Hurricane Gonzalo was the second
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 ...
, after
Hurricane Fay
Hurricane Fay was the first hurricane to make landfall on Bermuda since Emily in 1987. The sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay evolved from a broad disturbance several hundred miles northeast of the L ...
, to directly strike the island of
Bermuda
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = National song
, song = " Hail to Bermuda"
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, mapsize2 =
, map_caption2 =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name =
, e ...
in a one-week time frame in October 2014, and was the first
Category4 Atlantic hurricane since
Hurricane Ophelia in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. At the time, it was the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since
Igor
Igor may refer to:
People
* Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name
* Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler
* Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling
* ...
in 2010. Gonzalo struck Bermuda less than a week after the surprisingly fierce
Hurricane Fay
Hurricane Fay was the first hurricane to make landfall on Bermuda since Emily in 1987. The sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay evolved from a broad disturbance several hundred miles northeast of the L ...
; 2014 was the first season in recorded history to feature two hurricane landfalls in Bermuda. A powerful
Atlantic tropical cyclone that wrought destruction in the
Leeward Islands
french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean
, coor ...
and
Bermuda
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = National song
, song = " Hail to Bermuda"
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, mapsize2 =
, map_caption2 =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name =
, e ...
, Gonzalo was the seventh named storm, sixth and final hurricane and only the second major hurricane of the below-average
2014 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average hurricane season in terms of named storms and major hurricanes, though average in terms of number of hurricanes overall. It produced nine tropical cyclones, eight of which became named sto ...
. The storm formed from 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 ...
on October 12, while located east of the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
. It made
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 ...
on
Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
,
Saint Martin, and
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
as a
Category1 hurricane, causing damage on those and nearby islands.
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...
sustained US$40million in losses, and boats were abundantly damaged or destroyed throughout the northern Leeward Islands. The storm killed three people on Saint Martin and
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy (french: Saint-Barthélemy, ), officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. It is often abbreviated to St. Barth in French, and St. Barts in English ...
. Gonzalo tracked northwestward as it intensified into a major hurricane.
Eyewall replacement cycle
In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...
s led to fluctuations in the hurricane's structure and intensity, but on October 16, Gonzalo peaked with maximum sustained winds of .
After Hurricane Fay caused extensive power outages on the island just days before, residents of Bermuda were forced to complete preparations for Gonzalo in haste. Banks, businesses, schools, and government offices closed in advance of the storm, while the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
ship left its post in the Caribbean to provide Bermuda with emergency assistance. The cyclone gradually weakened before crossing directly over central Bermuda at Category2 strength around 00:30
UTC on October 18. Gonzalo battered the island with wind gusts as high as , downing hundreds of trees and creating widespread roof damage. At the height of the storm, about 31,000 out of 36,000 total electricity customers were without power; service was not fully restored until early November. Many roads were impassable immediately following the hurricane, and in many cases, the damage done by Gonzalo was indistinguishable from that of Fay.
Bermuda Regiment
The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR), formerly the Bermuda Regiment, is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single territorial infantry battalion that was formed on the amalgamation in 1965 of two originally ...
soldiers and sailors from the ''Argyll'' took part in initial cleanup and repairs on the territory, and preliminary assessments revealed that the storm did not compare to the devastation of
Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde hurricane that impacted Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tr ...
in 2003. Catastrophe modelling firms estimated that Bermuda suffered at least $200million in insured losses, and despite the heavy disruptions, no deaths or serious injuries were reported there.
Departing Bermuda, Gonzalo accelerated toward the waters of the North Atlantic, passing close to southeastern
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 ...
before becoming
extratropical
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 p ...
on October 19. Gusty winds and bands of heavy rain in the southeastern
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula (french: Péninsule d'Avalon) is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland. It is in size.
The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of Newfoundland's population, according ...
engendered minor flooding and power outages. A large storm system involving the remnants of Gonzalo battered the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
and central Europe on October 21, killing three people in the United Kingdom and severely hindering transportation. The system later played a role in triggering torrential rains over the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, which resulted in severe flooding in Greece and Bulgaria.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Gonzalo originated from 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 ...
that emerged from the western coast of Africa on October4 and trekked across the Atlantic. Despite an attendant expanse of clouds and thunderstorms, hostile winds from an
upper-level trough hindered
cyclogenesis
Cyclogenesis is the development or strengthening of cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere (a low-pressure area). Cyclogenesis is an umbrella term for at least three different processes, all of which result in the development of some sort of cyc ...
