Hurricane Beta was a compact and intense

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. Depend ...

that impacted the southwestern

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

in late October 2005. Beta was the twenty-fourth

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

storm, fourteenth

hurricane 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. Depend ...

, and seventh and final

major hurricane Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

of the record-breaking

2005 Atlantic hurricane season The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in history, until the record was broken 15 years later in 2020. The season broke numerous records at the time, with 28 tropical or subtropical storms recorded. ...

. On October 21, a developing

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 ...

entered the eastern Caribbean Sea and spawned

Tropical Storm Alpha The name Alpha or Alfa has been used for three subtropical cyclones and one tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean: * Subtropical Storm Alpha (1972), pre-season storm that made landfall in Georgia * Subtropical Storm Alfa (1973), briefly threatene ...

the following day. As the wave entered the southwestern Caribbean, convection redeveloped and on October 26, the system spawned another low-pressure area which developed into Tropical Depression Twenty-six. The depression intensified into a tropical storm the next morning and was named Beta. By the morning of October 28, the storm intensified into a hurricane, the fourteenth of the season. Beta underwent

rapid intensification In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained w ...

for several hours to attain its peak intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) on October 30. The storm began to deteriorate before

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 ...

, weakening to Category 2 status as it crossed the

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

n coastline. Rapid weakening followed landfall, and the storm dissipated early the next morning. Due to the storm's proximity to Central America, several countries were placed on alert and began allocating supplies for a potential disaster. Several hurricane watches and warnings were raised for the small

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

n island of Providencia as well as the Nicaragua and Honduras coastlines. An estimated 150,000 people were evacuated from dangerous regions in Nicaragua and more than 125,000 more were evacuated in Honduras. As a tropical storm, Beta produced heavy rains over northern Panama, amounting up to 3 inches (76 mm), which caused several mudslides as well as three fatalities. On October 29, the storm passed over Providencia Island, caused significant damage to structures, and injured 30 people. In Honduras and Nicaragua, over 1,000 structures were damaged by the storm, hundreds of which were destroyed. Ten people were initially feared dead after their boat went adrift during the storm. However, a Panamanian vessel rescued the men after drifting in the water for several hours. Rains in Honduras totaled to 21.82 in (554 mm) and 6.39 in (162 mm) in Nicaragua. Six people were killed in Nicaragua as a result of the storm and the cost to repair damages exceeded 300 million córdoba (US$14.5 million). Overall, Beta was responsible for nine fatalities and more than $15.5 million in damage across four countries.

Meteorological history

On October 21, a westward-moving

entered the Caribbean. The wave quickly developed organized

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...

, indicating that a possible

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 ...

had developed along the wave. Continued development led to the formation of Tropical Depression Twenty-Five (which would later be named Alpha). The wave continued to move towards the west, producing minimal shower and thunderstorm activity. Once in the southwestern Caribbean, the wave slowed, and convection gradually redeveloped on October 25. The next day, with continued organization, the

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...

(NHC) stated that a

tropical depression 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. Depend ...

could develop in the following day or two. At around 18:00 UTC, the NHC determined that Tropical Depression Twenty-Six had developed about 105 miles (170 km) north of the central cost of

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

Located within an area of weak vertical

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

and warm sea surface temperatures, the depression intensified. By 06:00 UTC the next morning, the depression was upgraded to a

tropical storm 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. Depend ...

and given the name ''Beta'' by the NHC. Beta was slowly moving towards the north-northwest in response to a mid-tropospheric shortwave trough over the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, 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 ...

and mid-tropospheric ridge to the northeast of the storm. Deep convection developed near the center of circulation, signifying a developing system. With favorable conditions for development, Beta was forecast to intensify into a hurricane before making landfall in central

. An

eyewall The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the ''eyewall'', a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weat ...

rapidly developed around the center of circulation, fuelling further intensification. With the formation of an eyewall and the compact size of the storm,

was anticipated. By the end of October 27,

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

s around the center of Beta were estimated at 60 mph (95 km/h). An increase in

caused a minor disruption of the storm's structure, briefly preventing strengthening. After maintaining its intensity for 30 hours, the shear weakened, and Beta began to intensify again. Around 00:00 UTC on October 29, the storm passed near

Providencia Island Isla de Providencia, historically Old Providence, and generally known as Providencia, is a mountainous Caribbean island that is part of the Colombian department of Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina and the municipality ...

with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), just below hurricane-status. At this time, the cyclone began to turn towards the west. Beta intensified into a hurricane several hours later, with winds of 80 mph (140 km/h), as an eye became pronounced on infrared satellite images. Located south of a weakness within the

subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...

