Tropical Storm Fran (1990)
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The 1990 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active
Atlantic hurricane season The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year, from June 1 through November 30, when Tropical cyclone, tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean. These dates, adopted by convention ...
since
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
, with a total of 14  named storms. The season also featured eight hurricanes, one of which intensified into a major hurricane. It officially began on June 1, 1990, and lasted until November 30, 1990. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
s form in the
Atlantic basin The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
. However,
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
can occur prior to the start of the season, as demonstrated with Tropical Depression One, which formed in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
on May 24. Though active, the season featured relatively weak systems, most of which stayed at sea. The 1990 season was unusual in that no tropical cyclone of at least tropical storm strength made landfall in the United States for the first time since the 1962 season, although
Tropical Storm Marco The name Marco has been used for four tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. * Tropical Storm Marco (1990), hugged west coast of Florida, making landfall as a tropical depression, causing heavy rain and moderate damage * Hurricane Marco (1996), ...
weakened to a depression just before landfall. Only a few tropical cyclones caused significant impacts. Hurricane Diana killed an estimated 139 people in the
Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...
s of
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
and
Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...
, while also causing approximately $90.7 million in damage.
Hurricane Klaus The name Klaus has been used for two tropical cyclones and one extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure are ...
brought flooding to
Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
and caused torrential rainfall across the southeastern United States after combining with Tropical Storm Marco and a frontal boundary. As a result of effects from Diana and Klaus, both names were
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following the season. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 171 fatalities and approximately $157 million in damage.


Seasonal forecasts


Pre-season forecasts

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 Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...
(CSU). A normal season as defined by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
(NOAA), has eleven named storms, of which six reach hurricane strength, and two major hurricanes. In April 1990, it was forecast that six storms would reach hurricane status, and there would be "three additional storms" from the previous year, which would indicate 14 named storms. The forecast did not specify how many hurricanes would reach ''major hurricane'' status. In early June 1990, CSU released their predictions of tropical cyclonic activity within the Atlantic basin during the 1990 season. The forecast from CSU called for 11 named storms, seven of which to intensify into a hurricane, and three would strengthen further into a major hurricane.


Seasonal summary

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, but activity in 1990 began five days earlier with the formation of Tropical Depression One on May 25. It was an above average season in which 16 
tropical depressions A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
formed. Fourteen depressions attained tropical storm status, and eight of these attained hurricane status. There was only one tropical cyclone to reach major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale), which was slightly below the 1950–2005 average of two per season. Unusually, the season featured no landfalling tropical storms in the United States. This was only the sixth such occurrence known, the other seasons being
1853 Events January–March * January 6 – ** Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. **U.S. President-elect ...
,
1862 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
,
1864 Events January * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
,
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
, and
1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 171 deaths and approximately $153 million in damage. The last storm of the season, Hurricane Nana, dissipated on October 21, over a month before the official end of the season on November 30. The activity in the first two months of the season were limited in
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
, with the second tropical depression of the season not developing until July 22. Following that, the season was very active, and there was a quick succession of tropical cyclone development from late-July to mid-August. The Atlantic briefly remained dormant, and activity resumed on August 24 with the development of Tropical Depression Eight (Hurricane Gustav). Although August was a very active month, there were only two named storms in September, both of which became hurricanes. Activity in October was higher than average, with five tropical cyclones either forming or existing in that month. Following an active October, no tropical cyclogenesis occurred in November. The season's activity was reflected with an
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used to compare overall activity of tropical cyclones, utilizing the available records of windspeeds at six-hour intervals to synthesize storm duration and strength into a single index value. The ACE ...
(ACE) rating of 97, which is slightly above the mean value of 96. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so 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 , which is the threshold for tropical storm strength.


