1980 Atlantic Hurricane Season
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The 1980 Atlantic hurricane season featured nine hurricanes, the most since
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
. The 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 cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...
s form in the Atlantic Ocean. The
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
was fairly active, with sixteen
tropical cyclones A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dependi ...
forming, eleven of which intensified into a tropical storm. It was the first time since the 1971 season that there were no active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin during the month of June. The season occurred during an ENSO-neutral phase, having neither an
El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date ...
nor a La Niña. Three tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean in 1980 were notable.
Hurricane Allen Hurricane Allen was a rare and extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that affected the Caribbean, eastern and northern Mexico, and southern Texas in August 1980. The first named storm and second tropical cyclone of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane ...
was the then-earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, reaching that intensity on August 5. The storm devastated portions of the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States. Overall, Allen caused about $2.57 billion and at least 269 deaths. Tropical Storm Hermine caused significant flooding in Mexico, which resulted in at least 38 fatalities.
Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne was a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Caribbean and the Eastern United States in September 2004. It was the deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurric ...
was one of only four tropical cyclones at hurricane intensity to enter the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
and not make
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
. __TOC__


Seasonal summary

ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/07/1980 till:31/12/1980 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/07/1980 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.43,0.76,0.92) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤38_mph_(≤62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0.3,1,1) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117_km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.85) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.85,0.55) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.62,0.35) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.45,0.54) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(0.55,0.46,0.90) legend:Category_5_=_≥157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:17/07/1980 till:21/07/1980 color:TD text:"One (TD)" from:01/08/1980 till:11/08/1980 color:C5 text:" Allen (C5)" from:13/08/1980 till:17/08/1980 color:TD text:"Four (TD)" from:14/08/1980 till:19/08/1980 color:C2 text:"Bonnie (C2)" from:20/08/1980 till:25/08/1980 color:C1 text:"Charley (C1)" from:25/08/1980 till:29/08/1980 color:TD text:"Six (TD)" from:01/09/1980 till:04/09/1980 color:TD text: barset:break barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip from:05/09/1980 till:08/09/1980 color:C1 text:"Georges (C1)" barset:break from:04/09/1980 till:07/09/1980 color:TS text:" Danielle (TS)" from:04/09/1980 till:10/09/1980 color:C1 text:"Earl (C1)" from:06/09/1980 till:20/09/1980 color:C3 text:"Frances (C3)" from:20/09/1980 till:26/09/1980 color:TS text:" Hermine (TS)" from:04/10/1980 till:11/10/1980 color:C2 text:"Ivan (C2)" from:16/10/1980 till:17/10/1980 color:TD text:"Unnumbered (TD)" from:08/11/1980 till:16/11/1980 color:C2 text:" Jeanne (C2)" barset:break from:12/11/1980 till:18/11/1980 color:TD text:"Fourteen (TD)" from:25/11/1980 till:28/11/1980 color:C1 text:" Karl (C1)" barset:break bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/07/1980 till:01/08/1980 text:July from:01/08/1980 till:01/09/1980 text:August from:01/09/1980 till:01/10/1980 text:September from:01/10/1980 till:01/11/1980 text:October from:01/11/1980 till:01/12/1980 text:November from:01/12/1980 till:31/12/1980 text:December TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(618,30) text:"
Saffir–Simpson scale The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms—into five categories distinguished b ...
)"
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, though the first tropical depression did not develop until July 17. During the season, 15 tropical depressions formed. Eight of the depressions attained tropical storm status, and eight of these attained hurricane status. Two of the hurricanes further strengthened to become major hurricanes. Only Allen made landfall at hurricane strength during the season, although Hurricane Charley and tropical storms Danielle and Hermine also caused damage and fatalities. Those three cyclones collectively caused 316 deaths and $1.57 billion (1980 USD) in damage. The last storm of the season,
Hurricane Karl Hurricane Karl was the most destructive tropical cyclone on record to strike the Mexican state of Veracruz. The eleventh tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and fifth and final major hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, Karl formed from ...
, dissipated on November 27, only three days before the official end date of November 30. The 1980 Atlantic hurricane season had a rather slow beginning, with only one tropical depression developing prior to the month of August. In contrast, August was an active month, with five tropical cyclones forming, three of which became hurricanes. During that month, Hurricane Allen became the earliest known Category 5 hurricane on August 5, a record later broken by only
Hurricane Emily The name Emily has been used for fourteen tropical cyclones worldwide, seven in the Atlantic Ocean, five in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and two in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Atlantic: * Hurricane Emily (1981) – crossed Bermuda *Hurricane E ...
on July 16, 2005. September also had five tropical cyclones, all of which became named storms.
Tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tr ...
abruptly halted in October, with only Hurricane Ivan and a tropical depression developing in that month. However, the month of November was considered to be very active, with three storms forming during that month. The season's activity was reflected with an
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used by various agencies to express the energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. It is calculating by summing the square of a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds, measured ever ...
(ACE) rating of 149, which is classified as "above normal". ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. Its only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity.


