1983 Atlantic hurricane season

Template:Short description Template:Pp-move-indef Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox tropical cyclone season The 1983 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active Atlantic hurricane season in the satellite era and the least active overall since 1930. The season officially began on June 1, 1983, and lasted until November 30, 1983. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most storms form in the Atlantic basin. The season had very little activity, with only seven tropical depressions, four of which reached tropical storm strength or higher. This led to the lowest accumulated cyclone energy count since 1977.

The season began later than normal; the first tropical depression formed on July 23 and the second on July 27. Neither tropical depressions strengthened and they dissipated soon thereafter. Hurricane Alicia formed as Tropical Depression Three on August 15, quickly intensified into a hurricane on August 16 and made landfall in Texas on August 18. Alicia caused $3 billion in damage in Texas. Hurricane Barry formed on August 25, crossed Florida and strengthened into a hurricane. Barry made landfall near the Mexico–United States border, and dissipated over land on August 30.

Hurricane Chantal, the third and final hurricane in 1983, formed on September 10. It strengthened into a hurricane, but stayed out at sea, and was absorbed by a frontal system on September 15. Tropical Depression Six formed on September 18 and caused heavy rains in the Caribbean before degenerating into a wave on September 20. Tropical Storm Dean was the final storm of the season, forming on September 26. It originally tracked to the north, peaking at Template:Convert winds, and made landfall in the Delmarva Peninsula on September 29. It dissipated over the coast of Virginia on the following day.

Seasonal forecasts

Predictions of tropical activity in the 1983 season

Source	Date	Named storms	Hurricanes	Major hurricanes	Ref
Average (1981–2010)		12.1	6.4	2.7	<ref name="Background">Template:Cite web</ref>
Record high activity		30	15	7†	<ref name="CSU Atl">Template:Cite web</ref>
Record low activity		1	0†	0†	<ref name="CSU Atl"/>
CSU	July 23, 1983	8	5	N/A	<ref name="CSU">Template:Cite news</ref>
	Actual activity	4	3	1
† Most recent of several such occurrences. (See all)

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).<ref name="CSU"/> A normal season, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the period from 1981 to 2010, has approximately 12 named storms, with 6 of those reaching hurricane status. About 3 hurricane strengthen into major hurricanes, which are tropical cyclones that reach at least Category 3 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson scale.<ref name="Background"/>

The July 23, 1983, forecasters at CSU predicted that after the slow start to the season, a total of eight tropical storms would develop, and five of the storms would reach hurricane status. The forecast did not specify how many of the hurricanes would reach major hurricane status. CSU based this prediction on an ongoing El Niño event, sea-level pressures, and wind currents.<ref name="CSU"/> However, the prediction issued by CSU proved to be too high, with only four named storms forming by the end of the season and three of those reaching hurricane status.<ref name="MWR"/> The CSU attributed the overforecast to the El Niño event being stronger and more persistent than they expected.<ref name="May CSU">Template:Cite web</ref>

Seasonal summary

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Template:Least Intense Atlantic hurricane season The season, which began on June 1 and ended on November 30,<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> was very inactive because of strong upper-level wind shear. The wind shear was unusually strong throughout the Caribbean and open Atlantic, and disrupted convection in areas of disturbed weather so they could not develop. Over 60 African systems had formed and made it westward, but when they reached the Lesser Antilles, they were dissolved easily. The only area where the shear was minimal—a region encompassing the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic north of the Bahamas and east of Florida—was where the four named storms developed. Another contributing factor to the low number of storms may have been the decaying 1982–83 El Niño event. The season total of four named storms was the fewest in the satellite era, while the 1983 season was the least active since 1930, which had only three storms. This season and the previous became the first example of two consecutive years to have no storms form in the Caribbean since reliable record began. Additionally, the 1983 season was the first on record in which a system did not reach tropical storm intensity south of 25°N latitude.<ref name="MWR"/>

The National Hurricane Center also issued numeric landfall probabilities for the first time in 1983. Probabilities had been calculated for prior storms for use in the issuing of hurricane watches and warnings, but this was the first time the raw numeric probabilities were released to the public.<ref name="MWR"/> The probabilities issued were accurate during Alicia, indicating that Galveston and surrounding portions of the upper Texas coast were the most likely area to be struck.<ref name="AliciaTCR3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Tropical cyclogenesis began on July 23, when Tropical Depression One formed over the deep Atlantic. After crossing the Windward Islands, the depression dissipated over the eastern Caribbean on July 28. As the previous system moved across the Caribbean, another depression formed on July 27 to the southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The depression traversed the Atlantic in a west-northwestward direction and also failed to reach tropical storm intensity before dissipating near the northern Leeward Islands on August 2. Later in August, hurricanes Alicia and Barry developed. The former also became the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of Template:Convert.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Alicia caused 21 fatalities and approximately $3 billion in damage, mostly in Texas.<ref name="AliciaTCR1"/><ref name="costliest"/> Three tropical cyclones formed in September – Hurricane Chantal, Tropical Depression Six, and Tropical Storm Dean. The dissipation of Dean on September 30 marked the end of tropical cyclone activity.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track