. On October 10, after encountering an eastward-propagating
Kelvin wave
A Kelvin wave is a wave in the ocean or atmosphere that balances the Earth's Coriolis force against a topographic boundary such as a coastline, or a waveguide such as the equator. A feature of a Kelvin wave is that it is non-dispersive, i.e., the ...
, the system developed more concentrated
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 ...
. With conditions increasingly favorable for further development, the disturbance gradually became better organized, forming a small
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 ...
by October 11. In turn, a tropical depression formed at 00:00
UTC on October 12, located approximately east of the
Leeward Islands
french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean
, coor ...
. Continued maturation amid warm waters and low
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 ...
yielded Tropical Storm Gonzalo 12 hours later.
Operationally, 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) did not begin issuing advisories on the cyclone until midday on October 12, after a
Hurricane Hunter flight into the system reported
surface winds of .
A powerful
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 ...
over the central Atlantic steered the nascent storm westward toward the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
.
Thunderstorm activity was strong near the center was initially somewhat disorganized and asymmetric. However, a tight inner core soon took shape, and Gonzalo began to quickly intensify throughout the day on October 12. Following the appearance of an
eye feature early the next day, the storm was upgraded to a
Category1 hurricane while located near
Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
in the eastern Caribbean. Shortly thereafter, the storm passed directly over the island.
The hurricane later struck
Saint Martin and
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
, and skirted just north of the
British Virgin Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = Territorial song
, song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
, image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg
, map_caption =
, mapsize = 290px
, image_map2 = Brit ...
while continuing to intensify.
By that time, it was headed toward the northwest around the periphery of the aforementioned ridge.
![Gonzalo Oct 17 2014 1515Z](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Gonzalo_Oct_17_2014_1515Z.jpg)
On October 14, the
eye contracted to a diameter of and improved its satellite presentation. At 18:00UTC, Gonzalo strengthened to a Category3 major hurricane while located about north of
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.
Six hours later it became the first Category4 hurricane in the Atlantic basin since
Hurricane Ophelia in 2011. Subsequently, a concentric eyewall structure indicated an imminent
eyewall replacement cycle
In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...
, with the inner feature "about as small as it can get" according to the NHC.
The eyewall replacement cycle briefly disrupted the storm's core, causing Gonzalo to weaken slightly,
but upon completion on the evening of October 15, the system stabilized and resumed intensification. While moving northward early the next day, Gonzalo reached its peak intensity with winds of and a
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 940
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 leve ...
(
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 ...
; ). By evening it had turned north-northeastward, ahead of an advancing
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
over the eastern United States and in the wake of the receding ridge.
From the evening of October 16 through the next morning, the hurricane experienced further internal fluctuations as it approached Bermuda from the south-southwest. Concurrently, the storm began to weaken.
In particular, cloud tops around the hurricane warmed, and convection became less uniform, likely attributable to cooler waters and heightened wind shear. The hurricane was downgraded to Category2 as the northern eyewall crossed Bermuda, and about 00:30UTC on October 18, the center of circulation passed directly over the island, signaling an official
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 ...
. Along with Hurricane Fay, which struck Bermuda on October 12, this represented the first recorded instance of two hurricanes making landfall on the island within the same season.
Moving away from Bermuda, the hurricane continued to degrade, but showed signs of increased organization later on October 18. As Gonzalo accelerated northeastward at over , it passed about southeast of
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 ...
's
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula (french: Péninsule d'Avalon) is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland. It is in size.
The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of Newfoundland's population, according ...
early on October 19.
In spite of sea surface temperatures below , the storm was able to maintain a
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...
and deep warm core.
By 18:00UTC, Gonzalo had finally succumbed to the cold environment and intense wind shear, completing its transition into a strong
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 ...
about northeast 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. Gonzalo's remnants sped east-northeastward until a
frontal boundary absorbed it on October 20, to the south-southwest of
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 ...
