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1995 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active Atlantic hurricane season, and is considered to be the start of an ongoing era of high-activity tropical cyclone formation. The season produced twenty-one tropical cyclones, nineteen named storms, as well as eleven hurricanes and five major hurricanes. The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The first tropical cyclone, Hurricane Allison, developed on June 2, while the season's final storm, Hurricane Tanya, transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on November 1. The very active Atlantic hurricane activity in 1995 was caused by La Niña conditions, which also influenced an inactive Pacific hurricane season. It was tied with 1887 with 19 named storms, which was later equalled by the 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons.

Seasonal forecasts
Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts such as Dr. William M. Gray and his associates at Colorado State University (CSU) and the Weather Research Center (WRC). A normal season, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has 12.1 named storms; of these, 6.4 reach hurricane strength; and 2.7 major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Additionally, the 1950–2000 CSU average for a normal season is 9.6 named storms, of these 5.9 reach hurricane strength, and 2.3 become major hurricanes. In December 1994, CSU predicted that only 12 named storms would form and 8 of those would become hurricanes; 3 major hurricanes were projected. CSU noted an above average season due to expectations that the existing El Niño would dissipate, while a La Niña would develop by the summer of 1995. Additionally, the western areas of the Sahara Desert were predicted to have the fourth or fifth rainiest season since 1970. A year with heavier precipitation in this region usually correlates with an active Atlantic hurricane season. In April 1995, CSU revised their forecast, decreasing the number of named storms to 10, hurricanes to 6, and major hurricanes to 2. However, in June, CSU reverted to their December forecast, which called for 12 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. The forecast by the WRC in early 1995 was 10 named storms and 6 hurricanes, with no prediction on the number of major hurricanes. == Seasonal summary ==
Seasonal summary
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, and activity in 1995 began two days later with the formation of Hurricane Allison on June 3. It was a well-above average season in which 21 tropical depressions formed, 19 of which attained tropical storm status, and 11 of these attained hurricane status. In addition, five tropical cyclones reached major hurricane status, which was well above the 1950–2005 average of two per season. The 1995 season would be the beginning of a high-activity period in the Atlantic basin, also known as a warm phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation, which has lasted for about 30 years. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of this season caused 185 deaths and about $12.35 billion in damage. The last storm of the season, Hurricane Tanya, became extratropical on November 1, over four weeks before the official end of the season on November 30. The season's activity was reflected with a very high accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 227, the fifth highest value on record, and far above the 1981–2010 median of 92. Broadly speaking, ACE is a measure of the power of a tropical or subtropical storm multiplied by the length of time it existed. Therefore, a system with a longer duration or stronger intensity will have a higher value of ACE. It is only calculated for full advisories on specific tropical and subtropical systems reaching or exceeding wind speeds of . Accordingly, tropical depressions are not included here. After the storm has dissipated, typically after the end of the season, the NHC reexamines the data, and produces a final report on each storm. These revisions can lead to a revised ACE total either upward or downward compared to the operational value. == Systems ==
Systems
Hurricane Allison A westward moving tropical wave reached the Caribbean Sea in late May and gradually organized over the next few days. Around 00:00 UTC on June 3, a tropical depression developed about east of Belize City, Belize. The depression initially moved northwestward before recurving to the north. The depression entered the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened into Tropical Storm Allison by 12:00 UTC. Despite unfavorable upper-level winds, the storm intensified into a hurricane about 24 hours later. Allison then peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . Increasing wind shear weakened it to a tropical storm early on June 5. At 14:00 UTC, Allison made landfall near Alligator Point, Florida, with winds of . After briefly emerging over Apalachee Bay, Allison struck near St. Marks with winds of . Early on June 6, Allison weakened to a tropical depression, shortly before becoming extratropical. The remnants continued northeastward and later struck Newfoundland before dissipating near Greenland on June 11. While brushing Cuba, Allison produced wind gusts up to and as much as of rainfall. A total of 32 structures