The season's activity was reflected with a very low cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 17, one of the lowest on record,<ref name="ACE">Template:Cite web</ref> which is classified as "below normal".<ref name="background">Template:Cite web</ref> ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding Template:Convert, which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity.<ref name="ACE"/>

Systems

Tropical Depression One

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small Tropical Depression One developed about halfway between French Guiana and the Cape Verde Islands on July 23.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track The National Hurricane Center indicated the possibility of the depression strengthening into a tropical storm in media reports, but upper-level wind shear inhibited any development.<ref name="MWR"/><ref name="News12">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> The depression dissipated over the eastern Caribbean late on July 28.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Template:Clear

Tropical Depression Two

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small An area of disturbed weather organized into a tropical depression southwest of the Cape Verde Islands on July 27.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name="News1">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> The depression moved generally west-northwestward across the deep Atlantic for several days,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track but failed to strengthened significantly due to strong upper-level wind shear.<ref name="News2">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> The depression dissipated near the northern Leeward Islands on August 2.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Template:Clear

Hurricane Alicia

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small Template:Main The system that would become Hurricane Alicia originated from the western end of a frontal trough that stretched from New England to the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name="AliciaTCR1">Template:Cite web</ref> Satellite pictures showed a meso-scale low-pressure area that had moved off the Alabama and Mississippi coasts near the trough and was possibly the precursor system to Alicia. Pressures in the Gulf of Mexico were high and stayed high during the early development stages. On August 15, a ship recorded a minimal pressure of 1015 millibars (29.99 inHg), when the system was upgraded into Tropical Storm Alicia. With high environmental pressures around it, Alicia remained a small system.<ref name="AliciaTCR1"/>

Steering currents above Alicia remained weak during the storm's lifetime.<ref name="AliciaTCR1"/> However, a ridge was well formed to the north of the developing storms. With fluctuations in the pressures, Alicia began to drift to west on August 16. This was short-lived, as Alicia turned to the northwest towards Texas. During the period of August 16 to August 18, an anticyclone had formed over Alicia and along with slow movement over warm waters, caused Alicia to intensify rapidly. The pressure in Alicia decreased one millibar an hour in the 40 hours before landfall. Alicia peaked at Template:Convert in winds and Template:Convert in pressure on August 18. Alicia made landfall near Galveston on August 18 as a Category 3 hurricane. Alicia weakened quickly over land and accelerated over the Midwest, before dissipating over Nebraska on August 21.<ref name="AliciaTCR1"/>

As Alicia moved northward, the remnants caused moderate to heavy rainfall in several states.<ref name="AliciaRain"/> Houston suffered heavy damage, including thousands of shattered glass panes from downtown skyscrapers. Overall, Alicia killed 21 people and caused $3 billion (1983 USD) in damage.<ref name="AliciaRain">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Alicia_GovRpt">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="costliest">Template:Cite report</ref>

Hurricane Barry

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small Template:Main Hurricane Barry originated from a tropical disturbance that left the Northwestern African coast on August 13.<ref name="BarryTCR1"/> Most of the season, the northwestern tropical Atlantic Ocean had upper-level wind shear, which had inhibited development of systems. Due to these conditions, the disturbance was unable to strengthen until August 22 as it was approaching the Bahamas. A weak trough moved the disturbance into an area of low wind shear, and the disturbance intensified into Tropical Depression Four on the evening of August 23. The depression was just to the northeast of the northern Bahamian Islands where it strengthened into Tropical Storm Barry on the morning of August 24.<ref name="BarryTCR1"/>

Tropical Storm Barry subsequently turned to the west into an area of increased wind shear and weakened rapidly.<ref name="BarryTCR1"/> It was able to make landfall near Melbourne, Florida, on the morning of August 25 as a 45 mph tropical storm, before weakening to a tropical depression over Florida. After Tropical Depression Barry emerged from central Florida, it was still under pressure from high-level winds. The depression entered the central Gulf of Mexico, and after meandering west for a day or so, returned to tropical storm strength. Just off the coast of Mexico, Barry rapidly intensified into a hurricane on August 28, just before making landfall near Matamoros that afternoon. Before landfall, Barry peaked with Template:Convert winds and a pressure of 986 millibars (29.11 inHg). The remnants quickly dissipated over the Sierra Madre Oriental on August 29.<ref name="BarryTCR1">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear

Hurricane Chantal

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small The precursor low to Chantal originated from a large envelope of low pressure on the morning of September 10.<ref name="ChantalTCR"/> The disturbed weather, nested off the coast of Bermuda, was one of the remnants of an old frontal trough that had extended from Hispaniola to the central north Atlantic Ocean. This particular area of disturbed weather become part of the northeast portion of a low-pressure system. On September 10, a reconnaissance aircraft found sustained winds of Template:Convert and a 1010 millibar (29.83 inHg) pressure reading, indicating development into a tropical depression.<ref name="ChantalTCR"/>

