Hurricane Elena

Hurricane Elena was an Atlantic hurricane that produced heavy damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States in August and September of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth tropical storm, forth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, Elena developed near Cuba from a tropical wave. It quickly strengthened, reaching peak winds of 125 mph (200 km/h) after stalling in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Elena turned to the west-northwest, and ultimately made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm quickly dissipated over land.

Elena's unusual path through the Gulf of Mexico, which included a loop, prompted many to evacuate from the coastline. Due to its powerful winds, Elena caused $2.7 billion in damage (2005 USD), primarily in property damage. The hurricane caused extensive beach erosion in Florida, while powerful waves damaged the oyster crop. Hurricane Elena was responsible for no direct deaths, though four people were indirectly killed due to the storm.

Storm history

The precursor to Hurricane Elena was a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on August 23. It remained weak due to its fast westward motion and Saharan Air Layer around the circulation. As it moved through the Greater Antilles, it slowed somewhat, and a tropical depression formed on August 28 between Cuba and Haiti. It paralleled the northern cost of Cuba, and became Tropical Storm Elena that night. Conditions were favorable for additional development in the Gulf of Mexico, and Elena became a hurricane on the 29th.

A frontal trough of low pressure turned Elena to the northeast, but when the trough outran the storm, steering currents collapsed, leaving behind a stalled, strengthening hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It posed a threat to the west coast of Florida, but as it slowly looped back to the northwest, it was changed to a north Gulf Coast threat. Elena reached its peak of 125 mph on September 1, 120 km south of Apalachicola, Florida, while moving back to the west-northwest, a motion caused by building high pressure to its northeast.

Elena weakened steadily to a 115 mph hurricane before making landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi on September 2. The hurricane weakened rapidly over land, becoming a tropical depression on the 3rd. Its remnants turned to the northeast then eastward, finally dispersing on the 6th over Kentucky.

Impact

Though a powerful and damaging storm, it was Elena's unpredictable movement that forced nearly 1 million people to evacuate from Florida to Louisiana, the largest evacuation order at the time. Because of the evacuation, there were no direct deaths from the storm. The hurricane caused a total of $1.25 billion (1985 USD) in damage, mainly in property damage and beach erosion.

Cuba

Despite crossing Cuba as a weak tropical depression, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

Florida

From the Florida Panhandle through Sarasota, Florida, many people were evacuated from low-lying coastal areas. Rainfall totals along the western Florida peninsular coastline ranged from 1.7 inches in Key West to a maximum of 11.4 inches in Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland. While Elena stalled off the coast, the hurricane's outer bands produced several tornadoes across the western part of the state, severely damaging some motor parks northeast of Tampa Bay. A few injuries were reported, some serious, but there were no deaths across the state.

Apalachicola on the Florida Panhandle received a 10 foot storm surge, the maximum storm surge from the hurricane. In addition, the city reported 11.3 inches of precipitation, among the highest from the hurricane. The oyster industry in the town suffered greatly from the storm, with the hurricane destroying nearly all of the $6.5 million oyster crop. Apalachicola Bay provides for around 10% of United States oysters, and hopes were ruined for a quick recovery when Hurricane Kate destroyed much of what Elena didn't ruin. In addition, 3 days of rough seas eroded away 40 feet of beaches and caused significant coastal flooding. The amount of time to replenish the beaches was estimated at 10 years of calm conditions, an uncertain event in the tropics. [http://www.tallytown.com/redcross/library/kate-td-1985-11-23-04.pdf

Northern Gulf Coast

While Elena was moving northward for the first time, Hurricane Warnings were issued from Morgan City, Louisiana through the Florida Panhandle, prompting hundreds of thousands to evacuate. When Elena looped and turned to the west, warnings were issued again, and many were forced to evacuate two times in three days.

Tides ranged from three to six feet above normal, though rainfall was relatively minimal along the coastline. Near the ocean, the maximum rainfall amount was 5.7 inches in Pearl River Locks, Louisiana, though much greater amounts were recorded further inland, including 8.6 inches in Clinton, Arkansas. At least a dozen tornadoes were reported in coastal areas of Mississippi, though damage was limited and localized.

The city of Pass Christian, Mississippi, near where Elena made landfall, received a negative storm surge from the hurricanes extended northerly winds. Because of this, there was little flooding damage. Extensive wind damage effected 75% to 80% of homes in the town, resulting in widespread debris and property damage amounting to $2.9 million (1985 USD) in the small town of 6,500. ^*

In all, Elena only caused four deaths, all indirectly related to the hurricane due to automobile accidents, falling from trees, or heart attacks. The hurricane's strong winds, combined with torrential flooding, resulted in a damage toll of about $1.25 billion (1985 dollars). At the time it was among the costliest Atlantic hurricanes.

Retirement

The name Elena was retired in the spring of 1986 and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again. It was replaced with Erika in the 1991 season.

External links

Atlantic hurricanes | 1985 Atlantic hurricane season | Category 3 hurricanes | Retired Atlantic hurricanes

Florida hurricanes | Alabama hurricanes | Mississippi hurricanes | Louisiana hurricanes

Furacão Elena

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