The depression moved west-southwestward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Anita early on August 30. Later that day, the storm had intensified into a hurricane. Although intensification briefly slowed,
rapid deepening
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 ...
occurred from September 1 to the following day, when Anita peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). The storm weakened slightly to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall near
Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It was directly hit by Hurricane Alex in 2010. It is located on the banks of the Soto la Marina river, just up river from the small ocean port of L ...
.
It rapidly weakened inland, decreasing to tropical depression intensity early on September 3. However, Anita remained intact across Mexico and reached the eastern Pacific Ocean as a depression.
Prior to becoming a tropical cyclone, the precursor to Anita dropped light rainfall in Florida.
Gusty winds and storm surge effected Louisiana. At
Grand Isle, storm tides above normal resulted in hundreds of families being asked to evacuate. Numerous coastal highways in Texas, including portions of
State Highway 87, were closed due to above normal tides. Precipitation reached in
Rio Grande City
Rio Grande City is a city in and the county seat of Starr County, Texas. The population was 14,411 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is west of McAllen. The city also holds the March record high for the United States at . The city is co ...
.
In Mexico, the hurricane caused strong winds and moderate rainfall.
The winds caused extensive damage to villages in northeastern Mexico, with about 25,000 people left homeless. The roofs of most buildings were destroyed near the location of Anita's landfall. The highest amount of precipitation observed during the storm was at
Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It was directly hit by Hurricane Alex in 2010. It is located on the banks of the Soto la Marina river, just up river from the small ocean port of L ...
.
Flooding and mudslides killed eleven people in the state.
Overall damage is unknown.
Hurricane Babe
The interaction of a tropical wave and a cold upper low pressure area developed into a subtropical depression in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on September 3.
It strengthened while gradually acquiring tropical characteristics and was reclassified as Tropical Storm Babe late on September 4. The storm curved north-northeastward and by early on the following day, it was upgraded to a hurricane. Around that time, Babe peaked with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Early on September 5, Babe made landfall near
Cocodrie, Louisiana at the same intensity. Later that day, it weakened to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression on September 6. However, Babe continued to move northeastward and then east-northeastward across the Southeastern United States until dissipating early on September 9.
Babe produced light to moderate rainfall across much of the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
. In Louisiana, precipitation peaked at near
Lafayette. Flooding damage was primarily to crops, mainly sugar cane.
Six tornadoes were spawned in Louisiana, including one near
Hammond that severely damage a country store and knocked six wood-frame homes off their foundations. Damage from this tornado alone reached $2.5 million.
In other states, Babe brought flash flooding along its path due to rainfall exceeding in
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
, northwestern
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, and western
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
.
Overall, Babe caused about $13 million in damage, but no deaths.
Hurricane Clara
A convective cloud mass with a spiral band of gale-force winds, associated with the development of Hurricane Babe, moved across the Southeastern United States in early September. The system developed a circulation by late on September 4, while tracking across southeastern
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
. After a slight drop in barometric pressure and an increase in wind speeds, a tropical depression formed inland near
Charleston, South Carolina at 1200 UTC on September 5. The depression initially drifted east-northeastward and soon moved offshore. After passing south of
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina.
Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
on September 6, it began to organize while accelerating just north of due east. At 0000 UTC on September 8, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Clara. The storm quickly strengthened, becoming a hurricane only 12 hours later.
Strong wind shear caused Clara to weaken back to a tropical storm on September 9. Thereafter, the storm executed a cyclonic loop near
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 =
, ...
. By late on September 10, Clara accelerated northeastward and became extratropical at 1200 UTC on September 11.
In its early stages, the storm dropped light rainfall in the Southeastern United States, peaking at in
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...
. Additionally, Clara produced of precipitation in Bermuda.
The remnants reached Canada and produced winds of in
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
, settlement_type = Town
, image_skyline = File:St Ninian's Cathedral Antigonish Spring.jpg
, image_caption = St. Ninian's Cathedral
, image_flag = Flag of Antigonish.pn ...
