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The 1989 Atlantic hurricane season was an average hurricane season with 11  named storms. The season officially began on June 1, and ended on November 30. The first
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 ...
, Tropical Depression One, developed on June 15, and dissipated two days later without any effects on land. Later that month, Tropical Storm Allison caused severe flooding, especially in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. Tropical Storm Barry, Tropical Depressions Six, Nine, and Thirteen, and Hurricanes Erin and Felix caused negligible impact. Hurricane Gabrielle and Tropical Storm Iris caused light effects on land, with the former resulting in nine fatalities from rip currents offshore 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 ...
and
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
, while the latter produced minor flooding in the
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 ...
. The most notable storm of the season was
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 ...
, which became the costliest Atlantic hurricane on record at the time (surpassed by
Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a compact, but very powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures dama ...
in
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
), causing $11 billion (1989 USD) in damage and 107 fatalities as it ravaged some of the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
and the United States, especially the state of
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 ...
as a Category 4 hurricane. Few other storms in 1989 caused significant damage; hurricanes Chantal and Jerry both resulted in flooding and wind impacts in Texas.
Hurricane Dean Hurricane Dean was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense North Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, 2005 season, and is tied with Hurricane Mit ...
also caused light damage in
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 ...
and the Canadian
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
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 ...
. Tropical Storm Karen, the final storm of the season, brought heavy rainfall and a tornado to Cuba, before dissipating on December 4. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 143 fatalities and at least $11.73 billion in damage.


Seasonal forecasts


Pre-season forecasts

Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts such as 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 of those become major hurricanes. On May 31, 1989, the CSU forecast that there would be seven named storms, four of which would intensify into a hurricane; there was no prediction of the number of major hurricanes. Prior to the season, the Weather Research Center (WRC) in
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
also issued a forecast, which called for ten named storms and six hurricanes.


Seasonal summary

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1989. It was an above average season in which 15 tropical depressions formed. Eleven depressions attained tropical storm status, and seven of these attained hurricane status. Two hurricanes further intensified into major hurricanes. The season was above average most likely because of relatively small amounts of dust within the Saharan Air Layer. Four hurricanes and one tropical storm made landfall during the season and caused 124 deaths and at least $10.2 billion in damage. The last storm of the season, Tropical Storm Karen, dissipated on December 4, four days after the official end of the season on November 30.
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 ...
in the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season began with a tropical depression developing on June 16. Later that month, another tropical depression developed, and intensified, eventually becoming Tropical Storm Allison. After June, the month of July was slightly more active with three tropical depressions developing; however, the latter two (Hurricane Chantal and Hurricane Dean) did not form until extremely late in the month. August was the most active month of the season, with a total of seven tropical cyclones either existing or developing in that period. Although September is the climatological peak of hurricane season, only two tropical cyclones developed in that month, which later become Hurricane Hugo and Tropical Storm Iris. Two tropical cyclones also developed in October, and the latter one in that month eventually became Hurricane Jerry. Finally, one tropical cyclone developed in November; it eventually became Tropical Storm Karen and lasted until December 4. The season's activity was reflected with a cumulative
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 135, which is classified as "above normal". 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 tropical storm intensity.


Systems


Tropical Depression One

A
frontal system A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For ins ...
developed into Tropical Depression One at 1800 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on June 15, while located about northeast of
Veracruz, Veracruz Veracruz (), also known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico and the most populous city in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located along the c ...
. The depression initially headed northeastward, before curving southward on June 16. It peaked with winds of . Early on June 17, the depression dissipated about 85 miles (140 km) northeast of
Coatzacoalcos Coatzacoalcos (; formerly known as Puerto México; ; Zapotec: ; Popoluca: ''Puertu'') is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, mostly on the western side of the Coatzacoalcos River estuary, on the Bay of Ca ...
,
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 ...
.