were damaged or destroyed, causing one death. Elsewhere in Florida, damage was generally minor, totaling only about $860,000. In Georgia, there was minor flooding and tornadoes, one of which caused $800,000 in damage in St. Marys. Tropical Storm Barry A frontal low situated between Bermuda and South Carolina developed into Tropical Depression Two late on July 6. Strong wind shear initially prevented significant strengthening, though by early on July 7, the depression became Tropical Storm Barry. A nearby trough enhanced convection and caused strengthening, with maximum sustained winds reaching later that day. Early on July 9, convection began to shift away from the storm's center. While moving rapidly northeastward, Barry made landfall in Hart Island, Nova Scotia, late on July 9. Barry was declared extratropical early on July 10 near the west coast of Newfoundland. As a fast-moving and weakening extratropical cyclone, the system remained distinct until it passed across the east coast of Labrador, when it dissipated. Tropical Storm Chantal A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on July 5. During the next week, the wave improved on satellite imagery and developed into a tropical depression about east-northeast of Guadeloupe on July 12. The depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Chantal. Initially, Chantal threatened the Bahamas, and the Government of the Bahamas issued tropical storm watches and warnings, which were in effect for the southeast and central islands as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, Chantal re-curved to the north and did not directly affect the Bahamas. After the cyclone turned northward, it threatened Bermuda, which prompted a tropical storm watch for the island on July 16. The watch was canceled on July 18 as the storm passed well northwest of the island. Although Chantal remained well offshore, the storm dropped heavy rainfall in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, peaking at on the Burin Peninsula. Further west in Nova Scotia, heavier precipitation was reported, peaking at near Barrington. Tropical Storm Dean A stationary front in the Gulf of Mexico developed an upper-level circulation. By July 28, the system organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression Four. Despite favorable conditions, the depression tracked westward without significantly intensifying, due to the poor organization of the storm itself. As the depression curved west-northwestward, it began to strengthen and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Dean while located only from the Texas coastline on July 30. The system made landfall early on July 31 near Freeport with winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . Shortly thereafter, Dean weakened back to a tropical depression. The storm continued to slowly weaken as it moved northwestward, dissipating on August 2 near the Texas–Oklahoma border. Storm surge caused minor coastal flooding, especially on Galveston Island. Dean produced a large swath of rainfall between , while some areas received more than . Precipitation from the storm caused moderate localized flood damage. A total of 20 families in Chambers County evacuated, Outside of Oklahoma and Texas, the remnants of the storm dropped rainfall in several Midwestern states, though minimal damage occurred. Erin was the first hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. In Jamaica, the outer bands of Erin produced heavy rainfall on the island, which caused a plane crash, killing five people; two other fatalities occurred when two people were struck by lightning. Although many islands in the Bahamas experienced high winds and heavy rainfall, damage associated with Erin was fairly minor. Offshore of Florida, nine people drowned, three of which occurred after a cruise ship sunk. Over land, high winds produced by Erin damaged over 2,000 houses, most of which were in the Florida Panhandle. In addition, strong winds left over one million people without electricity. Several tornadoes were spawned in the state, causing damage. In Alabama, more than 100 houses were damaged by Erin. Elsewhere, some areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States experienced heavy rainfall. Overall, Erin caused 16 fatalities and $700 million in damage. The depression and the precursor tropical wave dropped heavy rainfall in some areas of Mexico. Precipitation from the precursor system peaked at in Escuintla, Chiapas, while rainfall from the depression itself peaked at in Tlaxco, Puebla. Some localized flooding may have occurred near the path of the depression. The storm posed a significant threat to Bermuda, warranting a hurricane warning between August 14 and August 15. During the latter date, Felix passed only to the southwest of the island. Continuing on its northwest trek, the cyclone also temporarily prompted preparations along the East Coast of the United States. However, the storm curved northward and then east-northeastward while remaining offshore. Felix briefly threatened Bermuda again, but turned back to the northeast and weakened to a tropical storm on August 20. It accelerated east-northeastward and passed a short distance offshore of Newfoundland, where it transitioned into an extratropical storm on August 22. The remnants of Felix continued northeastward