Hurricanes and Tropical Storms - September 2019
Significant Events
Hurricane Dorian Satellite Image - Sep. 6, 2019
Source: NOAA
Hurricane Lorenzo Satellite Image - Sep. 26, 2019
Source: NASA
Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas on September 1-3, while it remained nearly stationary. More details of Dorian's formation and impacts on the Bahamas can be found in last month's report. On September 3, Dorian resumed a northward track that paralleled the coast from Cape Canaveral to Cape Hatteras. It made landfall on the Outer Banks, but produced significant rainfall thought the Coastal Carolinas.
Tropical Storm Imelda was a prime example that it doesn't take a monstrous storm like Dorian to produce major impacts. Imelda was barely a tropical storm for just six hours on September 17, but it was another slow-moving storm. It stalled over eastern Texas and maintained a steady supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Like Harvey, Imelda produced rainfall totals that measured in feet rather than inches.
Hurricane Lorenzo may be remembered as the most unique storm of 2019. It developed into a tropical storm on September 23 just one day after its parent easterly wave emerged from African coast. Three days later it strengthened to a major hurricane before recurving northward around 40°W. The African coast is still clearly visible just east of the storm in the satellite image taken around this time. After some modest weakening, Lorenzo rapidly intensified and briefly attained Category 5 status on September 29. At 45°W, it was the farthest east of any Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic on record. The previous record-holder was Hurricane Hugo (1989), which reached that intensity at 54.6°W. Lorenzo was still a hurricane as it passed near the Azores Islands on October 2. Its post tropical remnants would ultimately bring strong winds and flooding to Ireland. Lorenzo set several records for being one of the strongest and longest-lived hurricanes recorded east of 45°W.
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Dorian (Cat. 5) |
August 24-September 7 | 185 mph | 910 mb |
| Tropical Storm Fernand | September 3-4 | 50 mph | 1000 mb |
| Tropical Storm Gabrielle | September 4-10 | 65 mph | 995 mb |
| Hurricane Humberto (Cat. 3) |
September 14-19 | 120 mph | 951 mb |
| Tropical Storm Imelda | September 17 | 40 mph | 1006 mb |
| Hurricane Jerry (Cat. 2) |
September 18-25 | 105 mph | 979 mb |
| Tropical Storm Karen | September 22-27 | 45 mph | 1003 mb |
| Hurricane Lorenzo (Cat. 5) |
September 23-October 2 | 160 mph | 925 mb |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Juliette (Cat. 3) |
September 1-7 | 125 mph | 953 mb |
| Tropical Storm Akoni | September 5-6 | 45 mph | 1003 mb |
| Hurricane Kiko (Cat. 4) |
September 12-24 | 130 mph | 950 mb |
| Hurricane Lorena (Cat. 1) |
September 17-22 | 85 mph | 985 mb |
| Tropical Storm Mario | September 18-22 | 65 mph | 992 mb |
| Tropical Storm Narda | September 28-October 1 | 50 mph | 998 mb |
North Atlantic
| Storm Type | September 2019 | September 1981-2010 Average |
Record Most for September Period of Record: 1851-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds ≥39 mph) |
7 | 4.0 | 8 (2002, 2007, 2010) |
| Hurricane (Winds ≥74 mph) |
3 | 2.6 | 5 (1955, 1969, 1981, 1998, 2000, 2005) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds ≥111 mph) |
2 | 1.3 | 4 (1961) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE ×104 kt2) |
92.2 | 51.1 | 173.7 (2017) |
| Storm Type | January-September 2019 |
January-September 1981-2010 Average |
Record Most for January-September Period of Record: 1851-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds ≥39 mph) |
12 | 9.2 | 17 (2005, 2011) |
| Hurricane (Winds ≥74 mph) |
5 | 4.7 | 10 (1893, 2005) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds ≥111 mph) |
3 | 2.2 | 6 (2004) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE ×104 kt2) |
112.2 | 83.4 | 222.9 (1933) |
East Pacific
| Storm Type | September 2019 | September 1981-2010 Average |
Record Most for September Period of Record: 1949-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds ≥39 mph) |
6 | 3.6 | 6 (1957, 1966, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2019) |
| Hurricane (Winds ≥74 mph) |
3 | 2.3 | 6 (1992) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds ≥111 mph) |
2 | 1.1 | 3 (1983, 1985, 1992, 1993) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE ×104 kt2) |
44.3 | 35.7 | 111.7 (1992) |
| Storm Type | January-September 2019 |
January-September 1981-2010 Average |
Record Most for January-September Period of Record: 1949-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds ≥39 mph) |
15 | 14.1 | 22 (1992) |
| Hurricane (Winds ≥74 mph) |
7 | 7.5 | 14 (1990, 1992) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds ≥111 mph) |
4 | 3.7 | 9 (1993) |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE ×104 kt2) |
93.5 | 110.8 | 254.9 (1992) |