Systems


Tropical Depression One

A decaying
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...
entered into Gulf of Mexico, and developed a
low-pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
of July 17. Later that day, the low-pressure area developed into Tropical Depression One almost halfway between
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
and the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
. The depression moved northwestward, and minimal intensification occurred, as it approached the
Gulf Coast of the United States The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Missi ...
. The depression made landfall in Texas near the
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Ga ...
area, and dissipated by July 21. Minimal impact was recorded from the depression, and light rainfall was reported in Texas and western Louisiana, peaking at in
Refugio, Texas Refugio ( ) is a town in Refugio County, of which it is the county seat, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,890 as of the 2010 Census. Refugio is the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Fame member Nolan Ryan. Geography Refugio is ...
.  


Hurricane Allen

A
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
emerged off the west coast of Africa on July 30 and quickly developed into Tropical Depression Two about two days later. By August 2, the depression had strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Allen. The storm steadily intensified and became a hurricane on August 3. Thereafter, Allen rapidly deepened, and was a major hurricane only 24 hours later. While it was becoming a Category 3 hurricane, and a Category 4 hurricane, shortly after, Allen passed through the
Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean Sea No ...
. Upon entering the Caribbean Sea, Allen continued to strengthen and became a Category 5 hurricane on August 5, while about halfway between
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
and Venezuela. Allen briefly curved northwestward and approached the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. Shortly thereafter, Allen weakened significantly on August 6, but was still a Category 4 when it bypassed Jamaica. While paralleling the south coast of Cuba, Allen re-strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane. Later that day, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 190 mph (305 km/h) and a minimum
barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
of . Immediately following peak intensity, Allen entered the Gulf of Mexico and weakened back to a Category 4 hurricane on August 8. On the day next, Allen re-intensified into a Category 5 hurricane while approaching Texas. However, just offshore Allen abruptly weakened to a low-end Category 3 hurricane prior to landfall near
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. I ...
on August 10. The storm quickly weakened inland and dissipated about 36 hours after striking land. Although 500 houses were either damaged or destroyed on Barbados, losses totaled to only $1.5 million. Having passed only south of St. Lucia, Allen produced sustained winds as high as on the island. The storm caused 27 fatalities and $88 million in damage on that island. In addition, one death was reported in
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label= Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands— Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and ...
. High winds and flooding in Haiti left 836,200 people homeless. In addition, 220 deaths were reported and damage exceeded $400 million. To the east in Dominican Republic, effects were less severe, though seven deaths were reported and damage was estimated at $47 million. On the island of Cuba, three fatalities occurred and losses were unknown. In northeastern Mexico, heavy rainfall occurred, though damage was minimal and no fatalities were reported. Damage was most significant in the United States, especially in the state of Texas. In Corpus Christi, gravel blew off the roofs, which broke windows throughout the city. Several tornadoes were spawned in Texas, one of which caused at least $50 million in damage in
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. Rainfall in the state of Texas exceeded in some locations. A total of 24 fatalities occurred in the United States – seven in Texas and seventeen in
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
 – most resulting from the crash of a helicopter evacuating workers from an offshore platform. Damage in United States totaled to $860 million. Overall, Hurricane Allen caused $1.57 billion in losses and caused 290 deaths.


