Timeline of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season

Map of the Northern Atlantic Ocean with color-codded tracks representing hurricane paths.
Season summary map

The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season featured eight landfalling tropical cyclones in the United States, including a record-tying six hurricanes, the most in a single year since 1916.[1][2] The season officially started on June 1 and lasted until November 30. These dates typically cover the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.[3] The season's first storm, Tropical Storm Ana, developed on July 15; the season's final storm, Tropical Depression Thirteen, dissipated on December 9.

The year featured average activity overall, with thirteen tropical cyclones, eleven tropical storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.[4] The 1985 season was particularly destructive and disruptive for the United States, with damage amounting to a then-record US$4 billion. The entire coastline from Brownsville, Texas, to Eastport, Maine, was under a gale warning at some point during the year and a portion of every state was under a hurricane warning.[2]

For convenience, all information is listed by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) first with the respective local time included in parentheses. This timeline includes information that was not operationally released, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center is included. This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season.

Events

Hurricane Kate (1985) Hurricane Juan (1985) Tropical Storm Isabel (1985) Hurricane Gloria Hurricane Elena Hurricane Danny (1985) Hurricane Bob (1985) Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

June

June 1

July

Tropical Storm Ana accelerating northeast near Nova Scotia on July 18
July 15
July 16
July 19
July 21
July 22
July 23
July 24
July 25
July 26

August

The trans-Atlantic track of Hurricane Claudette
August 9
August 9
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 8) – The subtropical depression acquires a warm core, spiral banding, and gale-force winds. This marks its transition into a tropical cyclone and simultaneous classification as Tropical Storm Claudette roughly 130 mi (215 km) southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina.[7]
August 12
  • 18:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette makes its closest approach to Bermuda, passing 145 mi (265 km) to the north.[7]
August 12
August 13
August 14
August 14
  • 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette attains hurricane-status about 725 mi (1,165 km) northeast of Bermuda.[7]
August 15
Hurricane Danny over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on August 15
  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, August 14) – Tropical Storm Danny intensifies into a hurricane roughly 235 mi (375 km) southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana.[8]
  • 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – Hurricane Claudette attains its peak intensity with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mbar (hPa; 28.94 inHg) approximately 540 mi (870 km) southwest of Flores Island, Azores.[7]
  • 16:20 UTC (11:20 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Danny attains its peak intensity with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mbar (hPa; 29.15 inHg) just southeast of Grand Chenier, Louisiana.[8]
  • 16:30 UTC (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Danny makes landfall near Grand Chenier, Louisiana, with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h).[8]
August 16
  • 00:00 UTC (9:00 p.m. ADT, August 15) – Hurricane Claudette weakens to a tropical storm about 220 mi 350 km southwest of Flores Island, Azores.[7]
  • Around 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette passes close to or over Flores Island, Azores, with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h).[7]
  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, August 15) – Hurricane Danny weakens to a tropical storm roughly 20 mi (35 km) south of Alexandria, Louisiana.[8]
August 17
  • 00:00 UTC (9:00 p.m. ADT, August 16) – Tropical Storm Claudette transitions into an extratropical cyclone about 460 mi (740 km) north-northeast of Terceira Island, Azores.[7]
  • 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Danny weakens to a tropical depression roughly 50 mi (85 km) northeast of Monroe, Louisiana.[8]
August 19
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 18) – Tropical Depression Danny transitions into an extratropical cyclone about 20 mi (35 km) west of Emporia, Virginia.[8]
August 28
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 27) – Tropical Depression Five forms over the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti[9]
  • Between 00:00 and 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 27 – 2:00 a.m. EDT, August 28) – Tropical Depression Five makes landfall near Cajobabo, Cuba, with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h).[9]
August 28
August 29
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 28) – Tropical Storm Elena emerges over the Gulf of Mexico just north of Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba.[9]
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Elena strengthens into a hurricane roughly 205 mi (330 km) west-northwest of Key West, Florida.[9]
August 30
  • 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Elena attains Category 2 status approximately 195 mi (320 km) south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama.[9]

September

Hurricane Elena's unusual track across the northern Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico
September 1
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – Hurricane Elena strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane roughly 125 mi (205 km) south-southeast of Tallahassee, Florida as it executes an unusual clockwise loop over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.[2][9]
September 2
  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, September 1) – Hurricane Elena attains its peak intensity with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 953 mbar (hPa; 28.14 inHg) about 50 mi (85 km) south-southwest of Panama City, Florida.[9]
September 2
  • 13:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Elena makes landfall near Gulfport, Mississippi, with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).[9]
  • 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Land interaction causes Hurricane Elena to rapidly weaken to tropical storm status about 15 mi (25 km) south of McComb, Mississippi.[9]
September 3
  • 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Elena further degrades to a tropical depression roughly 15 mi (25 km) southwest of Ruston, Louisiana.[9]
September 4
  • 1800 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Elena dissipates over eastern Missouri.[9]
September 8
  • 12:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – An unnumbered tropical depressions develops about 230 mi (370 km) northwest of Santo Antão, Cape Verde.[1]
September 9
  • 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – The unnumbered tropical depression attains its maximum winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) roughly 385 mi (620 km) northwest of Santo Antão, Cape Verde.[1]
September 11
  • 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six develops about 10 mi (15 km) north of Tobago.[1]
  • 18:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six attains its maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) roughly 30 mi (45 km) east of Grenada.[1]
  • Between 18:00 and 00:00 UTC (3:00–9:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six makes landfall over Grenada with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h).[1]
September 13
  • 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – The unnumbered tropical depression dissipates about 740 mi (1,195 km) east of Bermuda.[1]
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Six dissipates roughly 160 mi (260 km) northwest of Aruba.[1]
September 15
  • 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Seven developed 150 miles (240 km) north of Grand Turk Island.

October

October 7
October 8
October 10
October 11
October 15
October 26
October 28
October 29
October 31

November

November 30

December

December 7
December 8
December 9

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 National Hurricane Center; Hurricane Research Division (February 17, 2016). "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Robert A. Case (July 1986). "Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1985" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (Miami, Florida: American Meteorological Society) 114 (7): 1,390–1,405. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1986)114<1390:AHSO>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Christopher W. Landsea; Neal Dorst; Erica Rule (June 2, 2011). "G: Tropical Cyclone Climatology". Hurricane Research Division: Frequently Asked Questions. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). G1) When is hurricane season ?. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  4. ↑ National Hurricane Center (June 5, 2009). "Tropical Cyclone Climatology". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Preliminary Best Track – Tropical Storm Ana 15–19 July 1985 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. 1985. p. 3. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Miles B. Lawrence (August 8, 1985). Preliminary Best Track – Hurricane Bob 21-26 July 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report) (Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). p. 3. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harold B. Gerrish (September 29, 1985). Preliminary Best Track – Hurricane Claudette 9-17 August 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report) (Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). p. 6. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robert C. Sheets (September 18, 1985). Preliminary Best Track – Hurricane Danny 12-20 August 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report) (Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). p. 4. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Preliminary Best Track – Hurricane Elena 28 August - 4 September 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report) (Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). 1985. p. 4. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robert C. Sheets (1985). Preliminary Best Track – Tropical Storm Isabel 7 to 15 October 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report) (Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). p. 3. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
Preceded by
1983		 Atlantic hurricane seasons timelines
1985 		Succeeded by
1986
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