Tropical Storm Hermine (1980)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Hermine was the eleventh tropical cyclone
as well as the eight named storm of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season
. Hermine developed from a tropical wave which moved off the coast of Africa
on September 11. It began to cross the Caribbean
over the next several days, thought a there was no evidence of a closed circulation. Finally, by September 20, a well-defined circulation became present; this allowed the system to become classified as Tropical Depression Eleven. Over the next few days, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Hermine and nearly became a hurricane before it made landfall in Belize
as a strong tropical storm.
Hermine emerged into the Gulf of Mexico
on September 23. Tropical Storm Hermine began to re-strengthen slightly, nearly reaching hurricane status again on September 24. It made landfall on the Mexico
mainland on September 24 before it could become a hurricane. Tropical Storm Hermine dissipated over Mexico by September 26. Torrential rains produced by the storm resulted in widespread flooding in Mexico, killing at least 30 people, with dozens more missing, and leaving 25,000 homeless. Additionally, landslides triggered by Hermine in Guatemala
killed at least eight people.
on September 20, a low-level circulation became more apparent on satellite imagery.
Late on September 20 the National Hurricane Center began classifying the system as Tropical Depression Eleven. It had been upgraded approximately 237 miles (381 kilometers) to the south of Kingston, Jamaica
. Tropical Depression Eleven tracked to the west-by-north toward the northeast coast of Honduras
. By September 21, Tropical Depression Eleven was upgraded to a tropical storm, it had received the name Hermine. Later that day, Tropical Storm Hermine passed within 5 miles of the northeast coast of Honduras. An Air Force Reserve flight investigated if landfall occurred; Tropical Storm Hermine had remained offshore. After Tropical Storm Hermine moved to the northwest away from Honduras, maximum sustained winds began to increase. By September 22 maximum sustained winds had reached 70 miles per hour (112.6 km/h).
Hermine maintained this intensity when it made landfall just to the north of Belize City
later that day. Over the Yucatán Peninsula, Tropical Storm Hermine weakened somewhat to a 50 mph (80.4 km/h) tropical storm. Tropical Storm Hermine emerged into the Bay of Campeche
on September 23 near the border of the Mexican states of Chiapas
and Campeche
. Almost immediately after emerging into the Bay, Tropical Storm Hermine began to re-strengthen. Hermine changed direction from northwest to north-northwest after it emerged into the Bay of Campeche, Tropical Storm Hermine would also briefly head due west before again changing to a west-southwestward course. Maximum sustained winds increased to 70 mph (112.6 km/h) again on September 23, though it was at peak intensity this time because the minimum central pressure was lower than before.
Around this point, late on September 23, Tropical Storm Hermine became stationary. Tropical Storm Hermine weakened slightly to a 65 mph (104.6 km/h) tropical storm before it made landfall near Coatzacoalcos
, Mexico on September 24. Hermine continued to move slowly inland over Mexico, which resulted in rapid weakening. By 24 hours after landfall, it was a minimal tropical storm. Tropical Storm Hermine stalled again, simultaneously, it had also been downgraded to a tropical depression. Hermine remained stationary for several more hours near Oaxaca
. On September 26, a center could not be located, so it was declared dissipated at this time. The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine traveled along most of the Pacific coast of Mexico, the remnants ultimately entered Texas before dissipating.
. These inaccuracies were occurring even when it began to drift south-southwestward. Sometimes it was also inaccurate when predicting how quickly Hermine would dissipate. On September 21 the government of Belize issued a gale warnings, as well as a hurricane watch, for most of the eastern coast of the country. It was canceled after Tropical Storm Hermine had moved inland. In eastern Mexico, an estimated 15,000 people evacuated from low-lying areas. Officials in Mexico urged numerous residents along the southern Gulf of Mexico coast and surrounding states to evacuate prior to the storm's arrival. Timely warnings were later credited for reducing the loss of life.