Tropical Depression Four

The third tropical depression of the season developed east of Cape Verde on August 13. However, the National Hurricane Center did not initiate advisories until August 16. As a result, the system was classified as Tropical Depression Four. After forming on August 13, the depression crossed through the Cape Verde Islands. The depression tracked northwestward and strengthened minimally, with winds never exceeding 35 mph (55 km/h). Thereafter, the depression curved and approached the eastern portion of the
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. Tropical Depression Four moved through the islands shortly later. By early on August 17, the depression dissipated near
Santa Maria Island Santa Maria () is an island in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago (south of the island of São Miguel) and the southernmost island in the Azores. The island is known for its white sand beaches, distinctive chimneys, and dry warm weath ...
in the Azores.


Hurricane Bonnie

Starting on August 13, a tropical wave in the vicinity of the Cape Verde began organizing into a tropical cyclone. Early on the following day, the system had developed into Tropical Depression Three while nearly halfway between the west coast of Africa and the Windward Islands. However, in post-analysis, it was revealed that the previous tropical depression had actually developed before Bonnie. Thus, those two depressions were operationally numbered incorrectly. Two reports of gale-force winds were received from ships later that day. As a result, the depression was re-classified as Tropical Storm Bonnie about twelve hours after developing. Bonnie turned in a general northward direction, possibly due to interaction with nearby Tropical Depression Four. Based on satellite estimates, Bonnie was upgraded to a hurricane at 0000 UTC on August 16. The storm strengthened slightly further and attained its peak intensity with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . After attaining peak intensity on August 16, Bonnie slowly weakened as it continued in an unusual northward direction. On the following day, Bonnie weakened slightly to a minimal Category 1 hurricane. The storm remained at that intensity for 72 hours as it accelerated northward across the open Atlantic. By 1800 UTC on August 19, Bonnie transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
while almost halfway between the southern tip of Greenland and the Azores.


Hurricane Charley

An extratropical low pressure system was centered over the Mid-Atlantic United States, though it tracked southeastward and emerged into the Atlantic on August 20. Later that day, satellite imagery indicated that a well-defined low-level circulation. As a result, it was determine that the system developed into a subtropical depression at 1200 UTC, while located about east-northeast of
Hatteras, North Carolina Hatteras is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras, at its extreme southwestern tip. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 504. Im ...
. Initially, the depression tracked east-southeastward, though it curved east-northeastward by August 21. Shortly thereafter, the depression strengthened into a subtropical storm. By early on August 23, the storm had intensified and acquired enough tropical characteristics to be re-classified as Hurricane Charley. At 1200 UTC on August 23, Charley attained its peak intensity with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . Following peak intensity, Charley completed a cyclonic loop and began weakening as it headed almost due-east. Charley was downgraded to a tropical storm early on August 24. The storm continued eastward and by August 26, Charley became unidentifiable as it merged with an intense extratropical cyclone, while located about southeast of
Cape Race Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", mea ...
,
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. While a tropical cyclone, Charley produced rip currents along the
Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...
of North Carolina, which drowned seven people.


Tropical Depression Six

A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and emerged into the Atlantic Ocean on August 22. The system developed into Tropical Depression Six, while centered to the west of Cape Verde at 0000 UTC on August 25. The depression tracked westward with minimal intensification. By 1800 UTC on August 26, the depression reached 35 mph (55 km/h) and did not strengthen further. On the following day, the depression curved northwestward and slowly began to weaken. The depression degenerated into a tropical wave while well northeast of Puerto Rico on August 29. The remnants of Tropical Depression Six continued westward and interacted with a low-pressure system over Florida. Eventually, the system developed into Tropical Depression Eight on September 4, which later became Tropical Storm Danielle.