Systems


Tropical Depression One

Tropical Depression One formed on May 24 from a weak
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
to the west of
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, which had been producing scattered showers over the island during the preceding days. The depression moved across
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
shortly after forming, although the convection was located to the east of its poorly defined center. As it headed toward Florida, it was absorbed by an approaching
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
. The depression did not cause significant damage. In Florida, the depression was forecast to ease drought conditions that persisted for about two years. While crossing Cuba, the depression dropped heavy rainfall, and predictions stated that precipitation amounts could reach as high as , but the greatest amount measured was at east of
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. Heavy rainfall also occurred across much of south Florida, peaking at at the Royal Palm Ranger Station in
Everglades National Park Everglades National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the Un ...
. While the depression was affecting south Florida, the
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
issued "urban flood statements" warning of flooded streets in mainly low-lying areas, especially in Dade and Broward counties. Standing water on many Florida
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caused automobile accidents, especially in Dade County, where 28 accidents were reported.


Tropical Storm Arthur

The second tropical depression of the season developed on July 22 from a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
nearly midway between the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...
and
Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
. The depression slowly intensified, and was eventually upgraded to Tropical Storm Arthur, two days later. On July 25, Tropical Storm Arthur crossed the
Windward Islands The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean islands or the West Indies. Located approximately between latitudes 10° and 16° N and longitudes 60° and 62° W, they extend from D ...
chain, and it was noted that the storm made landfall on Tobago. Emerging into the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
, Arthur nearly attained hurricane status on July 25. Thereafter, wind shear began increasing over Arthur, and a weakening trend began after peak intensity. As Arthur headed further into the Caribbean Sea, it significantly weakened and was downgraded to a tropical depression on July 27. Later that day, Air Force reconnaissance and satellite imagery did not show a low-level circulation, indicating that Arthur had degenerated into open tropical wave southeast of
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...
. Shortly after Arthur became a tropical storm on July 24, a tropical storm warning was issued for Trinidad, Tobago, and
Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...
; six hours later, it was extended to the
Grenadines The Grenadines () is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted ...
. About 24 hours later, all of the tropical storm warnings were discontinued. As Arthur headed further into the Caribbean Sea, a tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
and
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
on July 26. All of the tropical storm watches and warnings were discontinued after Arthur weakened to a tropical depression. After Arthur made landfall on Tobago, several landslides occurred, and a major bridge had collapsed; electrical and water services were significantly disrupted. Damage was also reported on Grenada, where two bridges were damaged, electricity and telephone service was disrupted, and crops were affected as well. In addition, Arthur caused damage to four hotels and hundreds of houses. Wind gusts on the island of Grenada reportedly reached . As Arthur passed south of Puerto Rico, there were reports of strong winds and heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall was also reported on the south coast of Haiti as Arthur approached the country.


Hurricane Bertha

A tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa, and after interacting with a
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
and an
area of low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
, developed into a subtropical depression on July 24, offshore of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
near
Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. As a temperate barrier island, the landscape has been shaped by wind, waves, and storms. There are long stretches of beach ...
. The subtropical depression slowly acquired tropical characteristics, and was reclassified as Tropical Depression Three on July 27. On the following day, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Bertha. It drifted northeast and became a hurricane west-southwest of
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
on July 29. As Bertha continued parallel to the
East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the region encompassing the coast, coastline where the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean; it has always pla ...
, it had experienced strong wind shear and was downgraded back to a tropical storm later on July 29. However, by July 30, Air Force reconnaissance flights reported at hurricane-force winds, and Bertha had re-intensified into a hurricane at that time. After becoming a hurricane again, Bertha continued northeastward, but transitioned into an
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
cyclone over
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
on August 2. Nine deaths were attributed to Bertha, including six crew members of the
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freighter ''Corazon'' who perished off the Canadian coast after their ship broke up. Another fatality was caused when one person fell off the ship ''Patricia Star'' and into the Atlantic; the other two deaths were from two people drowning in north Florida. Damage to crops and a suspension bridge were reported from Nova Scotia and
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
; this damage totaled to $4.427 million (1990 
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; $3.912 million 1990 USD).


