer rainbands of the storm dropped light rainfall, peaking at around 3.43 mm (87 mm) in northern Newfoundland. Offshore Caithness in Scotland, waves from the remnants of Felix submerged an experimental wave power station, damaging it further after previous waves damaged the system. == See also ==