Tropical Storm Arthur was the first tropical cyclone and named storm of the annual

Atlantic hurricane season The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...

that caused minimal flooding in

the Carolinas The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Combining Nort ...

in mid-June 1996. Arthur originated from an area of increased

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...

east of the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

on June 16. Gradually, the system increased in organization, and was designated as a tropical depression on June 17. The depression tracked north-northwest and became Tropical Storm Arthur while just offshore the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

on June 19. Later that day, Arthur peaked with

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

s of 45 mph (75 km/h), but weakened slightly before making landfall in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

early the following day. After striking North Carolina, Arthur tracked out to sea and weakened further to a tropical depression. By June 21, Arthur transitioned into an

extratropical cyclone 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 ...

. Overall, impact from Arthur was minimal, limited to light rainfall and moderate surf in North and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, as well as a tornado in Florida. Total damage amounted to $1 million (1996 USD), but no fatalities were reported.

Meteorological history

On June 16, satellite imagery revealed an area of increased

east of the

, which was believed to have been associated with 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 ...

. On June 17, the convection increased in organization at the lower levels of the atmosphere. By 1800 UTC, the system had organized sufficiently to be designated as a tropical depression, making it the first of the season. Initially, the depression tracked north-northwest under the steering currents of the low-level flow around the western periphery of the Atlantic

subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...

. Strong wind shear due to fast upper-level winds associated with 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 syst ...

over the eastern Gulf of Mexico hindered further intensification for a time, but on June 18, an area of deep convection developed north of the center of circulation. Based on analysis of reconnaissance data, the tropical depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arthur at 1900 UTC on June 19. Further strengthening occurred, as the storm attained peak winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). With time, Arthur gradually turned northeast and made landfall near

Cape Lookout, North Carolina Cape Lookout is the southern point of the Core Banks, one of the natural barrier islands on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It delimits Onslow Bay to the west from Raleigh Bay to the east. Core Banks and Shackleford Banks have been designat ...

early on June 20. The center moved over the Pamlico Sound and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and exited into the Atlantic. Although the storm contained minimal deep convection, satellite imagery indicated that Arthur had a well-defined low-level center. The tropical storm weakened to a tropical depression about northeast of Cape Hatteras, and accelerated towards the northeast when westerly steering currents increased. Deep convection increased once again on June 21, although the lack of symmetry indicated that the remnants of Arthur were losing tropical characteristics. Forward speed increased to and the storm subsequently lost all tropical characteristics at 1200 UTC on June 21, while centered about north-northeast of Bermuda. The extratropical remnants tracked northeastward for 36 hours, and were last identified about midway between

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

, where it was absorbed by a much larger extratropical cyclone over the North Atlantic.

Preparations and impact

On June 18, a tropical storm warning was issued for coastal locations from

Edisto Beach, South Carolina Edisto Beach is a town in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. Edisto Beach's population was 414 as of the 2010 census, down from 641 in 2000. The town limits include only the developed coastal area of Edisto Island within Colleton Coun ...

. Shortly thereafter, a

tropical storm watch Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...

was issued north of Cape Lookout to the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

border, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. The tropical storm watch was later extended from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Cape Charles, Virginia, including

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

. By late on June 19, all advisories were discontinued. One tornado touched down in Florida, causing no known fatalities or injuries. As the center of Arthur passed east of Cape Romain, South Carolina, minor increases in surf were reported. In North Carolina, swells ranged as high as 7 ft (2.1 m). Rainfall peaked at in

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

, though because it fell gradually, no significant flooding was reported, other than minor ponding of water on roads. In addition, Arthur also brought precipitation to Georgia and

, though the amounts of rainfall recorded rarely exceeded . Sustained winds of were reported, and offshore, the ''Atlantic Huron'' reported a sustained wind of at 1500 UTC on June 19, while located southeast of Arthur's center. In addition, a C-Man station located about southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina reported sustained winds of 39 mph (64 km/h) and gusts up to 45 mph (75 km/h). Overall, damage caused by Arthur was minimal, totaling only $1 million (1996 USD).

References

External links

Tropical cyclone report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur (1996) 1996 Atlantic hurricane season Atlantic tropical storms

Tropical Storm Arthur The name Arthur has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and for three in the South Pacific Ocean. In the Atlantic: * Tropical Storm Arthur (1984), formed on August 28, very late for the first storm; moved over Newfoundland ...

Hurricanes in North Carolina 1996 natural disasters in the United States June 1996 events in the United States Arthur

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

See also

References

External links