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Hurricane Diana (1984)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Diana was the fourth tropical storm, the first hurricane, the first major hurricane, and the strongest storm of the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season
. Diana was the first major hurricane to hit the U.S. East Coast in nearly 20 years. Watches and warnings were issued for the storm along the East coast between eastern Florida and Virginia. It caused moderate damage in North Carolina
while it looped offshore and after it made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane
. Forming on September 8, Diana moved northward and wandered across North Carolina for a couple of days during mid-September, dropping heavy rainfall. Once it left the state and accelerated east-northeast, Diana quickly evolved into an extratropical cyclone
. Damages to the United States
totaled $65.5 million dollars (1984 USD). Three indirect fatalities were caused by the cyclone
.
just north of the Bahamas along the tail end of a cold front
on September 6. Shower and thunderstorm activity
began to increase the next day but was generally disorganized. Around 1200 UTC
on September 8, a ship in the vicinity of the low reported a sustained wind speed
of 40 mph (65 km/h). A few hours later, based on satellite observations, the low was designated Tropical Storm Diana. With weak steering currents, Diana gradually intensified as it slowly moved towards the west over the next day, coming within 50 miles (85 km) of Cape Canaveral
, Florida
, before taking a sharp turn towards the north-northwest. As Diana neared Saint Augustine, Florida, it turned towards the northeast and intensified into a hurricane.
Under weak steering currents while detached to the front, Diana drifted westward, and came within 50 miles (80.5 km) of the Florida
coast. Rather than continuing westward, where it would have hit near Cape Canaveral
, Diana turned to the northwest where it paralleled the coastline. The storm, continually strengthening over the Gulf Stream
, turned to the northeast and became a hurricane on September 10. On September 11 and September 12, Diana rapidly intensified to a peak of 135 miles per hour (217.3 km/h) winds while remaining offshore.
An approaching frontal system caused Diana to execute a cyclonic loop, where cool, dry air caused it to weaken. The hurricane hit Wilmington
, North Carolina
as a weakening hurricane with maximum sustained wind
s of 90 miles per hour (144.8 km/h) on September 13, and quickly weakened to a tropical storm over land. The high pressure system that built in after Diana looped weakened, allowing the storm to move to the north and east. After crossing the Outer Banks
, Diana accelerated to the northeast, and after restrengthening to a 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) storm, became extratropical near Nova Scotia
on September 16.
Soon after advisories were initiated, gale
warnings were issued between Cape Canaveral, Florida
and Virginia Beach, Virginia
during the afternoon of September 8. During the morning of September 9, gale warnings were lowered south of St. Augustine, Florida
. As Diana strengthened into a hurricane, hurricane watches and gale warnings were raised between St. Augustine and Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. By the morning of September 10, gale warnings were upgraded to hurricane warnings between Brunswick, Georgia
and Oregon Inlet. All warnings and watches south of Brunswick were dropped at that time. By the morning of September 11, hurricane warnings were lowered south of Savannah, Georgia
. That afternoon, all warnings were lowered south of Cape Romain, South Carolina.
On the morning of September 12, all warnings were lowered south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
. Early in the morning of September 13, gale warnings were raised between Cape Romain and Myrtle Beach. Later that morning, hurricane warnings were lowered between Wilmington, North Carolina
and Oregon Inlet, and all warnings were dropped between Cape Lookout and Virginia Beach. Gale warnings were then in effect between Wilmington and Cape Lookout. Once inland, all warnings were lowered on the afternoon of September 13. As the tropical storm moved offshore, gale warnings went into effect between the mornings of September 14 and September 15 between Cape Lookout and Chincoteague, Virginia
.
