Meteorological Analysis
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Karen originated from a complex extra-tropical interaction. On October 10th a
front stalled a few hundred miles SE of Bermuda. A trough then pushed off the
east coast of the U.S. and interacted with the front, causing the front to develop
a deep extra-tropical low along it, about 300 nm SE of Bermuda. The low
initially headed north and began to slow and the vorticity of the low translated
down to the surface. On the 11th the low began to acquire warm core
characteristics as air warmed within the low. The low continued to strengthen
and became a subtropical storm about 30 nm south of Bermuda with a pressure
of 988 mb. The subtropical storm then cut off from the westerlies and slowed.
Thunderstorms continued to fire near the center of the subtropical storm as well.
On the 13th an eye like feature formed as convection wrapped around the
center, and the subtropical storm became tropical storm Karen about 170 nm
north of Bermuda. Karen became a hurricane that day and reached its max
strength of 80 mph with a pressure of 982 mb on the 14th. Karen then began to
weaken due to some shear and cooler water as it headed due north. Karen
made landfall in Western Head, Nova Scotia as a 45 mph tropical storm on the
15th. Karen then accelerated NE due to the westerlies and lost tropical
characteristics. The remnant low of Karen was absorbed by another system
over the Gulf of St. Lawrence shortly afterwards.
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Casualty and Damage Overview
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There were no casualties attributed to Karen in Nova Scotia or Bermuda.
The strong winds of Karen made a mess of things on Bermuda. Small ships
broke loose from their moorings and sunk in St. George Harbour, while even
the large cruise ship Norwegian Majesty ended up breaking free from her
moorings and drifting through the Harbour. Minor flooding occurred on Bermuda
and Nova Scotia, it was beneficial though. Little wind damage occurred on
Nova Scotia.
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Imagery
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Tracking Data
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Hurricane Karen
Time Lat Lon Wind(mph) Pressure Storm type
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6 GMT 10/11/01 27.5N 63.0W 35 1009 Extratropical Storm
12 GMT 10/11/01 29.8N 62.5W 40 1003 Extratropical Storm
18 GMT 10/11/01 30.8N 63.5W 50 998 Extratropical Storm
0 GMT 10/12/01 31.8N 64.7W 70 991 Subtropical Storm
6 GMT 10/12/01 32.2N 65.8W 70 988 Subtropical Storm
12 GMT 10/12/01 32.8N 65.8W 70 988 Subtropical Storm
18 GMT 10/12/01 33.5N 66.3W 70 988 Subtropical Storm
0 GMT 10/13/01 34.2N 66.1W 70 988 Subtropical Storm
6 GMT 10/13/01 34.9N 65.3W 70 988 Tropical Storm
12 GMT 10/13/01 36.2N 64.8W 70 986 Tropical Storm
18 GMT 10/13/01 37.3N 64.6W 75 985 Category 1 Hurricane
0 GMT 10/14/01 37.9N 64.0W 75 985 Category 1 Hurricane
6 GMT 10/14/01 38.6N 63.7W 80 982 Category 1 Hurricane
12 GMT 10/14/01 39.3N 63.9W 70 988 Tropical Storm
18 GMT 10/14/01 40.1N 64.1W 65 992 Tropical Storm
0 GMT 10/15/01 40.9N 64.4W 60 995 Tropical Storm
6 GMT 10/15/01 42.3N 65.0W 50 997 Tropical Storm
12 GMT 10/15/01 44.2N 64.8W 45 998 Tropical Storm
18 GMT 10/15/01 48.0N 62.0W 45 1002 Extratropical Storm
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Tracking maps courtesy of NHC
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Selected Satellite Image
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