. The resultant system brought stormy weather to the British Isles and parts of mainland Europe on October 21,
and later contributed to the formation of a large
cut-off low
A cut-off low (or cutoff low), sometimes referred to as the weatherman's woe, is defined as "a closed upper-level low which has become completely displaced (cut off) from basic westerly current, and moves independently of that current" by the Na ...
.
Preparations
![Hurricane_Gonzalo_Viewed_From_the_International_Space_Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Hurricane_Gonzalo_Viewed_From_the_International_Space_Station.jpg)
When Gonzalo first formed, various governments across the eastern Caribbean issued
tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
, extending from
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 the ...
to the coast of
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 ...
. As the storm was strengthening and moving through the region, a hurricane warning was issued for the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Saint Martin.
Several major cruise lines altered their itineraries to avoid the storm.
Late on October 14, while Gonzalo was still about to the south, the
Bermuda Weather Service
The Bermuda Weather Service is Bermuda's national meteorological service. It provides public, marine, tropical and aviation weather forecasts as well as warnings and climatolological services. The service began operations under contract from the De ...
issued a hurricane watch for the island. The watch was upgraded to a warning the next day.
Having been affected by the unexpectedly destructive
Hurricane Fay
Hurricane Fay was the first hurricane to make landfall on Bermuda since Emily in 1987. The sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay evolved from a broad disturbance several hundred miles northeast of the L ...
just days earlier, residents quickly began preparing for Gonzalo by obtaining emergency supplies and expediting cleanup efforts from the previous storm.
Premier of Bermuda
The Premier of Bermuda serves as head of government of Bermuda, under appointment by the Governor of Bermuda, in the governor's capacity as representative in Bermuda of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. The position was created b ...
Michael Dunkley
Michael Henry Dunkley, JP, MP (born June 18, 1957) is a Bermudian politician and businessman who served as the 12th Premier of Bermuda from 2014 to 2017. He was an MP and member general of the One Bermuda Alliance political party and an activ ...
advised citizens to complete most preparations by the afternoon of October 16. Banks and businesses began closing that day, while schools and government offices were closed by October 17. One school functioned as a storm shelter,
and 66 people ultimately sought refuge there. Bus and ferry services were suspended on the evening of October 16.
Bermuda's only daily newspaper, the ''
Royal Gazette'', did not go to print on October 17, but distributed the next day's edition for free.
Bermuda Regiment
The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR), formerly the Bermuda Regiment, is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single territorial infantry battalion that was formed on the amalgamation in 1965 of two originally ...
soldiers were stationed at various points to support emergency response crews and ensure the safety of the public.
The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) sent linemen to assist the Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO) crews in the event of power outages from Gonzalo. Still completing restoration work after massive outages from Fay, BELCO stationed vehicles and supplies at strategic points on the island to prepare for the next hurricane. On the morning of October 16, BELCO switched its focus from Fay to Gonzalo, leaving around 1,500 households without power; the remaining affected customers were asked to refrain from calling to report outages. Ahead of the storm, the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
frigate sailed from the Caribbean to provide Bermuda with emergency assistance. Public beaches were closed as hurricane swells began to build, and the decision was made to shut down
the Causeway
The Causeway is an arterial traffic crossing in Perth, Western Australia, linking the inner-city suburbs of East Perth and Victoria Park. It is carried over the Swan River at the eastern end of Perth Water by two bridges on either side of He ...
early on October 17, based on forecasts of long-duration severe winds.
Additionally,
L.F. Wade International Airport closed prior to the storm's onslaught, accounting for 62 canceled commercial flights. Three cruise ships were diverted from the island.
Impact and aftermath
Caribbean
![Gonzalo over Leeward Islands](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Gonzalo_over_Leeward_Islands.gif)
While moving through the northeastern Leeward Islands as a fledgling hurricane, Gonzalo produced sustained winds of on Antigua, with gusts to .
Roads were blocked by uprooted trees, while numerous buildings, including several schools, received significant damage.
Gonzalo caused an island-wide power outage,
and its storm surge damaged boats.
Schools and businesses were forced to close, and four emergency shelters opened to storm victims.
Debris and flooding forced
V. C. Bird International Airport
V. C. Bird International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Antigua, northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
History
The airport originally was operated by the United States Army Air Forc ...
to delay its return to operation after closing as a precaution. Numerous homes sustained damage, largely to their roofs, with the
Saint George Parish suffering the greatest losses.