Tropical Storm Allison

The second tropical depression developed on June 24 in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, from the interaction of 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 ...
and the remnants of eastern Pacific Hurricane Cosme. Heading northward, it slowly intensified, becoming Tropical Storm Allison early on June 26. Allison continued to slowly intensify, and made landfall near Freeport with winds of on the following day. Moving inland, Allison rapidly weakened over eastern Texas, and transitioned into an extratropical storm on June 28. Although it rapidly became extratropical over land, the remnants of Allison meandered over the Southern United States and reached as far north as
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. The remnants turned south and then west-northwest after reaching
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, before finally dissipating over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
on July 7. Allison caused significant flooding in several states, especially Louisiana and Texas. Precipitation from the storm peaked at in Winnfield, Louisiana. As a result, more than 1,200 structures in Louisiana were flooded and over 430,000 acres of crops were ruined, mostly soybeans and cotton. Three drowning fatalities were also reported. Several tornadoes were spawned in the state, the worst occurred in
Ouachita Parish Ouachita Parish () is a parish located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat and largest city is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807. Ouachita Parish is par ...
. It destroyed 5 homes, severely damaged 10 others, and inflicted minor impact on 100 houses. In Texas, flooding was more severe. More than 6,200 homes received water damage, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and stranding thousands of other people. Three deaths occurred in Texas, all of which were teenage boys that drowned. In Mississippi, the storm caused $60 million in losses and five drowning deaths. Widespread, but mostly minor flooding was reported elsewhere in the
Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...
. Overall, damage was estimated to have reached $360–560 million and 11 people were killed.


Tropical Storm Barry

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on July 7. The wave quickly developed a low-level circulation by July 9 and was designated Tropical Depression Three at 1800 UTC, while located about 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 ...
. The depression moved northwestward in response to an area of high pressure located north of the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
. The depression strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Barry on July 11. It slowly intensified and reached its peak intensity of the next day. By July 13, Barry weakened back to a depression and dissipated shortly after while located 545 miles (880 km) northeast of the Lesser Antilles.


Hurricane Chantal

In late July, a tropical disturbance within the
Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ , or ICZ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the t ...
(ITCZ) was first observed near
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
. The disturbance later reached the Gulf of Mexico and developed into a tropical depression on July 30. While heading north-northwestward, the depression intensified and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Chantal on the following day. Thereafter, Chantal quickly strengthened and became a hurricane on August 1. After intensifying slightly further, it made landfall near High Island, Texas later that day. The storm quickly weakened upon moving inland and fell to tropical storm intensity a few hours after landfall. Early on August 2, Chantal weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated over Oklahoma by August 4. While making landfall in Texas, the storm produced relatively small tides, with most locations reporting waves less than 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. However, some locations experienced extensive
beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward r ...
. In addition, there were numerous rescues made by the U.S. Coast Guard. Due to both rainfall and high winds at least 3,000 homes were damaged, and numerous trees and sign were knocked down. Two tornadoes were reported, with one wrecking a shed in Crystal Beach, Texas, and the other knocking over several trees and mobile homes in
Iota, Louisiana Iota is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The population was 1,304 in 2020. Iota is part of the Crowley, Louisiana, Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area. History The history of Iota is identified with Pointe-aux-Lo ...
. Elsewhere, Chantal and its remnants brought light to moderate rainfall to several other states, although affects were minor in other states. Overall, 13 fatalities occurred, all of which due to drowning, and at least $100 million in damage was reported.


Hurricane Dean

A tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Five on July 31, while situated about halfway between
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 ...
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 ...
. The following day, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Dean. Heading generally west-northwestward, Dean intensified into a hurricane on August 2. The storm remained a Category 1 hurricane as it curved northward, bypassing the Lesser Antilles. Tracking northward, Dean accelerated and intensified into a Category 2 hurricane while bypassing Bermuda late on August 6. Thereafter, Dean turned northeastward and weakened to a tropical storm, before making landfall in southern Newfoundland on August 8. The storm continued in the northeast direction and lost tropical characteristics south of
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
on the following day. As Dean approached the Lesser Antilles, heavy rainfall and strong winds were reported in
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
and
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 ...
. However, no damage was reported. In Bermuda, winds gusted up to and 3–5 inches (76.2–127 mm) of precipitation fell. Although Dean caused no fatalities, 16 people were injured. According to insurance claims, the storm damaged 648 buildings, 72 boats, 36 vehicles, and one pier. Additionally, strong winds downed power lines, leaving 65,000 people without electricity. Overall, damage on the island was approximately $8.9 million, with $3.9 million incurred at the
Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex Naval Air Station Bermuda was a United States Navy establishment in the then British Colony of Bermuda from 1940 to 1995. It operated from several locations and under different names during this period. At first, as the Naval Operating Base, it ...
.
Storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
up to occurred in India, though no significant erosion was reported. In Atlantic Canada, light to moderate rainfall was reported, and tropical storm force winds were observed in some areas. Furthermore, waves at 26 ft (7.92 m) were reported on
Sable Island Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
.