Crossing the southern Yucatán Peninsula
, Tropical storm Hermine brought locally heavy rains and strong winds to eastern Mexico and much of Belize
– then a colony of the United Kingdom
. In Quintana Roo
, more than 7 in (177.8 mm) of rain fell in localized areas, leading to floods. The storm also temporarily knocked out communication to all of Belize and Chetumal, Mexico. According to officials in the region, little damage took place during Hermine's passage. Heavy rains in Guatemala
triggered landslides, killing at least eight people after crushing a bus. Portions of the Pan American Highway were shut down due to debris.
Tropical Storm Hermine and the remnants caused heavy rainfall across along most of the southern and eastern parts of Mexico. Rainfall from Tropical Storm Hermine peak at 31.15 in (791.2 mm) in San Pedro Tapanatepec
, Oaxaca
. When the remnants of Hermine reached the Pacific coast of Mexico, several inches of rain were recorded. Throughout the country, the hardest hit areas were Veracruz
, Oaxaca, Chiapas
and Guerrero
. More than 30 people were killed by the storm and dozens more left missing. Ten districts in Mexico City
were brought to a standstill as flood waters blocked off streets. In the small towns of Cintalapa
and Jiquiplan, flooding killed 8 people and left 20 more missing. In addition to the loss of life, at least 25,000 residents were left homeless due to severe flooding. Two small dams broke due to excessive rains near Tuxtla Gutiérrez
, prompting the evacuation of 2,000 residents in nearby areas. In response to the storm, an estimated 15,000 personnel were deployed to assist in relief efforts.
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...
as well as the eight named storm of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season
1980 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1980 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1980, and lasted until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly active, with eleven storms forming, of which nine reached...
. Hermine developed from a tropical wave which moved off the coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
on September 11. It began to cross the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
over the next several days, thought a there was no evidence of a closed circulation. Finally, by September 20, a well-defined circulation became present; this allowed the system to become classified as Tropical Depression Eleven. Over the next few days, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Hermine and nearly became a hurricane before it made landfall in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
as a strong tropical storm.
Hermine emerged into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on September 23. Tropical Storm Hermine began to re-strengthen slightly, nearly reaching hurricane status again on September 24. It made landfall on the Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
mainland on September 24 before it could become a hurricane. Tropical Storm Hermine dissipated over Mexico by September 26. Torrential rains produced by the storm resulted in widespread flooding in Mexico, killing at least 30 people, with dozens more missing, and leaving 25,000 homeless. Additionally, landslides triggered by Hermine in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
killed at least eight people.
Meteorological history
Tropical Storm Hermine formed from a tropical wave that emerged into the Atlantic from the off coast of Africa on September 11. This tropical wave did not have a well-defined circulation. The tropical wave continued on a westerly course across the Atlantic. While the tropical wave was a few hundred miles east of Lesser Antilles, a low level cloud banding feature appear, along with an increase in central convection. This suggested could have possibly been a low-level circulation. On the afternoon of September 17, an Air Force Reserve flight investigated this system, though it discovered little evidence of a low-level circulation. The system had crossed the Lesser Antilles on September 18, it had entered the Caribbean Sea. As it passed near JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on September 20, a low-level circulation became more apparent on satellite imagery.
Late on September 20 the National Hurricane Center began classifying the system as Tropical Depression Eleven. It had been upgraded approximately 237 miles (381 kilometers) to the south of Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. Tropical Depression Eleven tracked to the west-by-north toward the northeast coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. By September 21, Tropical Depression Eleven was upgraded to a tropical storm, it had received the name Hermine. Later that day, Tropical Storm Hermine passed within 5 miles of the northeast coast of Honduras. An Air Force Reserve flight investigated if landfall occurred; Tropical Storm Hermine had remained offshore. After Tropical Storm Hermine moved to the northwest away from Honduras, maximum sustained winds began to increase. By September 22 maximum sustained winds had reached 70 miles per hour (112.6 km/h).
