Hurricane Earl (1998)
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Hurricane Earl was an atypical, disorganized, and short-lived
Category 2 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) * ...
that caused moderate damage throughout the
Southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
. It formed out of a poorly organized tropical disturbance over the southwest
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 ...
late on August 31, 1998. Tracking towards the northeast, the storm quickly intensified into a hurricane on September 2 and made landfall early the next day near
Panama City, Florida Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. It is the more populated city of the Panama City–Lynn Ha ...
. Rapidly tracking towards
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, the
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remnants of Earl significantly intensified before passing over Newfoundland on September 6. The remnants were absorbed by former Hurricane Danielle two days later. Moderate beach erosion occurred along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida as waves reached . Throughout Florida, nearly 2,000 homes were damaged and a few were destroyed. Severe flooding caused by
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
and heavy rains was the main cause of damage in the state. Offshore, two men drowned after their boat capsized during the storm. A minor
tornado outbreak __NOTOC__ A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least two rotational l ...
took place in relation to Earl in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. A tornado in South Carolina killed one person after completely destroying the occupant's home. In all, three people were killed by Earl and damages were $79 million (1998 USD; $104.4 million 2009 USD).


Meteorological history

Hurricane Earl originated out of a strong
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 moved off the west coast of Africa on August 17. By August 23, a weak
area of low pressure 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 ...
developed within the wave and well-developed convective activity was present as it tracked through the
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. Once in the Caribbean, strong
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 ...
produced by the
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of Hurricane Bonnie inhibited further development of the system. As it remained well-defined, satellites easily followed the low pressure into 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 ...
. By August 31, the storm had become sufficiently organized for 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) to classify it as Tropical Depression Five. At this time, the depression was located roughly halfway between Mérida and
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. Operationally, the NHC immediately classified the system as Tropical Storm Earl based on a Hurricane Hunter
Reconnaissance mission In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, ...
that found flight-level winds of , corresponding to surface winds of . Due to the existence of multiple circulation centers, the initial movement of the storm was uncertain, but forecasters anticipated a general northward movement. In post-season analysis, it was determined that the system intensified into Tropical Storm Earl while located about south-southwest of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. Initial advisories on Earl relocated the center of circulation several times before focusing on the true circulation center. By September 1, the storm began to consolidate, with reconnaissance flights finding an elongated center and surface winds of . Moderate wind shear inhibited convective development in the western portion; however, outflow in other areas of the storm improved, leading to further development. A northwest track, fully identified by this time as a mid-tropospheric
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 ...
located over Florida, strengthened. Remaining disorganized, Earl continued to intensify as the center of circulation was located close to deep convection. The NHC stated in their fifth advisory on the storm that Earl did not appear to be fully tropical due to the lack of organization. Around 1200 UTC on September 2, Earl intensified into a hurricane despite having an atypical structure; the wind field of the storm was asymmetric and the strongest winds were located well to the southeast of the center. Several hours after becoming a hurricane, Earl further intensified into a
Category 2 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) * ...
on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale; this observation was based on a flight-level winds of , which corresponded to surface winds of . The storm did not feature an
eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
or partial eyewall. The central
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 ...
continued to fall despite the fact that the storm was beginning to weaken. Around 0000 UTC on September 3, the central pressure decreased to ; however, winds also decreased to . As Earl neared
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 ...
, cloud tops significantly warmed, indicating weakening, and the overall structure of the storm became less organized. Around 0600 UTC (1:00 am EDT) on September 3, Hurricane Earl made landfall near
Panama City, Florida Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. It is the more populated city of the Panama City–Lynn Ha ...
with winds of . Shortly after landfall, the storm weakened to a tropical storm and rapidly accelerated as it quickly underwent an
extratropical transition 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 ...
. By this time the NHC issued their final advisory on Earl. Several hours later, Earl finished its transition and continued to rapidly track through the
Southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
. After entering the Atlantic Ocean, the remnants of Earl began re-intensify due to the effects of a
baroclinic zone A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For in ...
. Relatively cool
sea surface temperatures Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masse ...
near
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
prevented tropical development; however, during a 36-hour span, Earl
rapidly intensified 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 wi ...
, as the central barometric pressure decreased by 40 mbar (hPa; ) to 957 mbar (hPa; ). By the time the system made landfall over eastern
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 ...
, sustained winds had intensified to . On September 8, the remnants of Earl significantly weakened and were soon absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone associated with the remnants of Hurricane Danielle.