Tropical Depression Six

A tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Six on August 8, while located about 125 miles (200 km) east of easternmost islands 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 ...
. While approaching the Lesser Antilles, a tropical storm watch was issued. However, an upper-level low increased wind shear on the system. As a result, the depression degenerated into a tropical wave on August 17. The wave eventually split in two, with the southern part eventually becoming Hurricane Lorena in the eastern Pacific Ocean.


Hurricane Erin

An organized tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on August 16. Convection diminished due to cooler
sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s, but a small, well-defined low-level circulation remained. The convection later redeveloped, and the system became a tropical depression early on August 18, while located just southeast of Cape Verde. Thereafter, the interaction between the tropical depression, a tropical wave, and a subtropical system caused it to move north-northwestward. The depression strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Erin at 1800 UTC on August 19. Erin continued to move north-northwestward, until curving northward on August 21. The storm intensified into a hurricane on August 22, after being in the northeastern quadrant of an upper-level low, which caused the flow aloft to become more divergent. It slowed and began to move northwestward while northeast of the upper-level low. However, shortly thereafter, a wave moving westward forced Erin to move north and eventually north-northeastward. Early on August 24, the storm strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Later that day, Erin peaked with sustained winds of . The storm then began to weaken and degenerated into a tropical storm on August 27. Shortly thereafter, Erin transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over the far northern Atlantic.


Hurricane Felix

A tropical wave was observed over northwestern Africa on August 24. By the following day, the system moved into the Atlantic Ocean near
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
,
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
. It immediately began organizing and became Tropical Depression Eight at 0000 UTC on August 26. The depression initially headed west-northwestward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Felix later that day. Shortly thereafter, the storm grazed Cape Verde, with some islands reporting sustained winds near . Between August 27 and August 29, Felix drifted north-northwestward in response to a persistent upper-level trough. Southwesterly winds sheared away much of the deep convection, causing Felix to weaken back to a tropical depression on August 29. The storm then headed northwestward, until a weak frontal trough turned Felix northward on September 1. Wind shear decreased, allowing Felix to become a tropical storm again on September 3. The storm continued to strengthen while moving west-northwestward and by early on September 5, it became a hurricane. Later that day, Felix peaked with winds of . Drifting north-northeastward, the storm eventually began to accelerate, after weakening back to a tropical storm on September 7, due to colder sea surface temperatures and increasing wind shear. At 1200 UTC on September 9, Felix became extratropical while located well east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The remnants later curved east-southeastward and then dissipated on September 10.


Tropical Depression Nine

Tropical Depression Nine developed from a tropical wave 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 27. However, on the following day, a
reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using Aerial photography, photography), signals ...
did not indicate a low-level circulation. Thus, the depression degenerated back into a tropical wave. Tropical Depression Nine did not re-develop in the Atlantic or the Caribbean Sea, although the remnants entered the Pacific and regenerated into Hurricane Octave on September 8.


Hurricane Gabrielle

The tenth tropical depression of the season developed from a tropical wave on August 30. The depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Gabrielle on the following day. Gabrielle moved generally westward, but curved slightly west-northwestward after intensifying into a hurricane on September 1. Further intensification continued, and Gabrielle eventually peaked as a very strong Category 4 hurricane on September 5. After peaking with sustained winds of , Gabrielle slowly curved nearly due north. Gabrielle significantly weakened while heading northward, with sustained winds dropping from a high-end Category 4 hurricane to a strong Category 3 hurricane within 12 hours on September 7. While weakening as it headed northward, Gabrielle bypassed the island of Bermuda early on September 8. Gabrielle further weakened to a Category 2 hurricane late on September 8, and became nearly stationary roughly almost halfway between Bermuda and
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. Gabrielle then weakened to a tropical storm and headed due westward on September 10. Thereafter, the storm made a sharp turn to the northeast on September 11 and weakened to a tropical depression on the following day. By September 13, the depression merged with a storm developing off Newfoundland. Although it never approached land, Gabrielle was an extremely large and powerful storm that generated swells up to 20 ft (6 m) all the way from the Lesser Antilles to Canada. On
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 ...
, severe erosion occurred on the east and north coasts. Large waves responsible for eight deaths on 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 ...
; almost all of the fatalities occurred in
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. In Nova Scotia, waves reached a height of 30 ft (9 m). In addition, one fatality was reported in Canada, when a man drowned near Ketch Harbor, Nova Scotia.