Along the North Carolina coastline, state troopers were deployed to assist residents in evacuating and preparing for the hurricane. South Carolina governor Mike Daniel declared a state of emergency
and placed the national guard on standby. Schools throughout the Carolinas
and Georgia were closed. Most beaches were closed due to strong rip current
s and beach erosion. NASA
also redirected the scheduled landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery
in Cape Canaveral, Florida
to Oklahoma
. Residents on barrier islands were urged to evacuate as waves in excess of 12 ft (3.7 m) were expected to inundate them. Approximately 94 families were relocated from their mobile homes near Beaufort, North Carolina
by state officials. A 24-hour emergency operations center was also established. The Coast Guard
moved all available boats in the area to a position where they could be deployed immediately if needed.
Along the Georgia
coastline, The Golden Isles of Georgia
were evacuated due to large swells
produced by Diana. Two nursing homes in Tybee Island
were evacuated and a voluntary evacuation was issued for all residents in the town. Several shelters were also opened at schools in a few counties; however, relatively few families sought refuge in them. Local schools and beaches were also closed for the duration of the storm's passage.
With Category 4 winds of 135 mph, Diana threatened to become the most intense hurricane to strike North Carolina
since Hurricane Hazel
in 1954. However, it looped and weakened just offshore and made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane
. Because of this, Diana only caused $65.5 million in damage (1984 USD) due to heavy flooding from up to 19 inches (482.6 mm) of rain, tree damage, and downed power lines. Most of the damage was experienced between Wilmington, North Carolina
and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
. The Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded winds of over 75 mph, making Hurricane Diana the first hurricane to bring hurricane force winds to a nuclear power plant. Some yard damage was seen, but the plant was mostly unaffected.
Three indirect deaths were reported from Diana. One person died from a heart attack while making hurricane preparations, and the other two were from automobile accidents. Following the storm, President Ronald Reagan
declared five North Carolina counties as a federal disaster area, allowing the affected regions to receive government funds and assistance. Funds were also allocated for the repairing of roads and sewers.
1984 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1984 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1984, and lasted until November 30, 1984. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1984 season was an active one in terms of named storms, but most of them...
. Diana was the first major hurricane to hit the U.S. East Coast in nearly 20 years. Watches and warnings were issued for the storm along the East coast between eastern Florida and Virginia. It caused moderate damage in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
while it looped offshore and after it made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Forming on September 8, Diana moved northward and wandered across North Carolina for a couple of days during mid-September, dropping heavy rainfall. Once it left the state and accelerated east-northeast, Diana quickly evolved into an extratropical cyclone
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...
. Damages to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
totaled $65.5 million dollars (1984 USD). Three indirect fatalities were caused by the cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
.
Meteorological history
The origins of Hurricane Diana can be traced back to a stalled out area of low pressureLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
just north of the Bahamas along the tail end of a cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
on September 6. Shower and thunderstorm activity
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
began to increase the next day but was generally disorganized. Around 1200 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 September 8, a ship in the vicinity of the low reported a sustained wind speed
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...
of 40 mph (65 km/h). A few hours later, based on satellite observations, the low was designated Tropical Storm Diana. With weak steering currents, Diana gradually intensified as it slowly moved towards the west over the next day, coming within 50 miles (85 km) of Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, before taking a sharp turn towards the north-northwest. As Diana neared Saint Augustine, Florida, it turned towards the northeast and intensified into a hurricane.
Under weak steering currents while detached to the front, Diana drifted westward, and came within 50 miles (80.5 km) of the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coast. Rather than continuing westward, where it would have hit near Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Diana turned to the northwest where it paralleled the coastline. The storm, continually strengthening over the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
, turned to the northeast and became a hurricane on September 10. On September 11 and September 12, Diana rapidly intensified to a peak of 135 miles per hour (217.3 km/h) winds while remaining offshore.
An approaching frontal system caused Diana to execute a cyclonic loop, where cool, dry air caused it to weaken. The hurricane hit Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
as a weakening hurricane with maximum 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 of 90 miles per hour (144.8 km/h) on September 13, and quickly weakened to a tropical storm over land. The high pressure system that built in after Diana looped weakened, allowing the storm to move to the north and east. After crossing the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
, Diana accelerated to the northeast, and after restrengthening to a 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) storm, became extratropical near Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on September 16.