across the Atlantic until dissipating near Shetland on August 25. On Bermuda, the storm produced near-hurricane-force winds, In addition, the passage of Felix postponed Bermuda's 1995 independence referendum. In the United States, Felix generated large waves from northeast Florida to Maine. Overall, Felix caused eight deaths due to drowning along the coasts of North Carolina and New Jersey, and $132,000 in damage. Gabrielle dropped heavy rainfall in Mexico, where some areas possibly experienced more than of precipitation. However, according to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), rainfall peaked at in southern Tamaulipas. Despite the large amounts of precipitation, it was considered beneficial due to drought conditions in some areas, especially in Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. Gabrielle caused six fatalities in Mexico, while the damage figure is unknown. Due to low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Humberto six hours later. It continued west-northwestward and then westward under the influence of a mid-level trough. Early on August 23, Humberto intensified into a hurricane. After peaking with winds of on August 24, Humberto began a Fujiwhara interaction with Hurricane Iris. Humberto continued to weaken until August 28, when it was barely a hurricane. Thereafter, the storm began restrengthening and reached a secondary peak slightly below the threshold for a Category 2 hurricane on August 30. Later on August 31, Humberto weakened to a tropical storm. By 06:00 UTC on September 1, the storm was absorbed by an extratropical low while west of the Azores. While crossing through the Leeward Islands, Iris produced heavy rainfall. High waves in Trinidad caused coastal flooding and damage to boats. In Martinique, significant amounts of precipitation led to flooding and landslides. Four fatalities were reported on that island, On Guadeloupe, the only island to record tropical storm force winds, one fatality occurred after a person drowned in a flooded river. Rainfall in Antigua damaged banana trees and caused flooding in low-lying areas. Jerry dropped heavy rainfall in Florida, especially in the southern portion of the state, where of precipitation fell in Golden Gate. Although the storm struck the east coast of the state, much of the damage in Florida occurred in Collier County. In that county, 340 houses were damaged and 12 others were destroyed due to flooding. Other nearby counties also reported flood damage, albeit less severe. Agricultural damage was also reported in southwest Florida, primarily to citrus crops. The storm also spawned two tornadoes in West Central Florida, though neither caused any damage. Although sea surface temperatures were warm, outflow from Hurricane Humberto may have slowed further strengthening of the depression. The depression finally began to develop bands north of the center on August 27, though overall, the deep convection remained disorganized; the circulation of the depression also became elongated. Around 06:00 UTC on August 28, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Karen. Early on the following day, Karen peaked with maximum sustained winds of . By August 31, Karen north-northwestward around the circulation of Hurricane Iris and thus, a Fujiwhara interaction began. On the following day, Karen weakened to a tropical depression. Early on September 3, Karen lost its well-defined center and merged with Iris at 06:00 UTC, while centered near Bermuda. the weakening was possibly as a result of the storm crossing over decreasing ocean temperature due to upwelling from Hurricane Felix. On September 10, Luis rapidly accelerated northeastward and weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Luis made landfall on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland early on September 11. Strong winds and high waves wreaked havoc on several islands in the Lesser Antilles. In Antigua and Barbuda, winds reaching damaged numerous houses on Barbuda and destroyed nearly 45% of residences on Antigua. Strong winds in Guadeloupe caused moderate damage to homes and trees, especially in the Grande-Terre region. At Basse-Terre, nearly 100% of the banana crop was destroyed. Heavy rainfall in this portion of the island caused significant damage to roads. High waves also caused significant coastal flooding on the west coast of the island. About $50 million in damage was reported and one fatality occurred. The most significant effects occurred in the Netherlands Antilles, especially on Saint Martin – including both the French and Dutch side of the island. Approximately 60% of buildings were damaged to some degree. Nine deaths and $1.8 billion in damage was reported on the island. Winds exceeding caused severe impact in eastern Puerto Rico, especially Culebra. The area was left without electricity and 350 houses were extensively damaged or destroyed. On the main island, effects were primarily limited to downed trees and power lines on highways and electrical outages at about 200,000 houses. Throughout Puerto Rico, damaged reached $200 million and there were two deaths. Similarly strong winds lashed the United States Virgin Islands. Saint Thomas suffered the worst, where 75%–80% of houses were severely damaged or destroyed. The island's hospital was flooded. Damage in the United States