Cyclone Hollanda
Encyclopedia
Cyclone Hollanda was the worst tropical cyclone
in Mauritius
in 19 years. It formed on February 6, 1994, in the central Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere. The cyclone moved southwestward for much of its duration, striking Mauritius on February 10 at peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). It later passed just southeast of Réunion
before turning to the south and weakening. The cyclone became extratropical on February 14 in the southern Indian Ocean.
On Mauritius, Hollanda destroyed or severely damaged 450 houses, which left at least 1,500 people homeless. High winds left half of the island without power, and also caused severe crop damage; nearly half of the island's sugar crop was destroyed, which necessitated for the government to assist in replanting efforts. Hollanda killed 2 people and caused $135 million in damage on Mauritius. About a week after the cyclone struck, Cyclone Ivy also affected the area, although to a lesser degree. The highest rainfall from the cyclone fell on Réunion, with 741 mm (29.2 in) recorded at Grand Coude.
(MFR), a disturbance in the Indian Ocean intertropical convergence zone
became evident south of the Chagos Archipelago
on February 6, after Cyclone Geralda struck Madagascar
and moved away from the region. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) assessed it as developing a day prior in the same general area. Later on February 6, a circulation
developed concurrently with an area of organized convection. On February 8, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Hollanda as it moved southwestward, its motion influenced by a ridge
to its south. A trough
turned the storm to the south-southwest, and Hollanda intensified into a tropical cyclone – the equivalence of a hurricane – on February 9.
After becoming a tropical cyclone, Hollanda developed a small 20 km (12.4 mi) eye
as it tracked toward the island of Mauritius
, located east of Madagascar. Continuing to intensify, the cyclone struck the northern coast of the island at 1800 UTC
on February 10 at peak intensity, with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph) (10 minute sustained wind
s) as assessed by MFR. In addition, the cyclone produced gust
s to 230 km/h (142.9 mph). At the same time, the JTWC estimated peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) (1 minute sustained winds). While moving over Mauritius, the eye became disrupted, although Hollanda maintained much of its intensity as it passed just southeast of Réunion
early on February 11. The cyclone remained well-defined as it moved more poleward, and an irregular eye remained visible on satellite imagery. On February 13, Hollanda turned eastward due to a trough, and the next day it became extratropical
over the southern Indian Ocean. Its remnants persisted at least two more days.
. Officials closed the airport prior to the cyclone's arrival, and most stores and banks were also closed. Officials also ordered for cars to be off the roads during the storm and for people to remain indoors. Forecasters initially expected the storm would remain slightly offshore.
Ultimately, Cyclone Hollanda made landfall at peak intensity, producing wind gusts of 216 km/h (134.2 mph) in Mauritius's capital city of Port Louis
. Strong winds affected the northern and western portions of the island, particularly near the coast, and the cyclone was considered the worst to hit there since Cyclone Gervaise in 1975. In addition to the winds, the storm dropped torrential rainfall that reached 711 mm (28 in) in Mare aux Vacoas
. Across the island, Hollanda destroyed 290 houses and severely damaged another 160, which left at least 1,500 people homeless. Included among the damaged buildings was the Russian embassy
, which faced such difficulties making repairs that the ambassadors moved their offices. Damage to schools was estimated at 25 million rupees
($1.3 million 1994 USD), causing some to be closed for as long as 12 days. High winds downed 30% of the island's trees. Many fell onto power lines, which left 60% of Mauritians without power and about half without telephone service. All external communications were cut to the country during the cyclone. In addition, nearly half of the sugar plantations were destroyed, although the primary industry of tourism was not significantly affected. In total, the cyclone killed two people, and left $135 million in damage (1994 USD); the total included lost productivity, such as decreased sugar output. Less than a week after Hollanda struck, Cyclone Ivy also hit Mauritius, although to a lesser extent than Hollanda. The combined impact caused most roads to be blocked by either fallen trees or mudslides; all main roads were quickly restored.
Following the storm's passage, the Mauritius government opened 130 shelters, and also provided 5,000 rupees
to each homeless family. The crop damage from Hollanda, in addition to a drought, decreased the following year's output by 22%. In response, the government provided seeds to farmers so they could replant their crops. Most of the island had their power restored by ten days after the storm. The country's prime minister issued an appeal to the European Union
for 67 million rupees ($3.6 million 1994 USD) in assistance, although later dropped it to less than half that total. The requested aid was for the restoration of phone and power utilities. The storm's severe impact on Mauritius caused a sharp drop in the country's gross domestic product
(GDP) per capita, and the overall GDP decreased by 10%.
Although the cyclone did not strike the island of Réunion, Hollanda produced strong wind gusts that peaked at 234 km/h (145.4 mph) in Sainte-Rose
. Rainfall on the island peaked at 741 mm (29.2 in) at Grand Coude. The cyclone left damage to crops, power systems, telephones, and the water network, mostly due to the strong winds.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 19 years. It formed on February 6, 1994, in the central Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere. The cyclone moved southwestward for much of its duration, striking Mauritius on February 10 at peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). It later passed just southeast of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
before turning to the south and weakening. The cyclone became extratropical on February 14 in the southern Indian Ocean.
On Mauritius, Hollanda destroyed or severely damaged 450 houses, which left at least 1,500 people homeless. High winds left half of the island without power, and also caused severe crop damage; nearly half of the island's sugar crop was destroyed, which necessitated for the government to assist in replanting efforts. Hollanda killed 2 people and caused $135 million in damage on Mauritius. About a week after the cyclone struck, Cyclone Ivy also affected the area, although to a lesser degree. The highest rainfall from the cyclone fell on Réunion, with 741 mm (29.2 in) recorded at Grand Coude.
Meteorological history
Based on analysis from Météo-FranceMétéo-France
Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operations have been decentralised to Toulouse...