Hurricane Georges

On August 28, a tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa. At 0000 UTC on September 1, the system developed into Tropical Depression Seven, while centered roughly midway between the Lesser Antilles and the west coast of Africa. Sixteen hours later, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on the depression. The depression tracked westward in the trade winds during the following three days, without any intensification. After curving northwestward an
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
reconnaissance flight found little evidence of a closed circulation, while satellite imagery also showed a disorganized and elongated cloud pattern on September 4. As a result, it was determined that the depression degenerated into a tropical disturbance at 0600 UTC on that day. However, the National Hurricane Center did not discontinue advisories until 2200 UTC. On September 5, satellite imagery suggested a surface circulation had developed, possibly due to interaction with a cold low. As a result, the system regenerated into a subtropical depression at 1200 UTC on that day, while centered about southwest of
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. Ten hours later, the National Hurricane Center resumed advisories on the subtropical depression. While the subtropical depression was curved northeastward, it strengthened and acquired tropical characteristics. At 0000 UTC on September 7, the subtropical depression became Tropical Storm Georges. The storm continued to intensify while tracking northeastward and was upgraded to a hurricane about 24 hours after becoming a tropical storm. Simultaneously, Georges attained its peak intensity with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . However, later that day, Georges transitioned into an extratropical cyclone near Cape Race, Newfoundland. While bypassing Newfoundland, Georges dropped light rainfall, with amounts under of precipitation.


Tropical Storm Danielle

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on August 22. The system developed into Tropical Depression Six on August 25. However, the depression did not strengthen further, and about four days later, it degenerated back into a tropical wave. Tracking westward, the system crossed Florida and entered into the Gulf of Mexico on September 2. Two days later, the system developed into Tropical Depression Eight while offshore of Louisiana. The depression gradually strengthened and became Tropical Storm Danielle late on September 5. After peaking with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), further intensification was halted, as Danielle soon made landfall in eastern Texas. Danielle steadily weakened inland and dissipated two days later. A barge in the Gulf of Mexico capsized due to rough seas, sending 11 of the crewmen overboard; one person drowned as a result. Danielle produced widespread rainfall in Louisiana, though few areas reported more than 5 inches (130 mm) of precipitation. Damage in that state was minimal. Rainfall was heavier in Texas, peaking at 18.29 inches (465 mm). Much of the damage caused by the storm was as a result of flooding. In Port Arthur, twelve homes were damaged, while
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
was inundated by flood waters. One fatality occurred in Texas due to an automobile accident in
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. Danielle also spawned five tornadoes in Texas, three of which collectively caused $277,500 in damage. Outside of Texas and Louisiana, the storm also dropped light rainfall in
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, though minimal damage occurred in either state. Overall, Danielle caused two fatalities and $277,500 in losses.


Hurricane Earl

Between September 2 and September 3, a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and entered the Atlantic Ocean. Satellite imagery indicated that the system had rapidly organized and was classified as a tropical depression on September 4. The depression quickly strengthened and by early on September 2, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Earl. Because convection associated with the storm waxed and waned significantly, Earl was operationally considered a tropical depression until September 6. On the following day, Earl curved north-northwestward and accelerated due to an upper-level low pressure trough in the central Atlantic Ocean. After evidence of an eye feature appeared, Earl was upgraded to a hurricane on September 8. Six hours later, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . Under the influence of an upper cold low, Earl began re-curving and accelerated to the northeast. By 1200 UTC on September 10, Earl weakened to a tropical storm. Six hours later, Earl transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, while centered about halfway between the Azores and Greenland.


Hurricane Frances

A strong low pressure system moved off the African coast on September 5. By the following day, it developed into Tropical Depression Ten while a short distance off the west coast of Africa. About 18 hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Frances. The National Hurricane Center did not issue advisories until 1600 UTC on September 7, at which time the system was already a tropical storm. By early on September 8, Frances had reached hurricane status, though it was not operationally upgraded until about 16 hours later. After becoming a hurricane, Frances began to rapidly strengthen, and became a Category 2 hurricane later that day. Early on September 9, the storm further intensified to a Category 3 hurricane. At 0600 UTC on that day, Frances attained its peak intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . After peak intensity, Frances began to weaken and was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane later on September 9. Following day, the storm fluctuated between Category 2 and Category 1 hurricane strengthen. While curving northwestward on September 13, Frances remained steady in intensity as a Category 2 hurricane. Eventually, Frances re-curved northward, thereby avoiding any land. After minimal change in intensity, Frances weakened to a Category 1 hurricane while tracking northeastward on September 17. After briefly heading northward, the storm re-curved back to the northeast. Early on September 20, Frances weakened to a tropical storm, before merging with a frontal low while centered about halfway between Greenland and
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
. Reports of strong tropical storm force winds were received from ships, but no damage was reported except for minor squalls in Cape Verde.