Tropical Storm Cesar

While Bertha was approaching Atlantic Canada, a tropical wave emerged into an Atlantic from the west coast of Africa, and quickly developed into Tropical Depression Four approximately south of Cape Verde. The depression headed northwestward due to the weakness of a subtropical ridge and slowly intensified. While the depression was well west of Cape Verde, it intensified into Tropical Storm Cesar on August 2. Cesar continued on the generally northwestward path and no significant change in intensity occurred, as it peaked at shortly after becoming a tropical storm. Later in its duration, wind shear significantly increased, causing the low-level circulation to be removed from the deep convection on August 6, and Cesar weakened back to a tropical depression as a result. As it was weakening to a tropical depression, Cesar became nearly stationary, and turned abruptly eastward. On the following day, Cesar dissipated almost east-southeast of Bermuda.


Tropical Storm Edouard

A frontal wave formed near the Azores in early August. When thunderstorm activity grew near its center, it was deemed a subtropical depression on August 2 just east of the Azores. Associated with an upper-level cold low, it intensified into a subtropical storm on August 3, although water temperatures were cooler than what is usually required for
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
. It tracking westward and passed near
Graciosa Graciosa Island () (literally "graceful" or "enchanting" in Portuguese), also referred to as the ''White Island'', is a volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the northernmost of the Central Group of islands in the Azores archipelago. The o ...
before weakening back to a depression on August 4. The depression executed a small cyclonic loop, developing deep and organized convection near the circulation. Late on August 6, it transitioned into Tropical Depression Six. The depression moved northeastward toward the Azores, intensifying into Tropical Storm Edouard on August 8. Shortly thereafter it reached peak winds of , and subsequently it moved past the northern Azores. On August 10, Edouard weakened again to depression status, and became extratropical on the following day. The remnants of Edouard dissipated on August 13, a few hundred miles west of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. Much of the western Azores reported winds of at . The island of
Horta Horta may refer to: People * Horta (surname), a list of people Places * Horta, Africa, an ancient city and former bishopric in Africa Proconsularis, now in Tunisia and a Latin Catholic titular see * Horta, Azores, Portugal, a municipality a ...
reported winds gusts from .
Lajes Air Force Base Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base (; ), officially designated Air Base No. 4 (''Base Aérea N.º 4'', BA4) , is a multi-use airfield near Lajes (Praia da Vitória), Lajes and northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portug ...
on
Terceira Island Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, about a third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean at a similar latitude to Portugal's capital Lisbon, with the island group forming an insular part of Portugal. It is one of the ...
reported a maximum wind gust of . Also a tower on the island of Terceira reported sustained winds at , while a gusts as high as were recorded.


Hurricane Diana

A tropical wave uneventfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered the Caribbean Sea either late July or early August 1990. As the system entered the southwest Caribbean, it began to further develop, and became Tropical Depression Five on August 4. The depression headed northwestward, and intensified enough to be upgraded to Tropical Storm Diana on August 5. After becoming a tropical storm, Diana continued to quickly intensify, and maximum sustained winds were before landfall occurred in
Felipe Carrillo Puerto Felipe Santiago Carrillo Puerto (8 November 1874 – 3 January 1924) was a Mexican journalist, politician and revolutionary who served as the governor of Yucatán from 1922 until his assassination in 1924. He became known for his efforts at rec ...
,
Quintana Roo Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...
, on the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...
. Diana weakened somewhat over the Yucatán Peninsula, but was still a tropical storm when it entered the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. While over the Gulf of Mexico, Diana again rapidly intensified, and became a hurricane on August 7. Later that day, Diana further strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane, and peaked with winds of . Only two hours, Diana made landfall near
Tampico, Tamaulipas Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
, at the same intensity. After moving ashore, Diana rapidly weakened, and had deteriorated to a tropical storm only four hours after landfall. By August 8, Diana weakened back to a tropical depression near
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. Diana briefly entered the Eastern Pacific Basin on August 9, but was not re-classified, and it rapidly dissipated at the south end of the
Gulf of California The Gulf of California (), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California peninsula from ...
. In preparations for Diana, there were several tropical storm watches and warning issued along the Yucatán Peninsula and several areas along the
Gulf Coast of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
; hurricane watches and warnings were also put into effect. While crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, Diana produced near-tropical storm force winds, and heavy rainfall, but not damage or fatalities. However, the mainland of Mexico fared much worse, where torrential rainfall caused mudslides in the states of
Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...
and
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
. As a result of heavy rainfall, many houses were destroyed, and approximately 3,500 became homeless. Diana also produced high winds across Mexico, which toppled tree and fell electricity poles, leaving many without telephone service and block several roads. In addition, the remnants of Diana brought rainfall to the southwestern United States. Contemporary reports indicated that 139 people had been killed, with an additional 25,000 people being injured. Damage as a result of Diana was estimated at $90.7 million.