Virgin Islands was estimated at $300 million. Lesser effects occurred in the British Virgin Islands. Several homes were deroofed, especially on Anegada and Virgin Gorda. There were a number of telephone and electrical outages after a number of poles were toppled. In the United States, storm surge and high tides were reported along the East Coast, leading to two drowning deaths—one in North Carolina and the other in New York. In the former state, eight homes were swept into the ocean and damage reached $1.9 million. The storm also brought minor flooding to Newfoundland, with one death and $500,000 in damage. In addition, Luis was the earliest twelfth-named storm on record at the time. However, this record has since been broken by Hurricane Laura in 2020. Tropical Depression Fourteen A tropical wave exited the coast of Africa on September 4 and tracked westward across the Atlantic. The system gradually organized and became a tropical depression on September 9. Although the National Hurricane Center predicted that it would intensify into a tropical storm, it was also noted shortly after advisories were initiated that "this might have been the only opportunity to name this depression." The depression moved toward the northwest and encountered strong upper-level winds which removed the convection from the low-level center on September 13, causing the storm to dissipate. Hurricane Marilyn A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and entered into the Atlantic Ocean between September 7 and September 8. Although it had a large circulation, deep convection was minimal. After tracking steadily westward over the next few days, the system began developing convection. By 18:00 UTC on September 12, the system became Tropical Depression Fifteen, while centered about east-southeast of Barbados. The depression strengthened and became Tropical Storm Marilyn six hours later. Early on September 14, Marilyn further intensified to a hurricane. Later that day, Marilyn made landfall near Jenny Point, Dominica, with winds of at 21:00 UTC. Shortly thereafter, Marilyn entered the Caribbean Sea. While approaching the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the storm became a Category 2 hurricane. After avoiding landfall, Marilyn re-entered into the Atlantic Ocean on September 16. The storm continued to intensify and early on September 17, it peaked as a minimal Category 3 hurricane. While curving northward, Marilyn fluctuated in intensity until beginning a weakening trend on September 20. The storm turned east-northeastward, and by the following day, it weakened to a tropical storm. By 06:00 UTC on September 22, Marilyn became extratropical while about southeast of Sable Island. The remnants of Marilyn lasted until merging with a cold front on October 1. Throughout the Lesser Antilles, the storm produced high winds and heavy rainfall. On Martinique, moderate rainfall and tropical storm force winds were recorded, though no damage or fatalities occurred. Effects in Guadeloupe were similar, but more intense. In Saint-Claude, of rain fell, which was the highest precipitation total associated with Marilyn. Wind speeds measured on Guadeloupe were also tropical storm force, with sustained winds of in Marie-Galante. Similar but lesser winds and rain occurred in Saint Barthélemy and Sint Maarten. However, the United States possessions, were, by far, suffered the most damage. Strong winds damaged or destroyed at least 80% of buildings on St. Thomas, which left 10,000 people homeless. Moderate to severe damage was also reported on St. Croix and St. John, On Culebra, an offshore island of Puerto Rico, wind gusts as high as were reported. Hurricane Noel A tropical wave exited Africa on September 22 and within three days began to develop organized convection. After a low-level circulation formed, the system developed into Tropical Depression Sixteen late on September 26. Despite the presence of wind shear, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Noel on September 27. Moving northwestward, it gradually intensified to hurricane status by September 28, with peak winds of . After remaining a hurricane for 42 hours, during which it turned to the northeast, Noel weakened to tropical storm strength due to increased wind shear. Although forecast to weaken to a tropical depression, Noel maintained minimal tropical storm intensity as it curved to the northwest. Following a decrease in shear, Noel regained hurricane status on October 5 about west-southwest of the Azores. It turned to the east, A day later, Noel weakened below tropical storm strength as it transitioned to an extratropical cyclone. The remnants lasted until late on October 7 until they were absorbed by a cold front. The precursor and initial stages of Opal brought heavy rainfall and flooding to Guatemala and Mexico. In the former, rivers near the border with Mexico overflowed, resulting in the evacuation of 110 families in Tecún Umán. Approximately 34,000 people were left homeless. Landslides left damage to infrastructure and agriculture, with about $17 million in crop damage alone. Thirty-one deaths occurred in Guatemala. In Mexico, more than 42,000 people were forced to evacuate as rivers overtopped their banks in Campeche and Tabasco, Around 500,000 acres of crops had been destroyed by the floods. Agricultural losses in