Farming communities and a variety of crops were severely impacted,
which sparked concerns of imminent produce shortages. Some growers lost their entire banana crops.
Barbuda
Barbuda (), is an island located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the sovereign state of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located north of the island of Antigua and is part of the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. The island is a popular ...
experienced gusts as high as ,
as well as radar-estimated rainfall of up to .
Although Barbuda was subject to less widespread devastation than its twin island, there were still snapped tree limbs, reports of flooding, and disruptions to utility services. Damages to residences, government buildings, and agriculture on Antigua contributed to
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...
's national storm cost of around US$40million,
which also includes compensation to
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
for not meeting departing passenger quotas during the hurricane. Numerous individuals were treated for minor storm-related injuries, none of them life-threatening. Further west, Gonzalo caused minor power outages on
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...
,
while a general of rain accompanied wind gusts to on Guadeloupe.
![Orient Beach after Hurricane Gonzalo, St Martin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Orient_Beach_after_Hurricane_Gonzalo%2C_St_Martin.jpg)
The storm wrecked dozens of boats around Saint Martin, including 22 in
Simpson Bay Lagoon, and an elderly man aboard one of the stricken vessels was killed. Two people on Saint Martin and
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy (french: Saint-Barthélemy, ), officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. It is often abbreviated to St. Barth in French, and St. Barts in English ...
went missing in the storm,
and were presumed dead after remaining unaccounted for several months later.
Fourteen other missing individuals were returned alive.
Winds on Saint Barthélemy blew sustained, with gusts to .
Fallen trees obstructed streets, and an aircraft flipped over on a runway at
Gustaf III Airport
Gustaf III Airport , also known as Saint Barthélemy Airport, Rémy de Haenen Airport, sometimes as St. Jean Airport (french: link=no, Aérodrome de St Jean), is a public use airport located in the village of St. Jean on the Caribbean island of ...
.
As many as 40 boats were reportedly beached on Saint Barthélemy.
On Saint Martin, sustained winds exceeded , and
L'Espérance Airport L'Esperance or L'Espérance (French for "The Hope"), may refer to:
* L'Espérance (newspaper), Guinean newspaper
* L'Esperance, U.S. Virgin Islands, settlement
* ''L'Espérance'' (ship), a French privateer ship captured in the action of 30 Septemb ...
recorded gusts to before the observing equipment failed. As much as of rain fell over the island.
Reports of
urban flooding
Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a built environment, particularly in more densely populated areas, caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems, such as storm sewers. Although sometimes triggered by even ...
and entrance of water into homes were common.
Gonzalo impaired water and electricity services throughout Dutch Sint Marteen and inflicted significant damage to homes. The St. Maarten Zoo sustained heavy structural damage, though all resident animals survived unharmed.
The French side of the island incurred relatively little destruction, with scattered roof and window damage,
though Orient Beach "was a scene of complete devastation"; several businesses there suffered extensively. Emergency responders and military aircraft from
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...
were dispatched to aid in post-storm recovery on Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.
Heavy rain on Anguilla flooded the
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport and portions of several
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, qualifying the government for a US$500,000 "excess rainfall" insurance payout. The eastern and western ends of the island bore the brunt of the storm, facing damage to utility poles, vegetation, and roofs,
and public schools did not reopen until October 20 or later.
The sole hospital experienced minor flood damage.
Gonzalo produced squally weather in parts of Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
, causing power outages and prompting 20 people to stay in an emergency shelter.
Cyril E. King Airport
Cyril E. King Airport is a public airport located two miles (3 km) west of the central business district of Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. It is currently the busiest airport in the Un ...
on
Saint Thomas was temporarily closed due to the storm;
the airport endured blustery conditions, with gusts reaching . Elsewhere, rough seas affected parts of the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...
and the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
.
Bermuda
![Hurricane Gonzalo approaching and passing Bermuda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Hurricane_Gonzalo_approaching_and_passing_Bermuda.gif)
Gonzalo generated hurricane-force winds across Bermuda over a period of about six hours, at their strongest from the northwest on the backside of the storm.