Tropical Storm Fran

On August 11, a tropical wave developed into the seventh tropical depression of the season, while situated several hundred miles southwest of Cape Verde. The depression moved rapidly westwards, and intensified to just under tropical storm status on August 12. However, later that day, the depression began to lose its low-level circulation, while deep convection was diminishing. As a result, the depression became "too weak to classify" for
Dvorak technique The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensities ...
, and the system had degenerated back into a tropical wave early on August 13. After weakening back to a tropical wave, the system quickly re-organized, and re-developed into a tropical depression twelve hours later. Later that day, the depression further intensified, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Fran. No significant change in intensity occurred after Fran became a tropical storm and maximum sustained winds never exceeded . By the next day, Fran made landfall on Trinidad at the same intensity. While on Trinidad, Fran significantly interacted with the South American mainland, and quickly dissipated on August 15. After Fran became a tropical storm on August 13, a tropical storm warning was issued for Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada. Simultaneously, a tropical storm watch came into effect for
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent or SVG, is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the south ...
. As Fran was passing through the Windward Islands, the tropical storm watch was discontinued. Only two hours before Fran dissipated, the tropical storm warning was discontinued for Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada. As a result of Fran, only heavy rains were reported on the Windward Islands. Light rainfall was reported on Trinidad, peaking at . In addition, wind gusts were reported up to .


Hurricane Gustav

A tropical depression developed from a tropical wave approximately east of
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
on August 24. After forming, the depression moved westward and on the next day intensified into a tropical storm on the following day. After becoming a tropical storm, Gustav continued to intensify as it headed west-northwestward. Intensification into a hurricane occurred on August 26, as the storm began slowly curving northward under the influence of a trough. After reaching Category 2 intensity, Gustav was affected by wind shear, and weakened, but eventually re-intensified. The hurricane ultimately peaked as a Category 3 hurricane on August 31, and was also the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, in addition to being the only major hurricane in the Atlantic that year. Around the time of attaining peak intensity, Gustav began a
fujiwhara interaction The Fujiwhara effect, sometimes referred to as the Fujiwara effect, Fujiwara interaction or binary interaction, is a phenomenon that occurs when two nearby cyclonic vortices move around each other and close the distance between the circulations o ...
with nearby Tropical Storm Hortense. After attaining peak intensity on August 31, Gustav weakened back, at nearly the same rate as it had intensified, and deteriorated to a tropical storm on September 2. By September 3, Gustav transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, south of
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. Gustav initially appeared as a significant threat to the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...
, which was devastated by
Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. The eleventh tropical cyclone, eighth Tropical cyclone naming, named st ...
about a year prior. As a result, several hurricane watches and warnings were issued on August 27, but all were discontinued later that day as Gustav turned northward. The only effects reported on the Lesser Antilles were large swells, light winds, and light rains. Following the passage of Gustav, no damage or fatalities were reported.


Tropical Storm Hortense

The ninth tropical depression of the season developed from a tropical wave west-southwest of Cape Verde on August 25. The depression headed west-northwestward, while slowly intensifying and establishing better-defined upper-level outflow. By August 26, the depression intensified enough to be upgraded to Tropical Storm Hortense. After becoming a tropical storm, Hortense was steered nearly due north, under the influence on an upper-level low. Hortense later headed generally northwestward, after the upper-level low degenerated into a trough and moved eastward. Although intensification was somewhat slow, Hortense managed to peak as a tropical storm on August 28. On August 29, nearby Hurricane Gustav was rapidly intensifying, and began to significantly affect Hortense with increasing vertical wind shear. Hortense weakened, with the storm degenerating into a tropical depression on August 30. Further weakening occurred, and Hortense dissipated on August 31 roughly east-southeast of Bermuda.