Hermine maintained this intensity when it made landfall just to the north of Belize City
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...
later that day. Over the Yucatán Peninsula, Tropical Storm Hermine weakened somewhat to a 50 mph (80.4 km/h) tropical storm. Tropical Storm Hermine emerged into the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
on September 23 near the border of the Mexican states of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
. Almost immediately after emerging into the Bay, Tropical Storm Hermine began to re-strengthen. Hermine changed direction from northwest to north-northwest after it emerged into the Bay of Campeche, Tropical Storm Hermine would also briefly head due west before again changing to a west-southwestward course. Maximum sustained winds increased to 70 mph (112.6 km/h) again on September 23, though it was at peak intensity this time because the minimum central pressure was lower than before.
Around this point, late on September 23, Tropical Storm Hermine became stationary. Tropical Storm Hermine weakened slightly to a 65 mph (104.6 km/h) tropical storm before it made landfall near Coatzacoalcos
Coatzacoalcos
Coatzacoalcos is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Coatzacoalcos River. Coatzacoalcos comes from an indigenous word meaning "Site of the Snake" or "Where the snake hides"...
, Mexico on September 24. Hermine continued to move slowly inland over Mexico, which resulted in rapid weakening. By 24 hours after landfall, it was a minimal tropical storm. Tropical Storm Hermine stalled again, simultaneously, it had also been downgraded to a tropical depression. Hermine remained stationary for several more hours near Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. On September 26, a center could not be located, so it was declared dissipated at this time. The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine traveled along most of the Pacific coast of Mexico, the remnants ultimately entered Texas before dissipating.
Impact
The forecast tracks of Tropical Storm Hermine were greatly inaccurate. Many predicted a turn to the northwest or north-northwest eventually reaching the northeast coast of Mexico or southern TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. These inaccuracies were occurring even when it began to drift south-southwestward. Sometimes it was also inaccurate when predicting how quickly Hermine would dissipate. On September 21 the government of Belize issued a gale warnings, as well as a hurricane watch, for most of the eastern coast of the country. It was canceled after Tropical Storm Hermine had moved inland. In eastern Mexico, an estimated 15,000 people evacuated from low-lying areas. Officials in Mexico urged numerous residents along the southern Gulf of Mexico coast and surrounding states to evacuate prior to the storm's arrival. Timely warnings were later credited for reducing the loss of life.
Crossing the southern Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
, Tropical storm Hermine brought locally heavy rains and strong winds to eastern Mexico and much of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
– then a colony of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
, more than 7 in (177.8 mm) of rain fell in localized areas, leading to floods. The storm also temporarily knocked out communication to all of Belize and Chetumal, Mexico. According to officials in the region, little damage took place during Hermine's passage. Heavy rains in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
triggered landslides, killing at least eight people after crushing a bus. Portions of the Pan American Highway were shut down due to debris.
Tropical Storm Hermine and the remnants caused heavy rainfall across along most of the southern and eastern parts of Mexico. Rainfall from Tropical Storm Hermine peak at 31.15 in (791.2 mm) in San Pedro Tapanatepec
San Pedro Tapanatepec
San Pedro Tapanatepec is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Juchitán District in the west of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region.The town was founded on 23 April 1669, and became a municipality on March 15, 1825....
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. When the remnants of Hermine reached the Pacific coast of Mexico, several inches of rain were recorded. Throughout the country, the hardest hit areas were Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Oaxaca, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
. More than 30 people were killed by the storm and dozens more left missing. Ten districts in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
were brought to a standstill as flood waters blocked off streets. In the small towns of Cintalapa
Cintalapa
Cintalapa is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 64,013. It covers an area of 2404.6 km²....
and Jiquiplan, flooding killed 8 people and left 20 more missing. In addition to the loss of life, at least 25,000 residents were left homeless due to severe flooding. Two small dams broke due to excessive rains near Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...
, prompting the evacuation of 2,000 residents in nearby areas. In response to the storm, an estimated 15,000 personnel were deployed to assist in relief efforts.
See also
- 1980 Atlantic hurricane season1980 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1980 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1980, and lasted until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly active, with eleven storms forming, of which nine reached...
- Other tropical cyclones named Hermine