Campeche alone were estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Nineteen fatalities were reported in Mexico. In Alabama, storm surge ranging from left significant damage in coastal counties. Inland, tropical storm force winds gusts were observed as far north as Huntsville. Numerous trees and power lines were downed in several counties, leaving 2.6 million people across the state without electricity at the height of the storm. Downed trees also damaged some dwellings, primarily mobile homes. Several short-lived tornadoes destroyed over 125 homes, while 150 others suffered major damage. It was estimated that the storm caused over $182 million in damage in Alabama. There were more than 1,200 telephone poles knocked down and almost 5,000 power lines snapped. Wind damage in Rabun County alone reached about $5 million, while the pecan crop suffered around $50 million in damage. Several other states reported lesser wind damage and flooding. Tropical Storm Pablo A tropical wave crossed the west coast of Africa and entered into the Atlantic Ocean on October 3. It quickly acquired a low-level circulation and by the following day, it developed into Tropical Depression Eighteen. Under the influence of deep easterlies, the storm tracked west-northwest and westward across the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean. At 12:00 UTC on October 5, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Pablo. Although strong upper-level westerlies were ahead of the storm, it was still predicted that Pablo would reach hurricane status. By 12:00 UTC on October 6, Pablo peaked as a tropical storm. Early on October 7, Pablo managed to re-develop some deep convection, though it did not restrengthen. Later that day, the low level circulation became indiscernible on infrared imagery. By 12:00 UTC on October 8, Pablo weakened to a tropical depression. Six hours later, Pablo dissipated while approaching the Windward Islands. By 02:00 UTC on October 11, Roxanne made landfall just north of Tulum, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula with winds of . The storm significantly weakened inland and emerged into the Bay of Campeche as a tropical storm. Several shortwave troughs and ridges caused Roxanne to track aimlessly through the southern Gulf of Mexico. By October 14, it re-strengthened into a hurricane. After making a close approach to the Yucatán Peninsula while heading southeastward, Roxanne weakened to a tropical storm on October 17 as it doubled back to the northwest. A cold front forced Roxanne westward on October 19, and it simultaneously weakened to a tropical depression. The cyclone curved abruptly southward and dissipated just offshore of Veracruz on October 21. Extensive flooding occurred as a result, which destroyed crops, washed out roads, and damaged at least 40,000 homes. In addition, significant coastal flooding also occurred, as storm surge for nearly a week caused water to travel inland for hundreds of yards. High winds also occurred over the Yucatán Peninsula, with one station reporting hurricane-force winds on October 11. Unconfirmed reports also indicated that many hotel lobbies in Cancún and Cozumel were damaged from pounding waves. Overall, Roxanne caused $1.5 billion in damage and 29 fatalities. However, not all damage could be distinguished from Hurricane Opal. It organized and developed good outflow. Although wind shear was expected to limit intensification, the storm instead intensified and peaked with maximum sustained winds of late on October 22, based on a ship report. Still recovering from Hurricane Marilyn less than a month prior, residents living in damaged homes reportedly evacuated their homes. However, the watch was discontinued 24 hours later after the storm weakened to a tropical depression. Despite slightly cooler water, Tanya strengthened a bit more that afternoon, reaching its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . Early on November 1, Tanya began to lose tropical characteristics while heading rapidly northeast towards the Azores. The system was downgraded to a tropical storm on November 1. That evening, Tanya became extratropical near the central Azores. The remnants turned northward and were absorbed by another extratropical cyclone early on November 3. == Storm names ==
Storm names
The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1995. This is the same list used for the 1989 season, except for Humberto, which replaced Hugo. Storms were named Humberto, Luis, Marilyn, Noel, Opal, Pablo, Roxanne, Sebastien, and Tanya for the first (and in the cases of Luis, Marilyn, Opal, and Roxanne, only) time in 1995. Retirement The World Meteorological Organization retired the names Luis, Marilyn, Opal, and Roxanne from the Atlantic hurricane name lists following the 1995 season due to their destructiveness. They were replaced for the 2001 season by Lorenzo, Michelle, Olga, and Rebekah. As of , the 1995 season is one of four seasons to have four storm names retired, along with: 1955, 2004, and 2017; only the 2005 season had morewith five names retired. == Season effects ==
Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their name, duration, peak classification and intensities, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1995 USD. == See also ==
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