Hurricane Isidore

A vigorous tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on September 3. It quickly developed an area of deep convection with a well-defined circulation, which prompted it being classified a tropical depression on September 4. At the time it was situated hundreds of miles south of Cape Verde at a very southerly latitude of 7.2°N, making it the southernmost-forming tropical cyclone on record in the north Atlantic basin. Initial intensification was slow as the system moved northwestward, a movement caused by a large mid-level trough over the central Atlantic. On September 5 the NHC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Isidore. Subsequently, it intensified at a faster rate, becoming a hurricane on September 6. The following day, satellite estimates from the
Dvorak technique The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensities ...
suggested a peak intensity of and a minimum barometric pressure of 978
mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure defined as 100,000  Pa (100 kPa), though not part of the International System of Units (SI). A pressure of 1 bar is slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea ...
(
hPa The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It is also used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus, and ultimate tensile strength. The unit, named after Blaise Pascal, is an S ...
; 28.88
inHg Inch of mercury (inHg, ″Hg, or in) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in h ...
). After peaking, Isidore entered a region of stronger upper-level winds and quickly weakened. By September 8 it had deteriorated into a tropical storm, although re-intensification occurred after the shear decreased. An eye feature redeveloped in the center of the convection, and Isidore re-intensified into a hurricane on September 9. It ultimately reached a secondary peak intensity of . Isidore's motion slowed, briefly becoming stationary, although it remained a hurricane for several days. Cooler waters imparted weakening to a tropical storm on September 16, and the next day it became extratropical to the east of Newfoundland. There were a few ships that came in contact with Hurricane Isidore, one of which reported hurricane-force wind gusts. The storm never approached land during its duration, and no damage or casualties were reported.


Tropical Depression Eleven

On September 18, Tropical Depression Eleven formed midway between Africa and the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...
from a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
. Ship and reconnaissance aircraft observations reported that the depression almost reached tropical storm strength. However, it was torn apart by strong upper-level winds until it dissipated on September 27. The system never affected land.


Hurricane Josephine

A tropical wave exited the coast of Africa on September 16 with copious convection. It tracked westward, developing into Tropical Depression Twelve on September 21 while located a few hundred miles west of
Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
. Without intensifying further, the depression turned northward, due to a weakness caused by the deepening of a 200 mbar cut-off low near the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
. Under the influence of a building high pressure area, the depression turned to a northwest and later westward drift. It into Tropical Storm Josephine on September 24, although increased wind shear from a trough weakened the storm back to a tropical depression on September 26. It remained weak for several days, gradually turning to the north due to a weak trough over the northwestern Atlantic. On October 1, another high pressure area halted its northward movement, causing Josephine to turn to the east. That day, it re-intensified into a tropical storm as it began to execute a small cyclonic loop. An approaching trough caused Josephine to accelerate north-northeastward, and with favorable conditions it intensified into a hurricane on October 5, after existing nearly two weeks. Josephine intensified slightly more on October 5, attaining its peak intensity later that day with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . A large mid-latitude storm began developing on October 5, and Hurricane Josephine accelerated around the east periphery on the system. Josephine weakened back to a tropical storm early on October 6, while moving to the north of the mid-latitude system. After tracking near the mid-latitude cyclone, Tropical Storm Josephine transitioned into an extratropical storm on October 6 before being absorbed by it. The mid-latitude cyclone later developed into Hurricane Lili.


