Hurricane Gilbert

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Hurricane Gilbert
hurricane
FormedSeptember 8, 1988
DissipatedSeptember 19, 1988

Hurricane Gilbert is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin. It was the eighth tropical storm and third hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season. Gilbert wreaked havoc in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico for nearly 9 days. In total, it killed 318 people and caused $5 billion (1988 USD, $7-9 billion 2005 USD) in damages over the course of its path.

Storm history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

On September 3, 1988, a tropical wave emerged off the African Coast. Over the next several days, a low pressure center slowly developed from this wave. By September 8, the low pressure center was well-organized, and satellite data confirmed that it had become Tropical Depression Twelve, near the Windward Islands about 400 miles east of Barbados. While feeding off the warm waters (81°F/27°C) of the Caribbean, the storm quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gilbert on September 9, becoming the seventh named storm of the season. It passed through the Windward Islands as a weak tropical storm that night, resulting in little to no damage in the islands.

With no inhibiting factors to strengthening, Gilbert quickly became a hurricane and then a major hurricane (category 3 or higher) on the 11th. It moved consistently west-northwest, influenced by a strong high pressure system to its north. This movement led to the hurricane's first landfall in Jamaica. The eye passed completely over Jamaica on September 12 with 135 mph winds, making it a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It was the first hurricane to make direct landfall in Jamaica since the 1951 season, when Hurricane Charlie passed over the island with winds around 100 mph. Gilbert strengthened rapidly after emerging from the coast of Jamaica. The hurricane reached the lower end of category 5 while slamming into the Cayman Islands. A reporting station on Grand Cayman recorded a wind gust of 156 mph while passing just to the southeast.

Most intense Atlantic hurricanes
Rank Hurricane Season Pressure
hPa inHg
1 Wilma 2005 882 26.05
2 Gilbert 1988 888 26.23
3 "Labor Day" 1935 892 26.34
4 Rita 2005 895 26.43
5 Allen 1980 899 26.55
6 Camille 1969 900 26.58
7 Katrina 2005 902 26.64
8 Mitch 1998 905 26.73
Dean 2007
10 Maria 2017 908 26.81
Source: HURDAT[1]


Extreme intensification continued until Gilbert reached a minimum pressure of 888 mbar (hPa), which was the lowest pressure ever recorded in the history of the western hemisphere and made Gilbert the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, until it was surpassed by Hurricane Wilma in the 2005 season. At its peak, Gilbert sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) (although Hurricanes Camille and Allen had higher wind speed, hurricane intensity is measured in terms of pressure).

Gilbert made landfall for a second time in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on September 14 as a category 5 hurricane, making it the first Category 5 to make landfall since Hurricane David hit Hispanola nine years earlier in 1979. Major hurricane status was held as the storm made landfall for a third time as a category 3 near La Pesca, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on September 16. On September 17 Gilbert struck the inland city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Gilbert spawned 29 tornadoes in Texas on September 18 and caused flooding in the midwest. Gilbert lost its strength when it merged with a frontal boundary in Texas on September 19.

Impact

Deaths by Country
Country Deaths
Mexico 202
Jamaica 45
Haiti 30
Guatemala 12
Venezuela 5
Dominican Republic 5
United States 3
Costa Rica 2
Nicaragua 2
Total 318

Gilbert claimed 318 lives, mostly in Mexico. Exact monetary damage figures are not available, but the total for all areas affected by Gilbert is estimated to be near $5 billion (1988 USD).

American journalist Jules Siegel was living in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico (near Cancún) with his family. The hurricane hit Puerto Morelos dead-on, but the entire town population was evacuated to Cancún. Siegel's account of this experience was published in a local newspaper in Spanish and is available in English on his website.

Venezuela

Outflow bands from Gilbert produce flash floods in northern Venezuela, which killed five people.[2]

Jamaica

Hurricane Gilbert produced over 700 mm (27 inches) of rain in the mountainous areas of Jamaica, causing inland flash flooding.[3] About 45 people were killed.[4] Gilbert was the most severe hurricane to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Charlie in 1951.[5] The storm left $4 billion dollars (1988 USD) in damage.[5]

Mexico

35,000 people were left homeless and 83 ships sank when Gilbert stuck the Yucatán Peninsula. Also, billions of pesos in damages were recorded.[6]

United States

Rainfall in the United States from Gilbert

Despite concerns that Texas might suffer a direct hit, there was only minor damage reported in southern Texas from Gilbert's landfall, 60 miles to the south. Winds gusted to hurricane force in a few places, but the main impact felt in the state was beach erosion from a 3-5 foot storm surge, and tornadoes, which mainly affected the San Antonio area.

Oklahoma recorded the highest measurement of rainfall in the United States. 8.6 inches. This was in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge.

Aftermath

Jamaica

The hurricane severely damaged all but two medical facilities and 50% of the water supply.[5] In addition, many of the supplies brought to the needed remained in the warehouses and were sometimes stolen.[5]

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes

Due to its extreme intensity and path of destruction, the name Gilbert was retired in the spring of 1989, and will never be used for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced by Gordon in the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season.

See also

Template:Tcportal

References

  1. ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ National Weather Service (1988). "1988 Monthly Weather Review" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-07-21.
  3. ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1995erin.html
  4. ^ http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/1988.pdf
  5. ^ a b c d http://www.crid.or.cr/digitalizacion/pdf/eng/doc6803/doc6803-01.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.udel.edu/DRC/Aguirre/publications/ag35.pdf

External links

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