Hurricane Allen

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Hurricane Allen
Hurricane Allen at landfall on August 9, 1980

Hurricane Allen at landfall on August 9, 1980
Duration July 31 - Aug. 11, 1980
Highest winds 190 mph (305 km/h) sustained
Damages $2.6 billion (2005 dollars)
Fatalities 250 - 260 direct
Areas affected Windward Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula, northern Mexico, southern Texas
Part of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Allen, which was the first hurricane given a male name, was the strongest hurricane of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest hurricanes in recorded history, with sustained winds reaching a maximum of 190 mph (305 km/h). In addition, it is one of the few Atlantic hurricanes to reach Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale on three separate occasions, the others being Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Isabel. Allen also produced the fifth-lowest minimum pressure ever recorded in the Atlantic basin at 899 mbar (hPa), trailing closely behind Hurricane Rita in 2005 at 897 mbar, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 at 892 mbar, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 at 888 mbar, and Hurricane Wilma in 2005 at 882 mbar. Interestingly, during Allen's trek through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, its center of circulation never crossed over land despite its close passage to the islands of the Caribbean.

The thunderstorms that would become Hurricane Allen originated off the Cape Verde Islands, a rarity for tropical systems in early August. As it moved towards the Caribbean it became the first named storm of the season. As Allen sped westward, it rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane.

After weakening somewhat, Allen reintensified to a Category 5 for a second time. The powerful storm struck close to Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane and brushed by Jamaica, causing extensive damage.

As the hurricane, weakened by its interactions with the mountainous terrain of Haiti and Jamaica to a Category 3 storm, passed south of Cuba, its massive size caused gale-force winds in the Florida Keys. It restrengthened into a Category 5 hurricane for a third time as it moved over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Dry air aloft in the Gulf caused the massive storm to weaken substantially before making landfall north of Brownsville, Texas. It hit with sustained winds of only 115 mph (185 km/h). The storm caused limited damage in the United States due to its suddenly diminished power and because its highest tides and winds hit a sparsely-populated portion of the Texas coast.

The storm surge was reported as high as 12 feet (3.7 m) at Port Mansfield, Texas, though it may have been higher because the highest surges occurred in unpopulated and unmonitored sections of the Texas coast. A peak wind gust of 129 mph (209 km/h) was also measured at Port Mansfield. The storm caused seven deaths in Texas and 17 in Louisiana (most resulting from the crash of a helicopter evacuating workers from an offshore platform).

Allen spawned several tornadoes in Texas. One tornado caused $100 million in damage when it hit Austin, Texas, making it the costliest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado ever.

One bit of good news resulted from Allen's arrival -- it dumped 10 to 20 inches (250 to 500 mm) of rain in south Texas, ending a summer-long drought during the Heat Wave of 1980.

The name Allen was retired from the Atlantic tropic storms list in the spring of 1981 and replaced with Andrew.


Top ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes since measurements began

Hurricane intensity is measured solely by central pressure; source: NOAA

North Atlantic Landfall U.S.
Rank Hurricane Year Minimum pressure
recorded
mbar (hPa)
Rank Hurricane Year Minimum pressure
at landfall
mbar (hPa)
1 Wilma 2005 882 1 Labor Day 1935 892
2 Gilbert 1988 888 2 Camille 1969 909
3 Labor Day 1935 892 3 Katrina 2005 918
4 Rita 2005 897 4 Andrew 1992 922
5 Allen 1980 899 5 Indianola 1886 925
6 Katrina 2005 902 6 Florida Keys 1919 927
7 Camille 1969 905 7 Okeechobee 1928 929
8 Mitch 1998 905 8 Donna 1960 930
9 Ivan 2004 910 9 New Orleans 1915 931
10 Janet 1955 914 10 Carla 1961 931
Based on data from: The Weather Channel Based on data from: U.S. National Hurricane Center

Categpry:1979 meteorology

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