Hurricane Klaus

A tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen on October 3 around /h) east of
Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...
. The depression rapidly intensified into a tropical storm, and was classified as Tropical Storm Klaus only six hours later. Because Klaus was in an area of weak steering current, it was drifting west-northwestward. On October 5, Klaus briefly intensified into a hurricane, and passed only east of
Barbuda Barbuda (; ) is an island and dependency located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda as an autonomous entity. Barbuda is located approximately north of Antigua. The only settlements on the i ...
later that day. By the following day, Klaus had weakened back into a tropical storm. After weakening to a tropical storm, Klaus began to accelerate, while turning westward. Klaus became significantly affected by wind shear, as it weakened to a tropical depression to the north of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
on October 8. Later that day, deep convection began to re-developed near the low-level circulation of Klaus, and it had re-intensified into a tropical storm. As Klaus tracked northwestward near the Bahamas on October 9, it was absorbed by an area of low pressure, which would eventually develop into Tropical Storm Marco. Since Klaus passed very close to the Leeward Islands, tropical storm watches and warnings were issued, as well as hurricane watches and warning, starting on October 4. In addition, tropical storm watches and warnings were also issued for the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
and
United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...
, and the Bahamas. After several watches and warnings were issued, all were discontinued by October 9, around the time when Klaus was absorbed by the area of low pressure. In
Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
, flooding caused seven fatalities, and displaced 1,500 other people. Heavy rainfall also occurred on other Leeward Islands, with estimates as high as of precipitation. However, no effects were reported in the Bahamas. The remnants brought large waves and heavy rainfall to southeastern United States, which caused four deaths when a dam burst in
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. In total, Klaus caused 11 fatalities, but only $1 million in damage.


Hurricane Lili

A
cold-core low A cold-core low, also known as an upper level low or cold-core cyclone, is a cyclone aloft which has an associated cold pool of air residing at high altitude within the Earth's troposphere, without a frontal structure. It is a low pressure syste ...
which affected the latter stages of Josephine developed at the surface and became a subtropical storm on October 6, about southeast of
Cape Race Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", mean ...
,
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
. The subtropical storm moved southwest and slowly curved westward, nearly intensifying into a hurricane. On October 11, the subtropical storm finally acquired tropical characteristics. Simultaneously, the now-tropical cyclone intensified into a hurricane, and was re-classified as Hurricane Lili. After becoming a hurricane, Lili headed rapidly west-southwestward, and did not intensify past maximum sustained winds of . After passing south of Bermuda later that day, Lili began to curve slowly northward, thereby avoiding landfall in the United States. While about east-southeast of
Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. As a temperate barrier island, the landscape has been shaped by wind, waves, and storms. There are long stretches of beach ...
, Lili weakened back to tropical storm intensity. Weakening to a tropical storm, Lili curved northeastward and accelerated toward Atlantic Canada. However, Lili transitioned into an extratropical storm on October 14, just offshore of Nova Scotia. The post-tropical cyclone made landfall on Newfoundland soon afterwards. Lili posed a threat to Bermuda, and a hurricane warning as the storm approached, but only gusty winds and light rainfall was reported. As Lili continued westward, it had also posed a significant threat to the East Coast of the United States, since some of the computer models did not predict a northward curve. As a result, several hurricane watches and warnings were issued from Little River Inlet, South Carolina, to
Cape Henlopen Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Off the coast on the bay side are two ...
,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
. However, Lili later curved northward, and only caused minor coastal erosion in
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
and rainfall in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. Lili began impacting Atlantic Canada as it was transitioning an extratropical cyclone, and the storm reportedly caused strong winds in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. No damage total or fatalities were reported.