, which knocked over campers, uprooted trees, damaged barns, and caused power outages in the area.
Hurricane Dorothy
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on September 15. The system tracked westward at and convection began organizing five days later. On September 21, the wave crossed the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean Sea Nor ...
, bringing wind gusts of to
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 ...
and
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island and an Overseas department and region, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of ...
and rainfall of on several islands. Although it was a strong tropical wave, the system weakened significantly while crossing
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and t ...
on September 23. Tracking steadily northward, it developed into a tropical depression northeast of
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the arc ...
on September 26. A reconnaissance aircraft indicated that the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Dorothy at 1200 UTC on September 27.
Shortly after becoming a tropical storm, Dorothy passed just south of Bermuda, though no damage was reported on the island. The storm quickly strengthened while tracking northeastward and strengthened into a hurricane at 1200 UTC on September 28. By early on September 29, Dorothy attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . Later that day, Dorothy transitioned into an extratropical storm while located south 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. On September 30, the extratropical remnants of Dorothy were absorbed by a frontal low pressure system located in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Evelyn
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on October 3. The system tracked westward at an abnormally low altitude of
6°N. However, because the
Azores high pressure was abnormally weak, the system quickly curved northwestward. After a significant increase in convection, a tropical depression developed at 1800 UTC on October 13, while located south of Bermuda. A ship later reported gale-force winds, prompting an upgrade of the depression to Tropical Storm Evelyn on October 14. Early on the following day, a reconnaissance flight recorded winds of , indicating that Evelyn became a hurricane. Later on October 15, accelerated to the north-northeast and made landfall on
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18. ...
,
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 En ...
with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) at 1200 UTC. Shortly after entering the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
, Evelyn merged with a
cold front
A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...
at 1800 UTC on October 15, near the tip of southeastern Newfoundland.
Impact on Bermuda was limited to light winds
and a small amount of rainfall – .
On
Sable Island
Sable Island (french: île de Sable, literally "island of sand") is a small Canadian island situated southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island i ...
, Evelyn produced tropical storm force winds, reaching . In both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the storm dropped light rainfall, rarely exceeding .
Some areas of Newfoundland experienced tropical storm force winds, mainly between
Stephenville and
St. John's.
However, this may have been in combination with the cold front that Evelyn merged with. In addition, a ship near the southwestern tip of Newfoundland reported sustained winds of .
Tropical Storm Frieda
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on October 4. The wave tracked uneventfully westward for about 10 days. On October 12, the remnants of a cold front reached the northwestern Caribbean Sea. The wave began interacting with it and another cold front that entered the region by October 16. Later that day, a reconnaissance aircraft reported a surface circulation near
Swan Island,
Honduras.
Thus, a tropical depression developed at 1800 UTC on October 16. The depression moved slowly westward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Frieda on October 17, while passing south of Swan Island.
Frieda continued to intensify until peaking with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of early on October 18. Later that day, Frieda weakened and fell to tropical depression intensity. At 0000 UTC on October 19, the storm made landfall near
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, w ...
,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
as a weak tropical depression. Frieda promptly dissipated. Belize City reported only minimal rainfall and light winds. Around that time, the storm passed south of Swan Island, where it produced in a 30‑hour period. On
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles ( ...
, of precipitation fell in 36 hours.
Tropical Depression Nine
A tropical depression formed between the Greater Antilles and Bermuda on November 3. Initially, the depression moved northeastward, though on November 4, a building high pressure area forced it to track north of due west. Eventually, an upper-level low situated over the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
caused the depression to re-curve north-northwestward. Late on November 7, the depression made landfall near
Cape Lookout, North Carolina. By early on the following day, the depression degenerated into a low pressure area while located over eastern Virginia. The remnants continued northeastward across the Mid-Atlantic and
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...
, before being absorbed by an extratropical cyclone while offshore of
Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
on November 11.
Moisture from Tropical Depression Nine and a low pressure area that tracked across the Southeastern United States resulted in heavy rainfall over western North Carolina and western Virginia, with up to at Idlewild in the former.