Preparations
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
warnings were issued between Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
during the afternoon of September 8. During the morning of September 9, gale warnings were lowered south of St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. As Diana strengthened into a hurricane, hurricane watches and gale warnings were raised between St. Augustine and Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. By the morning of September 10, gale warnings were upgraded to hurricane warnings between Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
and Oregon Inlet. All warnings and watches south of Brunswick were dropped at that time. By the morning of September 11, hurricane warnings were lowered south of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. That afternoon, all warnings were lowered south of Cape Romain, South Carolina.
On the morning of September 12, all warnings were lowered south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. Early in the morning of September 13, gale warnings were raised between Cape Romain and Myrtle Beach. Later that morning, hurricane warnings were lowered between Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and Oregon Inlet, and all warnings were dropped between Cape Lookout and Virginia Beach. Gale warnings were then in effect between Wilmington and Cape Lookout. Once inland, all warnings were lowered on the afternoon of September 13. As the tropical storm moved offshore, gale warnings went into effect between the mornings of September 14 and September 15 between Cape Lookout and Chincoteague, Virginia
Chincoteague, Virginia
Chincoteague is a town on Chincoteague Island in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. The town is perhaps best known for the Chincoteague Ponies, although these are not actually on the island of Chincoteague but on nearby Assateague Island...
.
Along the North Carolina coastline, state troopers were deployed to assist residents in evacuating and preparing for the hurricane. South Carolina governor Mike Daniel declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
and placed the national guard on standby. Schools throughout the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
and Georgia were closed. Most beaches were closed due to strong rip current
Rip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
s and beach erosion. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
also redirected the scheduled landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Residents on barrier islands were urged to evacuate as waves in excess of 12 ft (3.7 m) were expected to inundate them. Approximately 94 families were relocated from their mobile homes near Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
by state officials. A 24-hour emergency operations center was also established. The Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
moved all available boats in the area to a position where they could be deployed immediately if needed.
Along the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
coastline, The Golden Isles of Georgia
The Golden Isles of Georgia
The Golden Isles of Georgia are a group of four barrier islands on the 100-mile-long coast of Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. They include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Historic Brunswick. They are part of the Sea Islands.Since the American Civil War,...
were evacuated due to large swells
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
produced by Diana. Two nursing homes in Tybee Island
Tybee Island, Georgia
Tybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near the city of Savannah in the southeastern United States. It is the easternmost point in the state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,990. Tybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near...
were evacuated and a voluntary evacuation was issued for all residents in the town. Several shelters were also opened at schools in a few counties; however, relatively few families sought refuge in them. Local schools and beaches were also closed for the duration of the storm's passage.
Impact and aftermath
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
since Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
in 1954. However, it looped and weakened just offshore and made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Because of this, Diana only caused $65.5 million in damage (1984 USD) due to heavy flooding from up to 19 inches (482.6 mm) of rain, tree damage, and downed power lines. Most of the damage was experienced between Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. The Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded winds of over 75 mph, making Hurricane Diana the first hurricane to bring hurricane force winds to a nuclear power plant. Some yard damage was seen, but the plant was mostly unaffected.
Three indirect deaths were reported from Diana. One person died from a heart attack while making hurricane preparations, and the other two were from automobile accidents. Following the storm, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
declared five North Carolina counties as a federal disaster area, allowing the affected regions to receive government funds and assistance. Funds were also allocated for the repairing of roads and sewers.
See also
- List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–present)
- Other storms of the same nameHurricane Diana (disambiguation)The name Diana has been used for two tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, and four tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It was used in the Pacific with the old four-year lists. It was retired from the Atlantic list following 1990, and was replaced with Dolly in the 1996 season...