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- Title
Surface Wind Fields of 1995 Hurricanes Erin, Opal, Luis, Marilyn, and Roxanne at Landfall.
- Authors
Powell, Mark D.; Houston, Samuel H.
- Abstract
Hurricanes Erin, Opal, Luis, Marilyn, and Roxanne were the most destructive hurricanes of 1995. At landfall, Luis and Marilyn contained maximum sustained winds (marine exposure) estimated at near 60 and 46 m s[sup-1], respectively. The strongest landfalling storm of the 1995 season, Luis, decreased in intensity from a category 4 to 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale shortly before the eyewall crossed the Islands of Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, and Anguilla. Hurricane Marilyn strengthened as it approached the U.S. Virgin Islands, with St. Thomas bearing the brunt of the north and south eyewall winds of 46 m s[sup-1] (marine exposure) and St. Croix being affected by the relatively weak western eyewall peak winds of 35-40 m s[sup-1] (marine exposure). For Luis and Marilyn only surface winds with marine exposures were analyzed because of unknown small-scale interactions associated with complex island terrain with 500-1000-m elevations. Wind engineering studies suggest that wind acceleration over blunt ridges can increase or 'speed up' winds by 20percent-80percent. Topographic effects were evident in damage debris analyses and suggest that an operational method of assessing terrain-induced wind gusts (such as a scaled down mesoscale model) is needed. After landfall as a marginal hurricane over central Florida, Hurricane Erin regained strength over the Gulf of Mexico with a well-defined radar reflectivity structure. Erin struck the Florida panhandle near Navarre Beach with maximum sustained surface winds of 35-40 m s[sup-1] affecting the Destin-Ft. Walton area. Hurricane Opal made landfall in nearly the identical area as Erin, with maximum sustained surface winds of 40-45 m s[sup-1], having weakened from an intensity of nearly 60 m s[sup-1] only 10 h earlier. Opal was characterized by an asymmetric structure that was likely related to cold front interaction and an associated midlevel southwesterly jet. Roxanne struck Cozumel...
- Subjects
WINDS; HURRICANE Opal, 1995; HURRICANES; HURRICANE Luis, 1995
- Publication
Monthly Weather Review, 1998, Vol 126, Issue 5, p1259
- ISSN
0027-0644
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126<1259:SWFOHE>2.0.CO;2