Meteorological Analysis
|
Georges originated from a tropical wave which moved off the African coast on September
13th. The wave began to organize once over the warm waters of the Atlantic, and became a
tropical depression about 300 nm SSW of the Cape Verde Islands on the 15th. The
depression continued to organize as it moved WNW under the subtropical ridge and became
tropical storm Georges on the 16th, about 620 nm WSW of the Cape Verde Islands. Georges
then continued to gradually strengthen and became a hurricane on the 17th. An eye and
eye wall became apparent around this time. On the 19th Georges began to rapidly intensify
as it formed a large anti-cyclone. Georges then reached its maximum sustained winds of
155 mph with a pressure of 938 mb on the 20th, about 300 nm E of Guadeloupe. Georges
began to weaken fairly fast after attaining max intensity due to inner core cycles and shear
from an anticyclone in the Caribbean. Georges then moved through the Lesser Antilles with
winds of 115 mph on the 21st, and continued west towards Puerto Rico under a persistent
subtropical ridge. Georges made landfall in southeast Puerto Rico on the 21st with 115 mph
winds and traversed the island. Georges then emerged into the Mona Passage on the 22nd
with winds of 105 mph and quickly strengthened to 120 mph before making landfall in the
Dominican Republic. Georges brought massive amounts of rain to Hispaniola as it crossed
the island, and also weakened to 75 mph by the time it emerged on the 23rd into the
Windward Passage. Georges; inner core was effectively destroyed by the mountains of
Hispaniola, and Georges made landfall fairly close to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on the 23rd
with 75 mph winds. Georges then crossed Cuba and emerged into the Atlantic on the
24th as a 75 mph hurricane, Georges wasn't harmed much by Cuba due to the fact the
inner core was already destroyed. Georges began to intensify once it was in the straits of
Florida and reached winds of 105 mph. Georges then crossed the Florida Keys on the 25th
at Key West, while bringing stormy conditions into South Florida. Georges moved into the
Gulf of Mexico after impacting the Keys and began to turn more northerly as it approached
the edge of the subtropical ridge. A ridge then moved into the southeastern U.S. and
caused Georges to slow down considerably. Georges made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi with
winds of 105 mph on the 28th. Georges then meandered over land due to the blocking ridge
and weakened into a tropical storm over Mississippi on the 28th. Georges began to move
east by the 29th and weakened into a depression over Alabama. Georges finally dissipated
on October 1st over southern Georgia, and its remnant low moved into the Atlantic. The
remnant low merged with a frontal boundary on the 1st shortly after leaving the coast.
|
Casualty and Damage Overview
|
A staggering 602 deaths are attributed to Georges. Most of these deaths were
from severe flooding in Hispaniola. Georges left a path of severe destruction
from the Leeward and Virgin Islands, into Puerto Rico, across Hispaniola, and
through Cuba. There was extensive although not severe wind damage in the
Florida Keys, with similar damage in coastal Mississippi. Total U.S. damage
was $5.9 billion.
|
Georges Hurricane Research Division Products
|
|
|
|
Imagery
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tracking Data
|
Hurricane Georges
Time Lat Lon Wind(mph) Pressure Storm type
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 GMT 09/15/98 9.7N 25.1W 35 1009 Tropical Depression
18 GMT 09/15/98 9.8N 26.5W 35 1009 Tropical Depression
0 GMT 09/16/98 10.0N 28.1W 35 1009 Tropical Depression
6 GMT 09/16/98 10.3N 29.7W 35 1009 Tropical Depression
12 GMT 09/16/98 10.6N 31.3W 40 1005 Tropical Storm
18 GMT 09/16/98 11.0N 32.9W 40 1003 Tropical Storm
0 GMT 09/17/98 11.3N 34.6W 50 1000 Tropical Storm
6 GMT 09/17/98 11.7N 36.3W 60 997 Tropical Storm
12 GMT 09/17/98 12.0N 38.1W 65 994 Tropical Storm
18 GMT 09/17/98 12.3N 40.0W 75 987 Category 1 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/18/98 12.5N 42.0W 80 984 Category 1 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/18/98 12.8N 43.9W 90 977 Category 1 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/18/98 13.1N 45.7W 100 973 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/18/98 13.5N 47.4W 105 970 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/19/98 13.9N 49.0W 105 970 Category 2 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/19/98 14.4N 50.6W 110 965 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/19/98 14.9N 52.0W 125 954 Category 3 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/19/98 15.4N 53.5W 145 949 Category 4 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/20/98 15.7N 54.9W 150 939 Category 4 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/20/98 16.0N 56.3W 155 937 Category 4 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/20/98 16.2N 57.7W 150 939 Category 4 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/20/98 16.4N 59.2W 135 956 Category 4 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/21/98 16.7N 60.6W 115 963 Category 3 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/21/98 17.1N 62.1W 115 966 Category 3 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/21/98 17.4N 63.6W 110 966 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/21/98 17.8N 65.0W 105 970 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/22/98 18.2N 66.3W 105 970 Category 2 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/22/98 18.0N 67.4W 110 972 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/22/98 18.2N 68.5W 120 964 Category 3 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/22/98 18.6N 69.7W 110 970 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/23/98 18.8N 70.8W 80 980 Category 1 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/23/98 19.0N 72.1W 75 990 Category 1 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/23/98 19.3N 73.3W 75 996 Category 1 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/23/98 19.8N 74.3W 75 994 Category 1 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/24/98 20.5N 74.9W 75 992 Category 1 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/24/98 20.8N 76.0W 75 991 Category 1 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/24/98 21.3N 77.2W 80 990 Category 1 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/24/98 21.9N 78.0W 85 989 Category 1 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/25/98 22.7N 79.0W 90 987 Category 1 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/25/98 23.4N 80.2W 100 986 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/25/98 23.9N 81.3W 105 982 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/25/98 24.6N 82.4W 105 975 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/26/98 24.8N 83.3W 105 974 Category 2 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/26/98 25.2N 84.2W 105 975 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/26/98 25.7N 85.1W 105 974 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/26/98 26.2N 85.9W 105 975 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/27/98 27.0N 86.5W 110 969 Category 2 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/27/98 27.6N 87.2W 110 970 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/27/98 28.2N 87.8W 110 962 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/27/98 28.8N 88.3W 110 962 Category 2 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/28/98 29.3N 88.5W 110 961 Category 2 Hurricane
6 GMT 09/28/98 29.8N 88.7W 105 964 Category 2 Hurricane
12 GMT 09/28/98 30.4N 88.9W 105 965 Category 2 Hurricane
18 GMT 09/28/98 30.6N 88.9W 75 984 Category 1 Hurricane
0 GMT 09/29/98 30.6N 89.0W 60 986 Tropical Storm
6 GMT 09/29/98 30.6N 88.4W 45 992 Tropical Storm
12 GMT 09/29/98 31.0N 88.1W 35 994 Tropical Depression
18 GMT 09/29/98 30.9N 87.5W 35 996 Tropical Depression
0 GMT 09/30/98 30.8N 86.9W 35 998 Tropical Depression
6 GMT 09/30/98 30.7N 86.3W 35 1000 Tropical Depression
12 GMT 09/30/98 30.7N 85.4W 30 1002 Tropical Depression
18 GMT 09/30/98 30.6N 84.2W 30 1004 Tropical Depression
0 GMT 10/01/98 30.5N 83.0W 30 1006 Tropical Depression
6 GMT 10/01/98 30.5N 81.8W 25 1008 Tropical Depressio
|
Tracking maps courtesy of NHC
|
|
|
Selected Hurricane Research Division Radar Image
|
|
Selected Satellite Image
|
|
|