In North Carolina, flooding destroyed 384 homes, of highways, and 12 dams. Flooding was considered the worst in
Yancey County
Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville.
This land was inhabited by the Cherokee prior to European settlement, as was much of ...
, where nearly every bridge was washed out. Sixteen counties in the western portions of the state were declared disaster areas.
The depression also produced of rainfall in northern Georgia. Eighteen bridges were destroyed and twenty-seven others were damaged. In Virginia, 100 homes were destroyed by flooding, with about the same amount suffering major damage. Similar impact was reported in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...
. Strong winds and storm tides in New Jersey caused extensive damage. Overall, the flooding event caused 53 deaths, 39 in Georgia,
13 in North Carolina,
and 1 in Tennessee. Damage totaled $203 million, $100 million of which was incurred in New Jersey alone.
Other systems
In addition to the six named storms and Tropical Depression Nine, a total of nine other tropical depressions developed during the season. Later in June, a tropical depression formed in the west-central Gulf of Mexico on June 13. It headed north-northwestward and made landfall in Texas by the following day. The system rapidly dissipated after moving inland. The third tropical depression of the season developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on July 17. After tracking northward, the depression struck near
Mobile, Alabama on July 18. By the following day, it dissipated in central Mississippi. In late July, another depression developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on July 25. No further strengthening occurred and by the following day, it dissipated north of the Yucatán Peninsula.
A tropical depression developed near the west coast of Africa on August 1. The system tracked westward for three days without intensifying and dissipated on August 4. The next tropical depression formed well west-southwest of
Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
on September 17. After remaining disorganized, it dissipated to the east-southeast 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 bet ...
about three days later. Tropical Depression Four developed in the
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tab ...
on September 22. However, the depression remained weak and made landfall near
Tampico, Tamaulipas
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
at around 1000 UTC on September 23. Later that day, it dissipated while barely inland.
By October 1, another tropical depression formed east of the Lesser Antilles. It headed west-northwestward and dissipated on October 3, before reaching the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean Sea Nor ...
. Tropical Depression Six developed in the central Atlantic Ocean on October 2. It briefly headed east-southeastward, before curving northwestward on October 4. The system dissipated later that day. Another tropical depression developed in the Gulf of Mexico east of the Texas and Mexico border on October 24. It tracked northeastward without intensification and made landfall in southeast Louisiana on October 25, while still a tropical depression. The system quickly weakened and dissipated over southern Mississippi later that day.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 1977. Storms were named Anita, Babe, Clara and Evelyn for the first time in 1977.
[ ] Because new lists containing male names began in
1979 season, none of these have appeared on a list since, except for:
Grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...
; Hannah, though spelled
Hanna
Hannah or Hanna may refer to:
People, biblical figures, and fictional characters
* Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin
* Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin
* Hanna (Irish surname), a fami ...
; and
Ida
Ida or IDA may refer to:
Astronomy
*Ida Facula, a mountain on Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter
*243 Ida, an asteroid
* International Docking Adapter, a docking adapter for the International Space Station
Computing
* Intel Dynamic Acceleration, a tech ...
. Unused names are marked in .
Retirement
The name ''Anita'' was later retired.
Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that have formed during the 1977 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their names, duration, peak strength, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1977 USD.
See also
*
List of Atlantic hurricanes
Lists of Atlantic hurricanes, or tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, are organized by the properties of the hurricane or by the location most affected.
By property
* List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
* List of Atlantic hurricane records
...
*
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition, ...
*
1977 Pacific hurricane season
*
1977 Pacific typhoon season
*
1977 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1977 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each ye ...
* Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons:
1976–77,
1977–78
Notes
References
External links
WPC rainfall page for 1977 tropical cyclonesMonthly Weather Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:1977 Atlantic Hurricane Season
July 1977 events in the United States
November 1977 events in the United States
Articles which contain graphical timelines
1977 natural disasters in the United States