Tropical storm conditions persisted for up to 24 hours.
Elevated weather stations observed the highest winds; Commissioner's Point recorded 10-minute sustained winds of , and St. David's measured gusts as high as . Gusts reached at the Causeway, closer to sea level.
The airport recorded of rain, but due to the strong winds, this was most likely an underestimation of what actually fell. The passage of the hurricane's eye was marked by diminished winds and a lack of rain, but a drizzle of ocean mist reportedly fell over the island.
As Gonzalo struck at low tide, the effects of storm surge were minimal. At Esso Pier on the north side of the island, storm tides peaked at above normal.
The intense winds brought down utility poles and hundreds of trees (likely exacerbated by saturated ground from record rainfall in the months prior), leaving "barely a road" passable.
The storm razed several invasive species, with endemic trees proving more resilient.
A composting facility received 1,200 truckloads of plant debris per day after Fay and Gonzalo, up from an average of 100. Damage from the storms totaled around US$260,000 on
Bermuda National Trust
The Bermuda National Trust is a charitable organization which works to preserve and protect the heritage of Bermuda.
According to its website, the organization has the following purposes:
"The Bermuda National Trust is a charity, establishe ...
properties, which include nature preserves and cemeteries. Similarly, the
Bermuda Botanical Gardens and Arboretum were closed due to safety hazards resulting from extensive vegetation damage.
![Hamilton, Bermuda (15585769125)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Hamilton%2C_Bermuda_%2815585769125%29.jpg)
The first storm-related power outages took place in the early afternoon on October 17 as weather conditions worsened. At the height of the storm, about 31,000 out of 36,000 electricity customers were without power, including the 1,500 outages left unresolved after Fay. Backup CARILEC crews helped with specialty assignments, such as commercial outages and homes without power since before Gonzalo's onslaught. Service was not fully restored until November 3,
and BELCO ultimately spent US$2.9million on system repairs after hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo. The company replaced 228 utility poles, 80
transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...
s, and over four miles (6.5 km) of wire. Other utilities, such as television and Internet services, also suffered, and technicians handled individual outages deep into the month of November.
About six hundred streetlights on main roads and several hundred more on side-streets were inoperative following the hurricane; some remained unmended through January 2015.
Structural damage ranged from the superficial to complete wall or roof failure, the latter being relatively uncommon.
A multitude of buildings, including churches, a visitor's center, the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
building in Hamilton, and the Bermuda Police Service headquarters at
Prospect Camp, suffered some degree of roof damage.
Older structures were particularly prone to substantial damage,
as were commercial storage buildings subject to less strict building codes.
In December, five new slate quarries were approved to accommodate the demand for roofing materials. Both the new and the old portions of King EdwardVII Memorial Hospital received significant damage that exposed the facilities to the elements. An exhibit at the
Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo was unroofed, and coastal erosion threatened to encroach on the site, though no animals were harmed. Part of the structure's roof was blown a quarter mile (400 m).
L.F. Wade International Airport sustained some roof and runway lighting damage,
and the
Bermuda Weather Service
The Bermuda Weather Service is Bermuda's national meteorological service. It provides public, marine, tropical and aviation weather forecasts as well as warnings and climatolological services. The service began operations under contract from the De ...
building lost a storm shutter and saw water forced inside a communications room.
A restaurant at the site of the
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
Built in 1844 by Cottam and Hallen of Cornwall Road, Lambeth; in their works within sight of Waterloo Bridge Erected by the Royal Engineers, the Gibb's Hill Lighthouse is the taller of two lighthouses on Bermuda, and one of the first lighthouses ...
was severely damaged, requiring a complete roof replacement. The Causeway was largely spared, with some damage to the safety walls alongside the road, and it was partially reopened on October 18 after initial repairs.
However, one of two lanes remained shut down for several days.
Many boats were washed ashore and damaged or wrecked by the storm,
and other vessels tipped over in boatyards.
According to preliminary estimates, properties in the
Dockyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
alone incurred US$1million (2014
BMD) in damage.
![Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate HMS Argyll MOD 45153839](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Royal_Navy_Type_23_Frigate_HMS_Argyll_MOD_45153839.jpg)
The strongest hurricane to directly affect Bermuda since 2003's
Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde hurricane that impacted Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tr ...