, the hurricane's motion slowed to a westward drift. With the formation of an eye, the chances of rapid intensification reached 62%, and the storm could possibly become a major hurricane—a hurricane with winds of 111 mph (178 km/h) or higher—before landfall. Beta continued to intensify as convection deepened around the wide eye, strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph (170 km/h). After undergoing a brief period of rapid intensification from 18:00 UTC on October 29 – 06:00 UTC on October 30, the hurricane reached its peak intensity as a

Category 3 hurricane Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) *Categories (Peirce) *C ...

with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 962

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea lev ...

(

hPa HPA may refer to: Organizations * Harry Potter Alliance, a charity * Halifax Port Authority, Canada * Hamburg Port Authority, Germany * Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US * Health Protection Agency, UK * Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...

; 28.42

inHg Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...

). The storm also began to turn towards the south-southwest as it reached its peak intensity and its maximum size, with tropical storm-force winds extending out 60 mi (95 km) from the center. However, as it neared the coast, cloud tops around the eye began to warm, signifying weakening. Around 12:00 UTC on October 30, Beta made landfall in central

near La Barra del Rio Grande with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). After making landfall, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm, with winds decreasing to 65 mph (100 km/h), as the structure of the storm began to deteriorate. Early on October 31, Beta weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated a few hours later over the mountains of central Nicaragua.

Preparations

Panama, Costa Rica and El Salvador

Although Panama and Costa Rica were not in the direct path of Hurricane Beta, storm warnings were issued for the two countries on October 27 as heavy rains, up to 20 in (508 mm), from the

outer bands {{Short pages monitor Signs, trees, power poles, and telephone poles were knocked down due to the wind. Four rivers overflowed and communications were disrupted across areas near the Nicaragua border. An estimated 60,483 people were affected by the storm in the country. A total of 954 homes and 11 bridges were destroyed while another 237 homes, 30 roads, 30 bridges and 66 drinking water systems were damaged. A total of of farmland was destroyed. At least 11,000 people were left stranded by the storm. Throughout the country, damage was estimated at 170 million lempira (US$9 million).

Aftermath

Colombia

, two teams of aid personnel, consisting of a total of 800 people, from National Intervention Teams were mobilized in response to Beta. The

Colombian Red Cross Society The Colombian Red Cross is a Colombian-based nonprofit private entity member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. It has been a member since 1922. The Colombian Red Cross embraces the principles of the International Red Cross. ...

and the National Disaster Response and Preparedness System (SNPAD) provided assistance to 600 families with non-food relief, pre-hospital care, first aid, temporary shelter and psychosocial support, and carried out a preventative health campaign on the island. On October 29, Diego Palacio, the Minister of Social Protection, flew to Providencia to assess the damage caused by Beta. A frigate was also deployed to the island, carrying two tons of relief items along with 130 search and rescue workers. Reconstruction on the island took place shortly after the storm dissipated and 60 percent of the structures were repaired by January 20, 2006. The completion date for repairs was set at the third week of February.

Nicaragua

The SNPAD in Nicaragua distributed food to 1,500 victims and reported that food was needed for an additional 35,000 people. Roughly 300 million córdoba was required to repair roadways throughout the affected region. On November 1, the government of Nicaragua announced that it would assist in the reconstruction and repair of 334 for the Miskito Indians. By November 7, airlifts from Managua were able to bring roughly 60 tons (54 tonnes) of supplies to natives living along the

Coco River River Wangki in Miskitu or Río Coco, in Spanish, formerly known as the Río Segovia, Cape River, or Yara River, is a river located on the border of northern Nicaragua and southern Honduras. It is the longest river that runs entirely within the Ce ...

. Additionally, plans for a four-month operation to supply the Miskito Indians with food were implemented. In attempts to lessen the effects of disease and famine, 5,000 tons (4,536 tonnes) of food was planned to be distributed in the region during this time. Ahead of Hurricane Beta, the U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua signed a disaster declaration on October 28, prompting the

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

(USAID) and

Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) was an organizational unit within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) charged by the President of the United States with directing and coordinating international United ...