The depression moved to within Template:Convert of Bermuda and slowly intensified.<ref name="ChantalTCR"/> Late that afternoon, Tropical Depression Five had intensified into a Template:Convert storm and was named Chantal. Chantal intensified rapidly, intensifying to hurricane status late on September 11. It then turned to the east and gained a weak upper-level cirrus-cloud outflow. The structure of the system changed little over the next 24 hours, before Chantal lost organization and was downgraded to a tropical storm on the night of the 12th.<ref name="ChantalTCR"/>

Overnight, all convection in Chantal dissipated, and its forward speed decreased as it headed north.<ref name="ChantalTCR"/> A frontal system attracted and absorbed the remnants of Chantal by the night of September 14. Effects on Bermuda were minimal, with the island getting winds only up to Template:Convert and a few thundershowers.<ref name="ChantalTCR">Template:Cite web</ref> However, Chantal generated swells of Template:Convert offshore.<ref name="News7">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> Template:Clear

Tropical Depression Six

Template:Infobox Hurricane Small Tropical Depression Six formed on September 18 from a tropical wave.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name="News3"/> The depression caused heavy rainfall in the Lesser Antilles,<ref name="News3">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> before degenerating into an open tropical wave on September 20 near the Dominican Republic.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name="News4">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> Template:Clear

Tropical Storm Dean

Template:Main Template:Infobox Hurricane Small A frontal cloud band moved off the East Coast of the United States on September 22.<ref name="DeanTCR"/> During the next few days, the band became stationary from the Bahamas to beyond Bermuda. A high-pressure area then settled over the northeastern United States, resulting in a strong pressure gradient and winds near gale-force along the east coast.<ref name="DeanTCR"/> A low-level circulation formed from the frontal cloud band on September 26 about Template:Convert east of central Florida.<ref name="DeanTCR"/> Dean was first identified late on September 26 as a subtropical storm, though an Air Force reconnaissance flight on the following day only reported winds of Template:Convert at Template:Convert from the center. A pressure of Template:Convert indicated that Dean was strengthening as it headed northward. Additionally, satellite pictures showed that the subtropical cyclone was emerging from the cloud. Consequently, the system became a tropical storm late on September 27.<ref name="DeanTCR"/> Dean's winds peaked at Template:Convert on September 28 as it headed northward.<ref name="DeanTCR"/> Dean's circulation turned to the northwest on September 29 then struck the Delmarva Peninsula and dissipated over land on September 30.<ref name="DeanTCR"/>

Gale warnings were from North Carolina to Rhode Island in association with Dean.<ref name="DeanTCR2">Template:Cite web</ref> Rainfall produced by the storm spread from the North Carolina–Virginia state line all the way to New England. Virginia reported rains of Template:Convert with Template:Convert at the border.<ref name="DeanRain">Template:Cite web</ref> Rains peaked at Template:Convert at Cockaponset Ranger Station in Connecticut.<ref name="DeanRain"/> Damage was limited to minor beach erosion and flooding along the portion of Mid-Atlantic coast states.<ref name="DeanTCR">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear

Storm names

Template:Tropical cyclone naming The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 1983.<ref name="NHOP 83">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="app">Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref> Each name used this season was utilized for the first (and, in the case of Alicia, only) time.

Alicia Barry Chantal Dean Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused

Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused

Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused Template:Tcname unused

Retirement

Template:See also In the spring of 1984, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Alicia from the rotating name lists due to the amount of damage and deaths it caused, and it will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane.<ref name="TC Naming">Template:Cite web</ref> Alicia was replaced with Allison for the 1989 season.<ref name="NHOP 89">Template:Cite report</ref>

Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1983 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 1983 USD.

Template:Saffir-Simpson small Template:NHC areas affected (Top) |- | One || Template:Sort || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- | Two || Template:Sort || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- | Alicia || Template:Sort || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Category 3 hurricane || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Eastern Texas, Central United States || Template:Ntsp || Template:Nts ||<ref name="Alicia_GovRpt"/><ref name="MWR">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="costliest" /> |- | Barry || August 23–29 || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Florida, United States Gulf Coast, Mexico || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- | Chantal || September 10–15 || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Bermuda || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- | Six || Template:Sort || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || None || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- | Dean || Template:Sort || bgcolor=#Template:Storm colour|Template:Sort || Template:Sort|| Template:Sort || Mid-Atlantic, New England, North Carolina, Virginia || Template:Sort || Template:Sort || |- Template:TC Areas affected (Bottom)

See also

• 1983 Pacific hurricane season
• 1983 Pacific typhoon season
• 1983 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Australian cyclone seasons: 1982–83, 1983–84
• South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1982–83, 1983–84
• South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1982–83, 1983–84
• South Atlantic tropical cyclone
• Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone

External links

• Detailed information on all storms from 1983 from NHC
• U.S. Rainfall information for storms from 1983 from HPC