Hurricane Debbie (1969)

Hurricane Debbie was an intense and long-lived hurricane that formed during August 1969. The fifth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season, Debbie formed on August 14 in the southern Atlantic Ocean and took a general northwesterly path until turning northward into the central Atlantic. The storm was characterized by numerous fluctuations in intensity, but it still reached winds corresponding to Category 3 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The hurricane bypassed the island of Bermuda to the southeast on August 22, before ultimately brushing southeastern Newfoundland with strong winds. It dissipated over the cold waters east of Greenland. Although Debbie had little effect on land, it was extensively researched and was subject to a weather modification experiment by Project Stormfury, in which it was seeded with silver iodide.

Meteorological history

A disturbance associated with a tropical wave strengthened into a tropical depression on August 14. The system had significantly organized by August 15, having intensified into a tropical storm by 00:00  UTC that day. Upon its designation, Debbie was moving west-northwestward at approximately and it was predicted to gradually gain power. It attained Category 1 hurricane strength on August 16 as it turned toward the northwest. It continued to mature, and at around 12:00 UTC on the next day, it achieved winds corresponding to Category 2 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. After attaining an initial peak of 105 mph (165 km/h) six hours later, Debbie oscillated in strength over the succeeding two days, weakening back to Category 1 status early on August 19.

Debbie's abrupt fluctuation in intensity may have been the result of a seeding experiment carried out on the storm in an attempt to weaken it, though posthumous assessment by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project determined that an eyewall replacement cycle was more likely responsible. Upon reversion to minimal hurricane force, Debbie turned more to the west, although it maintained a general northwesterly path. By later in the day, Debbie had begun to restrengthen, reaching major hurricane intensity, Category 3 on the Saffir–Simpson scale, by 18:00 UTC. Six hours later, early on August 20, the cyclone acquired peak winds of 125 mph (205 km/h), the highest in its lifespan; approximately 18 hours later, its lowest recorded barometric pressure fell to , as measured by hurricane hunters.

The storm then weakened as it turned northward and eventually northeastward on August 21. Gradually losing strength, Debbie passed well to the southeast of Bermuda, although it is believed that if not for the presence of nearby Hurricane Camille, which emerged into the Atlantic from the United States on August 20, Debbie would have likely ended up further west, closer to the island. Debbie mostly maintained its severity through 06:00 UTC on August 23 as it continued generally toward the northeast. By 12:00 UTC on August 23, Debbie weakened to below Category 2 status and turned northward, becoming extratropical six hours later, while still retaining winds of hurricane force. The next day, the storm's remnants—no longer bearing winds of hurricane intensity, but only gale

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