Tropical Storm Hermine

A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on September 11 and tracked westward with minimal development until reaching the Caribbean Sea. By September 20, a low-level circulation had developed and the system was then classified as Tropical Depression Eleven, while located almost midway between Panama and Jamaica. While heading almost due westward, the depression steadily intensified, becoming Tropical Storm Hermine on September 21, 18 hours after forming. Later on September 21, the storm passed only offshore of Honduras. Hermine curved west-northwestward and nearly strengthened into a hurricane before landfall in northern
British Honduras British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973,
(present-day Belize) on September 22. After crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, Hermine emerged into the
Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight (geography), bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico, Mexic ...
on the following day. Once again, the storm intensified to near hurricane strength, though Hermine made landfall near
Coatzacoalcos Coatzacoalcos () is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, mostly on the western side of the Coatzacoalcos River estuary, on the Bay of Campeche, on the southern Gulf of Mexico coast. The city serves as the munic ...
,
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, Mexico on September 24. After moving inland, the storm steadily weakened while tracking south-southwestward toward the Pacific Ocean. However, by early on September 26, Hermine dissipated near the southwestern coast of Mexico. In Mexico, many areas reported at least of precipitation, while a few locations experienced more than of rain. As a result of torrential rainfall, at least 30 fatalities occurred, with dozens more missing, and leaving 25,000 homeless. Additionally, landslides triggered by Hermine in Guatemala killed at least eight people.


Hurricane Ivan

In late September, a cold-core low persisted off the coast of Portugal, moving southwestward. The system gradually developed tropical characteristics as it turned northwestward and executed a loop near the Azores. Eventually, the system organized enough to be designated as a tropical depression on October 4, while just east of the Azores. Shortly thereafter, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Ivan. However, the National Hurricane Center did not initiate advisories on Ivan until late on October 5. Ivan moved largely in tandem with the upper-level low above it, while its southwest movement was caused by a building
ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
to its north. Late on October 5, an eye developed, and Ivan was upgraded to a hurricane on the following day. It de-accelerated as the ridge to its north weakened, and 18 hours after becoming a hurricane, Ivan peaked with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Between October 6 and October 7, Ivan executed a tight loop, followed by a motion to the west-northwest. Ultimately, the intensity did not change for about 90 hours. During that time, the eye fluctuated occasionally as the convection waxed and waned. On October 9, Ivan turned to the north in advance of an approaching cold front and extratropical storm, while slowly weakening as it accelerated over cooler waters of the far northern Atlantic Ocean. By October 12, the cold front absorbed Ivan, which was about 665 miles (1,070 km) west of Ireland.


October tropical depression

Early on October 16, a tropical depression developed over the northwestern Caribbean about northeast of Limón, Honduras. The depression moved westward and remained just offshore. By 0000 UTC on October 18, the depression dissipated approximately east of
Placencia Placencia is a small village located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. History Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, the Placencia Peninsula was inhabited by the Maya. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Maya in this area ...
,
Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
.


