The World Meteorological Organization has retired three names from the 2015's hurricane season.
The names Erika and Joaquin will never be used in the Atlantic and Patricia will not be used in the eastern North Pacific. These names will be replaced by Elsa, Julian, and Pamela.
This makes Patricia the 13th name to be removed from the Eastern North Pacific list, and Erika and Joaquin the 79th and 80th excised from the Atlantic list.
Originating as a tropical wave coming come the west coast of Africa on Aug. 21, Erika was named on Aug. 24 about 900 nautical miles west of the Lesser Antilles. By Aug. 28, just a day after passing over the northeaster Caribbean, Erika weakened and no longer had a well-defined circulation just south of the eastern tip of Hispaniola.
Not many names belonging to tropical storms have been retired in meteorological history. Tropical storm Erika made history with over a foot of rain in Dominica in about 12 hours.
Over 500 people were left homeless and 271 houses were destroyed. Thirty people died on the small eastern Caribbean island and another person died in Haiti because of a mudslide. In the Dominica total damages estimated at up to $500 million USD.
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In Puerto Rico, although Erika was perceived as beneficial due to the drought experienced at the time it brought about $17 million in damages as the agricultural sector has losses at its plantain, banana and coffee plantations.
Erika highlights that no storms should be underestimated. Even a tropical storm can produce devastation and death.
It's rare that a hurricane does not have tropical origins, but Joaquin beat all origin odds and strengthened into a strong Category 4 hurricane with peak winds of 155 mph. The origins of Joaquin can be tracked back to Sept. 8 when a disturbance just west southwest of the Canary Islands developed a low pressure system that traveled westward for a couple of weeks as it became better organized as a tropical system. By Sept. 28, within about 360 nautical miles of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, Joaquin was baptized. It went through rapid intensification, reaching Category 4 (peak winds at 138 mph) in about 60 hours. It battered the Bahamian Islands for about two days before moving away from the Islands, intensifying again, then weakening as it came as close as 60 nautical miles of Bermuda. After what seemed like a never-ending journey, Joaquin finally dissipated between Portugal and Morocco on Oct. 13.
Joaquin was a major hurricane the entire time that it moved through the southeastern and central Bahamas. It was the strongest October hurricane known to have affected the Bahamas since 1866.
Thirty-three crew members of the cargo ship El Faro lost their lives as the ship was caught in the dangerous winds and seas of Joaquin. Only one deceased crew member was found on Oct. 4. The El Faro was found in about 15,000 feet of water on Oct. 31.
In the Bahamas, damages were estimated well over $60 million. At least 5 feet of water flooded 70 percent of Crooked Island, also left completely without power. Other islands of the Bahamas were also damaged; bridges, homes were destroyed.
Patricia developed from ta tropical wave that traveled over the Caribbean, crossing southern Central America, acquiring its name on Oct. 20 when it became better organized, with a better defined circulation about 180 nautical miles south-southeast of Salina Cruz, Mexico. By the evening of Oct. 21, Patricia had become a hurricane and was about 200 nautical miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. During a span of 24 hours, Patricia rapidly intensified to a major, Category 5, hurricane with peak winds of 213 mph. On the late afternoon of Oct.r 23, Patricia made landfall in a sparsely populated area in the state of Jalisco, near Playa Cuixmala, as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of about 150 mph. As quick as Patricia intensified, it also weakened, after moving over the Sierra Madre Mountains, Patricia dissipated the morning of Oct. 24 over Central Mexico. There were two direct deaths directly attributed to Patricia. Heavy rains caused severe flooding, especially over elevated terrain. Flood waters make many roads impassable and damaged several hundred houses. Preliminary damage from Patricia is estimated to be about $325 million.
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% Last year was a nearly normal season with a total of 11 named storms, four hurricanes and two major hurricanes. Still many lives were sadly lost and many countries combined sustained billions of dollars in damage.
Cox Media Group