Hurricane Hugo

A westward moving tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Eleven on September 10, while located southeast of Cape Verde. It headed generally westward and intensified into Tropical Storm Hugo on September 11. Hugo became a hurricane by September 13. After becoming a major hurricane early on September 15, rapid intensification commenced, and less than 24 hours later, Hugo peaked as a Category 5 hurricane as winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . Six hours later, Hugo weakened back to a Category 4 hurricane. After weakening on September 17, Hugo entered the Caribbean Sea after passing between
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
and
Montserrat Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...
with winds near and later made landfall on St. Croix at the same intensity. Hugo was further downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, before landfall on eastern
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 ...
. The storm weakened to a Category 2 hurricane on September 18, after re-emerging into the Atlantic. As Hugo accelerated to the northwest, re-intensification occurred, and it eventually reached a secondary peak intensity as a low-end Category 4 hurricane. Early on September 22, Hugo made landfall near
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
with winds of . After landfall, Hugo rapidly weakened as it turned to the northeast, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone in northwestern
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 ...
on September 23. The remnants continued rapidly northeastward, and dissipated on September 25 near
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
. The storm caused significant damage in Guadeloupe due to winds of . Eleven fatalities and 107 injuries were reported, while 10,000 homes were destroyed, leaving 35,000 people homeless. Crop losses were extreme, with the storm wiping out 100% of the banana crop, 50% of the sugar cane crop, and nearly all coconut crops. Ten people were killed on Montserrat, while 89 others were injured. Damage on the island topped $260 million. In
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
, one person was killed and 30% of the homes damaged. Dominica suffered the loss of 80% of its banana crop, and landslides cut off many towns for days. Two people were killed, 80 were injured, and 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed on
Saint Croix Saint Croix ( ; ; ; ; Danish language, Danish and ; ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent Districts and sub-districts of the United States Virgin Islands, district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an Unin ...
. About 3,500 people were left homeless. Damage estimates for Saint Croix exceeded $1 billion. Damage from erosion and crop losses in St. Kitts reached $43 million and one fatality was reported. In Puerto Rico, the storm downed thousands of trees in the
El Yunque National Forest El Yunque National Forest (), formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest (or ''Bosque Nacional del Caribe''), is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. While there are both temperate and tropical rainforests in other states and terri ...
and caused near complete destruction of coffee and damage crops. Extreme damage also occurred at
Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall ...
, Culebra,
Fajardo Fajardo () is a Fajardo barrio-pueblo, town and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality part of the San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area, San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area in Puerto Rico. Fajardo is the hub of mu ...
, and Luquillo. Additionally, 28,000 people were left homeless, 12 deaths were reported, and losses exceeded $1 billion. In South Carolina alone, the
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
estimates that 3,307 single family homes were destroyed, 18,171 were inflicted major damage, and 56,580 sustained minor impact. Additionally, more than 12,600 mobile homes and 18,000 multi-family houses were either damaged or destroyed. There were 35 deaths and about $5.9 billion in damage in the state. The most significant impact elsewhere in the United States occurred 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 ...
, where 205 structure were destroyed, 1,149 suffered major damage, and 2,638 were inflicted minor impacts. There was one fatality and damages reached $1 billion. Overall, Hugo caused at least 88 fatalities and $9.47 billion in losses, making it the costliest hurricane in the Atlantic basin, at the time.


Tropical Storm Iris

A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and entered the Atlantic Ocean on September 12. After undergoing tropical cyclogenesis, a tropical depression developed around 18:00 UTC on September 16, while located about halfway between the Windward Islands and the Cape Verde islands. It slowly strengthened and intensified into Tropical Storm Iris early on September 18. Thereafter, the storm turned north-northwestward and paralleled the Leeward Islands. Initially, there was uncertainty in its path due to potential for a Fujiwhara interaction with Hugo. While passing east of the Lesser Antilles, Iris produced of rainfall on Saint John in the
U.S. 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 ...
, resulting in flooding. There were few reports of winds or precipitation on other islands, as Hugo destroyed observation stations a few days prior. On September 19, Iris attained its maximum sustained wind speed of . Thereafter, the storm weakened due to increased wind shear from Hugo. On September 21, the winds decreased below tropical storm force, after the center became exposed from the convection. The next day, Iris dissipated while approaching the Bahamas, though a remnant circulation persisted and tracked toward southern Florida.


Tropical Depression Thirteen

A tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen on October 2, while located a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Although the depression was predicted to intensify to near hurricane status by October 5, a mid-latitude trough increased wind shear, inducing weakening. Later on October 3, the National Hurricane Center began to forecast weakening of the depression. The depression continued weakening and dissipated on October 5.