Tropical Storm Marco

As Klaus was dissipating, a new cold low developed over Cuba and developed down to the surface as a tropical depression on October 9. The depression emerged over the
Straits of Florida The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait () is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Florida Keys (U.S.) an ...
, and quickly intensified into a tropical storm on October 10. After becoming a tropical storm, Marco steadily intensified and eventually peaked with winds of . Marco headed towards Florida, and remained just offshore of the western coast and nearly made landfall near
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
, on October 12. However, Marco continued to interact with land, and weakened to a tropical depression before actually making landfall near
Cedar Key, Florida Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, Levy County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 687, down from 702 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Gainesville met ...
, with winds of . It rapidly weakened over land, and dissipated in Georgia later that day. Although it had dissipated, Marco added to the heavy rainfall already brought to the southeastern states by the remnants of Hurricane Klaus. Although only a depression at final landfall, this was officially counted as a tropical storm hit on the United States as much of the circulation was on land before landfall in the area of St. Petersburg, Florida. In preparations for Marco, a tropical storm warning was issued for nearly the entire Gulf and Atlantic coast of Florida. In Florida, Marco caused flooding damage to houses and roads, in addition to producing tropical storm force winds across the state. However, Marco is more notable for the impact from the remnants, especially in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
and South Carolina, where rainfall from the storm peaked at near
Louisville, Georgia Louisville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Georgia, United States, and also a former state capital of Georgia. It is located southwest of Augusta on the Ogeechee River, and its population was 2,493 at the 2010 census, do ...
. In combination with the remnants of Hurricane Klaus, Marco caused heavy rainfall in South Carolina, causing a dam to burst, leading to three fatalities. Several more fatalities were caused by the remnants of Marco and Klaus, and the system caused 12 deaths. It also caused $57 million in damage, most of it from damage or destruction of residences in Georgia.


Hurricane Nana

On October 7, a vigorous tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde, and despite semi-favorable conditions, the wave did not develop initially, due to embedded westerlies, which caused the wave to remain disorganized, despite having deep convection. Six days later, the wave had reached the Lesser Antilles, and split, the northern portion of the wave then developed into Tropical Depression Sixteen on October 16. The depression rapidly intensified to a tropical storm, and then a hurricane the next day, receiving the name ''Nana''. Development increased slightly and the system reached its peak intensity of that same day. Nana dissipated while heading southward on October 21. Nana initially posed a threat to Bermuda, and as a result, a hurricane watch was issued late on October 18. However, after Nana weakened to a tropical storm on October 20, the hurricane watch was downgraded to a tropical storm watch. Furthermore, Nana began to curve southeastward away from Bermuda, and later on October 20, the tropical storm watch was discontinued. The only known effect from Nana on Bermuda was of rain. Nana was a very small hurricane, the circulation probably being only wide.


Storm names

The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1990. This was the same list used for the 1984 season. Storms were named ''Marco'' and ''Nana'' for the first time in 1990.


Retirement

The
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology an ...
retired the names ''Diana'' and ''Klaus'' from the Atlantic hurricane name lists following the 1990 season. They were replaced with ''Dolly'' and ''Kyle'', respectively, for the 1996 season.


Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1990 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 1990 USD.


See also

*
Tropical cyclones in 1990 The following is a list of tropical cyclones by year. Since the year 957, there have been at least 12,791 recorded tropical and subtropical cyclones in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, which are known as basins. Collectively, tropica ...
*
1990 Pacific hurricane season The 1990 Pacific hurricane season was a very active season which observed 21 named storms within the basin. The season also produced the fourth highest ACE index value on record. The season was officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacifi ...
*
1990 Pacific typhoon season The 1990 Pacific typhoon season was another active season, with 31 storms being named during the year. It had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1990, but most tropical cyclones formed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and Novem ...
*
1990 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1990 North Indian Ocean cyclone season featured a below average total of twelve cyclonic disturbances and one of the most intense tropical cyclones in the basin on record. During the season the systems were primarily monitored by the India M ...
* South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season: 1989–90, 1990–91 * Australian region cyclone season: 1989–90, 1990–91 * South Pacific cyclone season: 1989–90, 1990–91 *
South Atlantic tropical cyclone South Atlantic tropical cyclones are unusual weather events that occur in the Southern Hemisphere. Strong wind shear, which disrupts the formation of Tropical cyclone, cyclones, as well as a lack of weather disturbances favorable for development ...
*
Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, often referred to as Mediterranean cyclones or Mediterranean hurricanes, and shortened as medicanes, are meteorological phenomena occasionally observed over the Mediterranean Sea. On a few rare occasions, so ...


Notes


References


External links


NOAA 1990 Report

Detailed information on all storms from 1990


{{DEFAULTSORT:1990 Atlantic Hurricane Season Articles which contain graphical timelines