(MFR), a disturbance in the Indian Ocean intertropical convergence zone
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
became evident south of the Chagos Archipelago
Chagos Archipelago
The Chagos Archipelago , is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean; situated some due south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands are the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge a long submarine mountain range...
on February 6, after Cyclone Geralda struck Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and moved away from the region. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) assessed it as developing a day prior in the same general area. Later on February 6, a circulation
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
developed concurrently with an area of organized convection. On February 8, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Hollanda as it moved southwestward, its motion influenced by a ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to its south. A trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
turned the storm to the south-southwest, and Hollanda intensified into a tropical cyclone – the equivalence of a hurricane – on February 9.
After becoming a tropical cyclone, Hollanda developed a small 20 km (12.4 mi) eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
as it tracked toward the island of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, located east of Madagascar. Continuing to intensify, the cyclone struck the northern coast of the island at 1800 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on February 10 at peak intensity, with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph) (10 minute sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...
s) as assessed by MFR. In addition, the cyclone produced gust
Gust
is a Japanese developer and publisher of game software titles, known for their Atelier and Ar tonelico series.-Company:Gust Co. Ltd. was founded in 1993 in Nagano, Japan, as the first game software house in Nagano Prefecture. The company began by creating dôjinshi games for personal computers. Its...
s to 230 km/h (142.9 mph). At the same time, the JTWC estimated peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) (1 minute sustained winds). While moving over Mauritius, the eye became disrupted, although Hollanda maintained much of its intensity as it passed just southeast of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
early on February 11. The cyclone remained well-defined as it moved more poleward, and an irregular eye remained visible on satellite imagery. On February 13, Hollanda turned eastward due to a trough, and the next day it became extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
over the southern Indian Ocean. Its remnants persisted at least two more days.
Impact
Before Hollanda struck Mauritius, most people were already residing at home, due to the cyclone striking during the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
. Officials closed the airport prior to the cyclone's arrival, and most stores and banks were also closed. Officials also ordered for cars to be off the roads during the storm and for people to remain indoors. Forecasters initially expected the storm would remain slightly offshore.
Ultimately, Cyclone Hollanda made landfall at peak intensity, producing wind gusts of 216 km/h (134.2 mph) in Mauritius's capital city of Port Louis
Port Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...
. Strong winds affected the northern and western portions of the island, particularly near the coast, and the cyclone was considered the worst to hit there since Cyclone Gervaise in 1975. In addition to the winds, the storm dropped torrential rainfall that reached 711 mm (28 in) in Mare aux Vacoas
Mare aux Vacoas
Mare aux Vacoas is the largest reservoir in Mauritius. It is located in Plaines Wilhems, in the southwest of the island, to the south of the town of Curepipe.It has a capacity of 25.89 Mm3 and provide water to the upper Plaines Wilhems and to Moka....
. Across the island, Hollanda destroyed 290 houses and severely damaged another 160, which left at least 1,500 people homeless. Included among the damaged buildings was the Russian embassy
Mauritius–Russia relations
Mauritius–Russia relations refers to the bilateral relations of Russia and Mauritius.-Soviet-era relations:The Soviet Union and Mauritius established diplomatic relations on 17 March 1968.-Diplomatic ties:...
, which faced such difficulties making repairs that the ambassadors moved their offices. Damage to schools was estimated at 25 million rupees
Mauritian rupee
The rupee is the currency of Mauritius.It is theoretically divided into 100 cents; however, as at October 2011, only 5 and 20 cent coins, are currently in circulation, the latest mintage of these two coins was in 2010. A Half Rupee coin is also in circulation.-History:The rupee was established by...
($1.3 million 1994 USD), causing some to be closed for as long as 12 days. High winds downed 30% of the island's trees. Many fell onto power lines, which left 60% of Mauritians without power and about half without telephone service. All external communications were cut to the country during the cyclone. In addition, nearly half of the sugar plantations were destroyed, although the primary industry of tourism was not significantly affected. In total, the cyclone killed two people, and left $135 million in damage (1994 USD); the total included lost productivity, such as decreased sugar output. Less than a week after Hollanda struck, Cyclone Ivy also hit Mauritius, although to a lesser extent than Hollanda. The combined impact caused most roads to be blocked by either fallen trees or mudslides; all main roads were quickly restored.
Following the storm's passage, the Mauritius government opened 130 shelters, and also provided 5,000 rupees
Mauritian rupee
The rupee is the currency of Mauritius.It is theoretically divided into 100 cents; however, as at October 2011, only 5 and 20 cent coins, are currently in circulation, the latest mintage of these two coins was in 2010. A Half Rupee coin is also in circulation.-History:The rupee was established by...
to each homeless family. The crop damage from Hollanda, in addition to a drought, decreased the following year's output by 22%. In response, the government provided seeds to farmers so they could replant their crops. Most of the island had their power restored by ten days after the storm. The country's prime minister issued an appeal to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
for 67 million rupees ($3.6 million 1994 USD) in assistance, although later dropped it to less than half that total. The requested aid was for the restoration of phone and power utilities. The storm's severe impact on Mauritius caused a sharp drop in the country's gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
(GDP) per capita, and the overall GDP decreased by 10%.
Although the cyclone did not strike the island of Réunion, Hollanda produced strong wind gusts that peaked at 234 km/h (145.4 mph) in Sainte-Rose
Sainte-Rose, Réunion
Sainte-Rose is a commune on the east coast of the French island and department of Réunion. The Pointe des Cascades, in the commune, is the easternmost part of the island and also the easternmost part of France and of the European Union...
. Rainfall on the island peaked at 741 mm (29.2 in) at Grand Coude. The cyclone left damage to crops, power systems, telephones, and the water network, mostly due to the strong winds.