Hurricane Jerry

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on September 23. Only minimal development occurred as the wave crossed the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. However, after crossing the Yucatán Peninsula and emerging into the
Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche (), or Campeche Sound, is a bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. The ...
on October 12, it developed into a tropical depression. The system quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Jerry on the following day. Jerry tracked generally northward while intensifying and reached hurricane status on October 15. After intensifying slightly more, Jerry made landfall near Jamaica Beach, Texas with winds of . Jerry rapidly weakened after moving inland, and dissipated by October 16. The remnants moved through the
Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North C ...
ahead of a frontal zone and eventually offshore the coast of the
Mid-Atlantic states The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the nation's Northeastern and Southeastern states. Traditional definitions include seven U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virg ...
.
Storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
and rough surf along the coast of Texas destroyed a 20-mile (32 km) section of
Texas State Highway 87 State Highway 87 (SH 87) runs for between Galveston, Texas (at a terminus shared with Interstate 45 and Spur 342) to U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 84 in Timpson, Texas. Highway 87 has a notable stretch between Sea Rim State Park and ...
, which was never repaired. Due to strong winds, about 52,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity, most of them in the
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
area. Many homes, businesses, and buildings were inflicted damage because of strong winds and three tornadoes spawned by the storm. Despite the issuance of a hurricane warning just eight hours prior to landfall, Jerry caused only three fatalities in Texas, possibly due to the storm's small size; a car fell over the
Galveston Seawall The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, that was built after the Galveston hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. Fro ...
, killing its three occupants. Minor wind and coastal flood damage was reported in Louisiana. Jerry and its remnants brought flash flooding to portions of the
Upland South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, a ...
, particularly in the states of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. In eastern Kentucky, hundreds of homes were flooded and many bridges, culverts, and roads were washed out; this left hundreds of residents stranded. Damage in Kentucky reached at least $5 million. Similar impact occurred in Virginia, with $3.4 million in damage in Buchanan County. In
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, overflowing rivers in the western portions of the state forced hundreds to evacuate. Throughout the United States, Jerry resulted in about $70 million in damage.


Tropical Storm Karen

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on November 13 and failed to organize until reaching the western Caribbean Sea. Favorable conditions allowed convection to concentrate around a developing low-level circulation. On November 28, satellite imagery and reconnaissance aircraft indicated the development of a tropical depression just north of Honduras. The depression moved northwestward then northeastward, intensifying into Tropical Storm Karen on November 30, while located southwest of
Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; ) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Island). The island was ...
, Cuba. Within 12 hours of reaching tropical storm intensity, Karen peaked with maximum sustained winds of . Around that time, a building ridge in the Gulf of Mexico forced the storm southeastward. While Karen was threatening landmasses in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for
Cozumel Cozumel (; ) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán Channel. The ...
on the Yucatán Peninsula, Isle de la Juventud, and western Cuba. The storm dropped heavy rainfall in Cuba, reaching over on Isle de la Juventud. Wind gusts reached , and there were reports of a tornado, but no damage or fatalities were reported. After affecting Cuba, Karen turned to the southwest while steadily weakening. It briefly threatened
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
, prompting a tropical storm watch, but the storm turned to the southeast and dissipated on December 4; its remnants later moved over
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
.


Storm names

The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1989. This was the same list used for the 1983 season, except for ''Allison'', which replaced '' Alicia''. Storms were named ''Allison'', ''Erin'', ''Felix'', ''Gabrielle'', ''Hugo'', ''Iris'', ''Jerry'', and ''Karen'' for the first (and, in the case of ''Hugo'', only) time in 1989.


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 ''Hugo'' from the Atlantic hurricane name lists after the 1989 season on account of its devastating impact. It was replaced with ''Humberto'' for the 1995 season.


Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1989 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 1989 USD.


See also

*
1989 Pacific hurricane season The 1989 Pacific hurricane season was a near normal season. It officially started on May 15, 1989, in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1989, in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1989. These dates conventionally delimit the pe ...
*
1989 Pacific typhoon season The 1989 Pacific typhoon season was the second consecutive to have above average tropical cyclone activity. It was an extremely active season reaching 32 tropical storms, 20 typhoons and five super typhoons. It has no official bounds; it ran year ...
*
1989 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1989 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was a below-average season in annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. Despite this, the season had the second highest Accumulated cyclone energy, Accumulated Cyclone Energy in the basin on record be ...
* South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1988–89, 1989–90 * Australian region cyclone seasons: 1988–89, 1989–90 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1988–89, 1989–90 *
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


Monthly Weather Review

Detailed information on all storms from 1989




{{DEFAULTSORT:1989 Atlantic hurricane season Articles which contain graphical timelines