(OFDA) to send aid. Before the storm hit, $200,000 was sent to the country for emergency relief supply distribution and helicopter fuel. On November 1, USAID and OFDA airlifted 200 rolls of plastic sheeting, 5,020 ten-litre water containers, and 2,736 hygiene kits, valued at $120,877. Another $22,000 was used to supply an aircraft and

Bell 204/205 The Bell 204 and 205 are the civilian versions of the UH-1 Iroquois single-engine military helicopter of the Huey family of helicopters. They are type-certificated in the transport category and are used in a wide variety of applications, incl ...

helicopter to assist affected areas. On November 10, another $100,000 was sent for sanitation and health activities. The United Nations sent $10,000 to the

South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region The South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of and has a population of 420,935 (2021 estimate). The capital is Bluefields. Bordering the Caribbean Sea, it contains part of the re ...

to cover emergency needs. Forty-five tents were sent to communities in need. The Spanish Government also sent $377,188 in aid and to Nicaragua. The

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...

sent 300 food packages, 300 kitchen kits, 200 mattresses, 300 hygiene kits, 150 hammocks, plastic sheeting, and 26.4 tons (24 tonnes) of construction materials and tools to Nicaragua. As a precaution, about 2.2 tons (2 tonnes) of food was also sent to the National Society's warehouse in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

. A total of $116,367 was also allocated from disaster relief funds. The Justice, Global & Ecumenical Relations Unit in Canada also provided $6,500 in relief funds to Nicaragua. Two shipments of relief supplies were sent to the hardest hit areas by

Direct Relief Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an inde ...

. The first shipment arrived on November 9; it contained 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg) of antibiotics valued at $237,241. The second shipment arrived on November 22; it contained numerous supplies, valued at $139,283, which would be delivered to the hardest hit areas. The governments of Sweden and France sent $37,191 and $36,058 in funds respectively.

Honduras

On October 31, a disaster declaration was signed for Honduras due to the effects from Beta. USAID sent $50,000 in funds for the purchase of relief items such as blankets, foam mattresses, and hygiene kits. Two

Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Euro ...

aircraft were also supplied to help assist the transportation of relief supplies at a cost of $40,000. The

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...

sent military personnel to the affected areas from November 4–8. During that time, more than 155,000 lb (70,306 kg) of relief supplies were airlifted to the affected communities. The United States embassy in Honduras also provided a

C-12 Huron The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United ...

aircraft to transport 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) to

Puerto Lempira Puerto Lempira or Auhya Yari is the Miskito capital of the Gracias a Dios department in northeastern Honduras, located on the shores of the Caratasca Lagoon. Though it does not have paved roads, it is the largest town in the La Mosquitia regio ...

. A total of $500,000 was sent in the form of relief supplies and transport to Honduras from USAID. The Spanish Government offered a

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

containing emergency supplies to Honduras. The

World Food Programme The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен� ...

pre-positioned 509 tons (461.7 tonnes) of food to be used in temporary shelters and recovery activities. The government of Great Britain offered humanitarian assistance, consisting of 1,500 plastic bags, 1,800

jerrycan A jerrycan (also written as jerry can or jerrican) is a robust liquid container made from pressed steel (and more recently, high density polyethylene). It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold of fuel, and saw wides ...

s, one helicopter, five boats, 250 military personnel, and five medical assistants.

Naming and records

* When Tropical Depression Twenty-six developed into a tropical storm, it marked the first time that the second letter of the

Greek alphabet The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known alphabetic script to have distinct letters for vowels as we ...

was used as the name of an Atlantic storm. The next one to be so named was Tropical Storm Beta in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

. * Beta's record-setting formation date as the season's 24th tropical or subtropical storm would stand until 2020, when broken by

Hurricane Gamma Hurricane Gamma was a Category 1 hurricane that brought heavy rains, flooding, and landslides to the Yucatán Peninsula in early October 2020. The twenty-fifth depression, twenty-fourth named storm and ninth hurricane of the extremely active 202 ...

, which formed on October 3. * Operationally, Beta was the record-breaking 13th hurricane, surpassing the 12 hurricanes produced in 1969. In the post-season analysis by the

, Tropical Storm Cindy was upgraded to a hurricane, thus making Beta the 14th hurricane of 2005.

References

External links

* The National Hurricane Center's on Hurricane Beta * The National Hurricane Center'
Advisory Archive
for Hurricane Beta {{DEFAULTSORT:Beta (2005) β β β β β β β β