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Tropical Storm Isabel (1985)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Storms

   CAPTION: Tropical Storm Isabel

   Tropical storm ( SSHS)
   Tropical Storm Isabel north of the Bahamas
   Tropical Storm Isabel north of the Bahamas
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   Formed October 7, 1985
   Dissipated October 15, 1985
   Highest
   winds
   70  mph (110  km/h) (1-minute sustained)
   Lowest pressure 997 mbar ( hPa)
   Damage $447 million (1985 USD)
   $793 million (2005 USD)
   Fatalities 180+ direct
   Areas
   affected Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Florida, Georgia,
   South Carolina
   Part of the
   1985 Atlantic hurricane season

   Tropical Storm Isabel was the ninth tropical storm of the 1985 Atlantic
   hurricane season. The storm's track extended from the Caribbean Sea to
   the southeastern United States during the second week of October. Prior
   to developing into a tropical cyclone, it produced torrential rainfall,
   resulting in great damage and loss of life in Puerto Rico. Isabel later
   made landfall in northeastern Florida, and moved out to sea without
   producing great damage.

Storm history

   Storm path
   Enlarge
   Storm path

   A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 29. As it
   moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean, the wave entered the eastern
   Caribbean Sea on October 5. On October 7, an area of disturbed weather
   on the northern edges of the wave organized into a tropical depression
   while south of Hispaniola. Shortly after forming, the depression
   attained tropical storm status and received the name of Isabel,
   although further intensification was limited by interaction with the
   lands of the Dominican Republic.

   Located on the western edge of a mid-Atlantic high pressure system,
   Isabel moved northward over the Dominican Republic, and on the night of
   October 7, it moved northward through the southeastern Bahamas. Located
   over open waters, the storm quickly strengthened, and its winds reached
   a peak of 70 mph (110  km/h) late on the 8th, while to the northeast of
   the Bahamas. An approaching cold front quickly weakened the storm, and
   a high pressure system behind the front pushed a weakened Isabel to the
   west-northwest and towards land.
   Isabel at its Florida landfall
   Enlarge
   Isabel at its Florida landfall

   Convection steadily waned as it moved west-northwestward, and Isabel
   made landfall near Fernandina Beach, Florida as a 40 mph (65 km/h)
   tropical storm late on October 10. It quickly weakened to a tropical
   depression, and Isabel remained near the Georgia coastline until
   exiting near Savannah late on the 11th. The depression drifted to the
   northeast, and Isabel remained a minimal tropical depression until
   being absorbed by a frontal trough on October 15 to the east of the
   Outer Banks.

Impact

   Heavy rainfall caused great damage and loss of life in Puerto Rico as a
   tropical wave. When it hit Florida, damage was very minor due to its
   disorganization. Overall, the storm caused over $459 million in damage
   (1985 USD, $815 million 2005 USD) and at least 180 deaths.

Puerto Rico

   Mameyes landslide
   Enlarge
   Mameyes landslide

   An upper level trough to the west of the precursor tropical wave
   enhanced rainshower activity across the northeastern Caribbean Sea.
   Because of this, portions of Puerto Rico experienced rainfall totals of
   22 inches (560 mm) in 24 hours, while some areas received around 2.8
   inches (70 mm) per hour. In the south-centre portion of the island,
   rainfall peaked at 31.67 inches (805 mm). This deluge of rain came five
   months after another rainfall event, and resulted in widespread
   mudslides across the island.
   Rainfall totals from Isabel
   Enlarge
   Rainfall totals from Isabel

   One such landslide occurred in Mameyes, a barrio on the southern
   portion of the island in Ponce. An entire sheet of bedrock in the
   mountainous region outside of the city collapsed under the
   oversaturated soil, burying much of the city. The landslide was
   responsible for at least 129 deaths, and caused severe damage in the
   area. More than 100 homes were destroyed, and many others were later
   condemned. The mudslide, which by some estimates could have killed up
   to 300 people, was among the worst landslide disasters in North
   American history.

   Elsewhere on the island, at least 51 more people were killed from
   Isabel, though an exact total is unknown. The rainfall seriously
   damaged 8 bridges and 36 roads, and destroyed the approach slabs on one
   bridge in Coamo, killing eight people when they drove their cars
   through the opening. Thirteen individuals perished in the El Tuque
   portion of Ponce when a wall collapsed and flooded the area. In Santa
   Isabel, nineteen bodies were retrieved from the Paso Seco River, which
   was close to overflowing. Also in town, another bridge was deestroyed.
   The flooding also left 60 cities without power and 35,000 people
   without telephone service. Across the island, the storm damaged nearly
   3,000 homes, leaving 4,400 homeless to be housed in 44 public shelters.
   Eleven water-filtration plants and 13 sewage treatment plants were
   closed following the storm, leaving 21% of the island without drinkable
   water. In all, the storm caused around $447 million (1985 USD, $793
   million 2005 USD) in damage.

Conspiracy theory

   According to a conspiracy theory on the island, an explosion in a
   fireworks factory led to the mudslide disaster in Mameyes. This is
   supported by a report that rescue dogs detected gunpowder in the area,
   as well as people experiencing a blast when the mudslide occurred.
   However, this news was supposedly kept quiet so the citizens could
   receive aid from FEMA.

Southeast United States

   Rainfall totals from Isabel
   Enlarge
   Rainfall totals from Isabel

   When Isabel made landfall on northeastern Florida, the storm retained
   little convection. It dropped light rain along the southeastern United
   States coastline, peaking at 3.38 inches in southeastern North
   Carolina. Overall, damage was relatively light.

Aftermath

   Just days after the storm, the United States House of Representatives
   passed a resolution to provide Puerto Rico with all necessary
   assistance in the cleanup. Days later, President Ronald Reagan declared
   the island as a Federal Disaster Area when requested to by Puerto Rican
   Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon]]. A memorial service with some 3,000
   people attending was held for 23 of the casualties, and a memorial park
   was proposed to be built where the landslide ravine was. FEMA provided
   $63 million (1985 USD, $111.8 million 2005 USD) in aid.

Lack of Retirement

   Despite the great amount of damage, the name Isabel was not retired by
   the World Meteorological Organization and it remained on the list of
   names for the 1991 season. Due to inactivity the name was not used
   again until the 2003 season, when the name Isabel was retired and
   replaced with Ida on the list of names for the 2009 season.

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