Hurricane Jeanne

An area of disturbed weather organized into a tropical depression late on November 8. The depression slowly intensified as it tracked north-northwestward into the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Shortly before entering the Yucatán Channel, the depression had strengthened enough to be upgraded to Tropical Storm Jeanne on November 9. Further intensification was still gradual in the Gulf of Mexico, though the rate of deepening accelerated as the storm began to curve westward. By November 11, Jeanne was upgraded to a hurricane while paralleling the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Early on the following day, Jeanne peaked as a 100 mph (155 km/h) Category 2 hurricane. Thereafter, Jeanne began to weaken due to dry air and was downgraded to a tropical storm 24 hours after peak intensity. The storm briefly tracked west-northwestward and then westward, before becoming nearly stationary in the western Gulf of Mexico. Moving slowly and erratically, Jeanne weakened further and was downgraded to a tropical depression on November 15. The storm curved southward and completed a cyclonic loop, before being absorbed by a cold front on November 16. Fringe effects of Hurricane Jeanne triggered a record-breaking 23.28 inches (591 mm) of rain at
Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
within a 24-hour period. As a result of heavy precipitation, schools were and numerous businesses were closed, flights at
Key West International Airport Key West International Airport is an international airport located in the City of Key West in Monroe County, Florida, United States, east of the main commercial center of Key West. Flights departing from EYW often have weight restrictions, b ...
were grounded, and power outages and disruptions in telephone service occurred in Key West. In Texas, high tides caused flooding along much of the coast of the state, especially in
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
. Offshore, several ships were caught off guard by the late season storm.


Tropical Depression Fourteen

While Jeanne meandered through the Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Depression Fourteen developed north of Panama on November 12. Steered northward by deep southerly flow southeast of Jeanne, the depression oscillated in organization while tracking west-northwestward. The cloud pattern between Jeanne and the depression briefly merged, with a line of thunderstorms moving across the Florida peninsula between the two systems. Westerly vertical wind shear increased on the depression in the process. By November 15, the depression reorganized its convective organization while making landfall in western Cuba early on November 16. Once again, vertical wind shear increased, causing convection to detach from the center of the depression. Late on November 17, the depression was absorbed by an intense "winter type storm" that was moving across the Southeastern United States. Shortly thereafter, the remnants of the depression crossed Central and North Florida. While crossing Cuba, the depression dumped heavy rainfall. No other impact is known to have occurred on the island. The depression impact from both while tropical and a remnant system. In
Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...
, sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km/h) and gusts to 40 mph (65 km/h) were reported. Across much of Florida, light rainfall was reported, peaking at in Brooksville.


Hurricane Karl

A low-pressure area formed along a frontal boundary near the southeastern United States. The system slowly strengthened and developed into a separate vortex. Early on November 25, it became a subtropical storm while centered about southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Shortly thereafter, the storm executing a tight counterclockwise loop as it rotated within the larger cyclone. About 18 hours later, the storm intensified and acquired enough tropical characteristics to be designated a hurricane. After being classified as a hurricane, Karl gradually strengthened while tracking eastward, eventually attaining its peak intensity with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg). Karl maintained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) for approximately 18 hours and later weakened slightly while accelerating northeastward. On November 27, the eye of Karl became ragged while passing within 230 miles (370 km) of the Azores and started to show signs of deterioration. A trough over the North Atlantic developed into the dominant low-pressure area, causing Karl to turn northward around its periphery. By November 27, Karl merged with another approaching system and was declared extratropical by November 28, while it was centered roughly halfway between Cape Race, Newfoundland and Spain.


Storm names

The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1980. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1986 season. It was the first (and only, in the case of Allen) use for all of these names since the post-1978 naming change, except for Frances, which had been used in 1961, 1968, and 1976. Names that were not assigned are marked in .


Retirement

In the spring of 1981, at the 3rd session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...
retired the name ''Allen'' from its rotating name lists due to its destructive impacts, and it will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with ''Andrew'' for the 1986 season.


Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, locations, damages, and death totals. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical or a wave or low, and all of the damage figures are in 1980 USD.


See also

*
List of Atlantic hurricanes Lists of Atlantic hurricanes, or tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, are organized by the properties of the hurricane or by the location most affected. By property * List of Atlantic hurricane seasons *List of Atlantic hurricane records *Li ...
*
Atlantic hurricane season The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...
*
1980 Pacific hurricane season The 1980 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1980, in the eastern Pacific and June 1, 1980, in the central Pacific, lasting until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit each year when most tropical cyclones form in t ...
* 1980 Pacific typhoon season *
1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each yea ...
* Australian cyclone seasons: 1979–80, 1980–81 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1979–80, 1980–81 * South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1979–80, 1980–81


References


External links


Monthly Weather Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:1980 Atlantic Hurricane Season Atlantic hurricane seasons 1980 ATL Articles which contain graphical timelines