,
Gonzalo was generally less destructive.
Damage modelling firms estimated insured losses from the hurricane to settle between US$200million and US$400million, not including damage to watercraft,
though the CEO of the largest property insurer on Bermuda believed losses to be much lower.
It was estimated that a Fabian equivalence in 2014 would cause about US$650 million in damage.
Some insurance companies decided to treat Fay and Gonzalo as a single event, allowing one deductible to count toward claims from both storms. After initial assessments, Premier Dunkley reported that the territory fared "much better than we expected", and the storm was not blamed for any deaths or major injuries on Bermuda.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, a Royal Navy helicopter aboard ''Argyll'' flew out ahead of the ship to start aerial damage assessments. Members of the Bermuda Regiment immediately began cleanup and recovery efforts,
while the government provided
tarps
The Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) was a large and sophisticated camera pod carried by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. It contains three camera bays with different type cameras which are pointed down at passing terrain. It was ori ...
to affected homeowners.
Sailors from the ''Argyll'' teamed up with Regiment soldiers upon the ship's arrival to continue relief work. Some 35 of the vessel's crew worked to clear debris from the runway at the airport, which reopened on October 19 after thorough evaluations. Including damage from Fay, about $2 million was spent on airport repairs, and the storms were later cited as evidence of the need for a newer terminal in a more protected location. All schools on the territory resumed classes by October 21.
Atlantic Canada
On October 17, the
Canadian Hurricane Centre
The Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC; french: Centre canadien de prévision des ouragans) is an organisation that monitors and warns of the threat of tropical cyclones such as hurricanes and tropical storms. CHC is a division of the Meteorological Se ...
issued a tropical storm watch for the Avalon Peninsula of
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 ...
, between
Arnold's Cove
Arnold's Cove ( 2016 Population 949) is a town on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division 1 on Placentia Bay.
The name is found in population returns of 1836, and may have been ...
and
Chapel's Cove. Some communities, including
St. John's, worked to clear debris from culverts and storm drains to minimize the effects of flooding.
Outer rainbands produced up to of rain in just a few hours,
which produced localized urban flooding in St. John's.
Winds gusted to at
Cape Pine and at Cape Race. At
St. John's International Airport, sustained winds of were punctuated by gusts to .
The winds briefly cut power to about 100 households in a St. John's neighborhood.
Offshore, a buoy over the
Laurentian fan The Laurentian Fan or Laurentian Abyss is an underwater depression off the eastern coast of Canada in the Atlantic Ocean. Not a trench, but more of an "underwater valley", it is estimated to be at most ~19,685 feet (3.7 miles; 6.0 km) in depth. The ...
recorded peak wave heights to ,
and an oil rig southeast of the storm's center experienced sustained winds of .
Low astronomical tides prevented significant
coastal flooding
Coastal flooding normally occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged by seawater. The range of a coastal flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coastal land ...
, but a 2.6ft (0.8m) surge was recorded at both St. John's and
Argentia
Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which r ...
.
Farther west, the hurricane generated rough seas and rip currents along the Atlantic coast of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
.
United Kingdom and Europe
![Elgol on Skye (15761067344)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Elgol_on_Skye_%2815761067344%29.jpg)
The extratropical storm complex incorporating the remnants of Gonzalo generated strong winds across the British Isles, especially over Ireland and the northern United Kingdom. Winds gusted to at
Oban
Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...
in western Scotland,
while gusts exceeding were common elsewhere. The system halted transportation throughout the region, forcing the cancellation of more than a hundred flights at
London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the Airports of London, London airport sys ...
, grounding ferries, and blocking roads and railways with debris.
Falling trees killed one woman near
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is a Grade I-listed major park in Westminster, Greater London, the largest of the four Royal Parks that form a chain from the entrance to Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, via Hyde Park Corner and Green Pa ...
, and injured several others. In
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, the winds collapsed a
car jack supporting a van, fatally crushing a man working underneath.
The storm triggered minor power outages in Scotland and Wales, with more extensive outages in northwestern Ireland after gusts as high as .
Western and central Europe were also impacted by damaging winds and downpours. The coast of the Netherlands endured high seas and gusts to , uprooting trees and flooding the coastline. Rail services and flight operations were disrupted throughout the region.