Preparations

As Earl tracked towards the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on September 1, a
hurricane warning 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 ...
was issued for coastal areas between
Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area. The population was 22 ...
and
Cameron, Louisiana Cameron is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area. After sustaining extreme damage from Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane ...
. Additionally, hurricane watches extended out to
Destin, Florida Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida, metropolitan area. Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green ...
and
High Island, Texas High Island is an unincorporated community located in the Bolivar Peninsula census-designated place, Galveston County, Texas, United States. The community is located in the extreme eastern part of the county on Bolivar Peninsula, less than one mi ...
from the edges of the warning respectively. Early the next day, a tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Pascagoula, Mississippi and Destin, Florida. In response to the eastward movement of the hurricane, the hurricane watch and warning was discontinued for areas west of
Morgan City, Louisiana Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109&nb ...
. Additionally, the hurricane warning was extended eastward to Destin, Florida, a tropical storm warning was issued east of Destin to
Apalachicola, Florida Apalachicola ( ) is a city and the county seat of Franklin County, Florida, United States, on the shore of Apalachicola Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. The population was 2,231 at the 2010 census. History The Apalachicola people, after ...
, and a tropical storm watch was declared for areas between Morgan City and Cameron, Louisiana. Several hours later, the hurricane warning was again extended eastward to the mouth of the
Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset hig ...
. All watches and warnings were discontinued for areas west of Pascagoula, Mississippi and due to the asymmetrical structure of Hurricane Earl, a tropical storm warning was issued as far south as the
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. Continuing uncertainty in the track of Earl prompted the issuance of a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning for areas between Pascagoula, Mississippi and
Grand Isle, Louisiana Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. The town of Grand Isle is statistica ...
, including the city of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. After Earl made landfall in Florida, all watches and warnings were discontinued in relation to the storm. Offshore, several oil and natural gas rigs were evacuated due to the proximity of Earl. An estimated 10,000 workers were evacuated from both onshore and offshore rigs. The storm forced many Florida residences to evacuate, especially people living in the barrier islands along the Florida Gulf Coast. About 30
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jets from
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...
were sent to
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to protect them from the storm. A mandatory evacuation was issued for 20,000 residents in Leon County as well as all barrier islands along the Florida coast due to the risk of substantial flooding. Franklin County was briefly under a mandatory evacuation order on September 2, the reasons for the lifting of the order are unknown. State parks along the Florida Panhandle were also closed and highways became congested with thousands of residents and tourists evacuating the barrier islands. Along the Louisiana coastline, voluntary evacuation orders were given out. A
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
was declared for portions of southeast Louisiana as tides in relation to the storm were forecast to reach . Emergency shelters were opened throughout
Plaquemines Parish Plaquemines Parish (; French: ''Paroisse de Plaquemine'', Louisiana French: ''Paroisse des Plaquemines'', es, Parroquia de Caquis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 23,515 at the 2020 census, the parish ...
, schools were closed in many areas, and the floodgates around New Orleans were shut. An estimated 5,000 people evacuated to inland areas throughout Louisiana. In
Nueces County, Texas Nueces County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 353,178, making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi. The county was formed in 1846 from portions of S ...
, work crews worked quickly to clear garbage along the streets and picked up trash cans to avoid possible problems with clogged drains. Throughout the Alabama and Mississippi coasts, schools were closed due to the storm.


Impact

Throughout the
Southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
, Hurricane Earl killed three people and caused $79 million (1998 USD; $104.4 million 2009 USD) in damages.


Florida

Ahead of Hurricane Earl's landfall in Florida, several tornadoes were spawned along the
outer bands {{Short pages monitor