In Germany, gusts over were recorded at high elevations. In
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
alone, fifty vehicles were damaged by falling debris;
downed trees, torn roofs, and power outages were common throughout the nation. In the Bavarian capital of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, the storm destroyed a large tin roof measuring over , parts of which impacted cars and fences on the ground. Damage from the incident was estimated at €500,000 (US$637,000). Throughout Germany, the storm wrought €60–100 million (US$80–130 million) in insured losses. A woman died in a traffic accident, attributed to wet road conditions, along the
Bundesstraße 303
The Bundesstraße 303 (abbreviation: B 303) is a German federal highway that runs from west to east, beginning at the A 7 autobahn west of Schweinfurt and ending at the border with the Czech Republic east of Schirnding. It runs through the east ...
in the
Bayreuth district. Northwesterly gales yielded a storm surge along the country's North Sea coastline, with tides running over above normal along the
Elbe River
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
at
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
. Neighboring Austria and Switzerland also experienced gales and power outages.
A tornado touched down near
Neukirchen an der Enknach in Austria, damaging homes and farms. Gusts in southern Switzerland reached , leading to road and rail closures. In southern France, the system initiated a
mistral wind
The mistral ( ca, Mestral, el, Μαΐστρος, it, Maestrale, mt, Majjistral, Corsican language, Corsican: ''Maestrale'') is a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows from southern France into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterra ...
event.
The upper-level low associated with the hurricane's remnants blanketed parts of the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
with heavy snowfall, accumulating to several feet,
and subsequently fueled torrential rains in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
on October 24 and 25. Floodwaters caused by estimated rainfall totals nearing inundated entire villages in southeastern Bulgaria, forcing hundreds to evacuate, and there were widespread disruptions of power and water services. A woman in
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a popu ...
died from drowning. In the Greek capital city of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, the deluge filled streets with rushing water that swept away hundreds of vehicles. More than three hundred buildings were inundated in the
Attica
Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Se ...
area.
See also
*
Other storms of the same name
*
List of Bermuda hurricanes
The British Overseas Territory of Bermuda has a long history of encounters with Atlantic tropical cyclones, many of which inflicted significant damage and influenced the territory's development. A small archipelago comprising about 138 islands ...
*
List of Canada hurricanes
The list of hurricanes in Canada refers to any tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean affecting the country of Canada. Canada is usually only hit with weak storms, due to the generally cool waters immediately offshore. Howe ...
*
1948 Bermuda–Newfoundland hurricane
*
Hurricane Luis
Hurricane Luis was a long lived and powerful Category 4 hurricane. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall and the third-most intense hurricane recorded during the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm, along with Humberto, Iris, an ...
(1995) devastated the Leeward Islands in 1995 before passing west of Bermuda.
*
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges () was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde Category 4 hurricane which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making eight landfalls along its path. Georges was the sevent ...
(1998) caused extensive damage in Antigua and Barbuda.
*
Hurricane Fay
Hurricane Fay was the first hurricane to make landfall on Bermuda since Emily in 1987. The sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay evolved from a broad disturbance several hundred miles northeast of the L ...
(2014) made landfall on Bermuda just a week prior to Gonzalo.
* Hurricanes
Paulette Paulette may refer to:
*Paulette (name), French feminine given name
*Paulette (tax)
* Paulette Caveat - a caveat filed in 1973 by a group of Dene chiefs at the land titles office in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to gain a legal interest in 40 ...
and
Teddy
Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to:
People Nickname
* Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator
* Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer
* Tedd ...
(2020) affected Bermuda within a week of each other.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalo
2014 Atlantic hurricane season
Gonzalo (2014)
European windstorms
Natural disasters in the Leeward Islands
Hurricanes in the Leeward Islands
Hurricanes in Anguilla
Hurricanes in Antigua and Barbuda
Hurricanes in Canada
Hurricanes in Guadeloupe
Hurricanes in Saint Barthélemy
Hurricanes in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Hurricanes in Saint Martin (island)
Hurricanes in the British Virgin Islands
Hurricanes in Bermuda
Hurricanes in the United States Virgin Islands
Hurricanes in Europe
Tropical cyclones in 2014