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Hurricane Lenny

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   CAPTION: Hurricane Lenny

   Category 4 hurricane ( SSHS)
   Hurricane Lenny south of Saint Croix
   Hurricane Lenny south of Saint Croix
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   Formed November 13, 1999
   Dissipated November 23, 1999
   Highest
   winds
   155 mph (250 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
   Lowest pressure 933 mbar ( hPa)
   Damage $330 million (1999 USD, damage in US territories only)

   $370 million (2005 USD, damage in US territories only)
   Fatalities 17 direct
   Areas
   affected Colombia, Puerto Rico, Leeward Islands
   Part of the
   1999 Atlantic hurricane season

   Hurricane Lenny was the 12th tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and
   fifth major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny was
   the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in November, and quite
   unusual in that it moved west-to-east across the Caribbean.

   Lenny brought more heavy rains to areas in the Leeward Islands that had
   been affected by Hurricane Jose just one month earlier, and brought
   more damage to areas struck by Hurricane Georges the previous year.

Storm history

   Storm path
   Enlarge
   Storm path

   A broad area of low pressure formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea
   on November 8. It drifted northward, slowly organizing with warm water
   temperatures and little upper-level shear. On November 13, the
   disturbance organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression
   Sixteen, 300 nautical miles west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.
   Conditions continued to favour development, and the depression became
   Tropical Storm Lenny on the 14th.

   Lenny headed east-southeastward, its motion in part due to the southern
   portion of a deep-layer trough over the western Atlantic. On November
   15, Lenny intensified to hurricane strength while south of Jamaica, and
   reached Category 2 strength later that day. However, the small inner
   core was disrupted by environmental changes, and Lenny weakened back to
   a poorly-organized Category 1.
   Hurricane Lenny at peak intensity
   Enlarge
   Hurricane Lenny at peak intensity

   Its inner core re-established itself on November 16, and Lenny rapidly
   intensified to a 155 mph Category 4 hurricane over the northeastern
   Caribbean just before making landfall at Saint Croix on the 17th. A
   ridge to the east and a ridge to the north forced the hurricane to
   drift over the Windward Islands on the 17th through the 19th. Upwelling
   steadily weakened Lenny as it turned east-southeastward over Saint
   Martin, Anguilla, Saint-Barthélemy, and Antigua on November 18 and
   November 19. As it left the islands, upper level shear and cooler
   waters weakened Lenny, first to a tropical storm on November 19, then a
   tropical depression in the open Atlantic on the 21st. It turned to the
   northeast, and dissipated on November 23 in the open Atlantic.

An unusual storm

   Hurricane Lenny was unusual in several respects. It traversed the
   Caribbean from west to east, the reverse of typical hurricane paths. It
   was the first time such a trajectory had been seen in 113 years of
   hurricane observations in the Atlantic/Caribbean basin. The last
   hurricane to strike the western portion of the Lesser Antilles was
   Hurricane Klaus from the 1984 season.

   Lenny's 155 mph (250 km/h) peak, just under Category 5 intensity on the
   Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, makes it the strongest November
   hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin.

   Lenny was also the fifth Category 4 hurricane of the 1999 Atlantic
   hurricane season, breaking the record for the number of storms of that
   strength in one season. This record was tied in the 2005 season.

Preparations

   Lenny was forecast to move through the Leeward Islands as a Category 3
   hurricane, surprising islanders when it strengthened into a strong
   Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane warnings were issued for much of the
   Leeward Islands on November 16, about a day prior to the storm passing
   through. In preparation for landfall, a FEMA team was deployed to
   Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing 6,000 rolls of
   roofing-quality plastic sheeting, 112 generators, and 90,000 gallons of
   water. Medical teams were sent as well.

Impact

   CAPTION: Death Toll by Area

   State/country Deaths
   Colombia      2
   Saint Martin  3
   Guadeloupe    5
   Martinique    1
   Offshore      6
       Total       17

   In all, 17 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Lenny. Its Category 4
   winds caused widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean,
   amounting to $330 million ($370 million in 2005) in damage to U.S.
   territories.

Colombia

   Early in the hurricane's life, Lenny caused large waves and swells to
   the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia. Two sailors were killed when their
   yacht was lost in the southern Caribbean Sea. On the coast, Lenny
   flooded 1,200 houses, leaving 540 people homeless. Moderate crop damage
   was seen as well.

Puerto Rico

   Rainfall totals from Lenny
   Enlarge
   Rainfall totals from Lenny

   Puerto Rico, where Lenny was originally forecast to make landfall, was
   spared a direct hit. However, Lenny's outer rainbands caused heavy
   rainfall amounting to 14.64 inches in Jayuya, causing mudslides in the
   southeastern portion of the island. More than 4,700 were in shelters,
   80,000 lacked electricity, and 100,000 were without safe drinking
   water.

Leeward Islands

   Property Damage in the Virgin Islands
   Enlarge
   Property Damage in the Virgin Islands

   Hurricane Lenny first made landfall on Saint Croix in the Virgin
   Islands. The unprotected southwest side of the island suffered hours of
   heavy rain accumulating to 8 inches, 155 mph winds, intense waves, and
   a 15 foot storm surge. Strong winds and the rainfall impacted the
   agricultural sector, while many boats on the north side of the island
   either sank or washed ashore. Though damage was heavy, it was not
   extreme, and no deaths were reported.

   Lenny later hit Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saint-Barthélemy, and Antigua
   while drifting through the Leeward Islands. Torrential rainfall was
   reported in these islands, with a maximum of 27.56 inches on St.
   Martin. The flooding led to mudslides, contributing to the destruction
   of numerous houses. Extensive storm surge, strong winds, and 12 foot
   waves caused significant beach erosion on their west coasts, the side
   rarely affected by a landfalling hurricane. The industries most
   affected by the hurricane were agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
   Damage to the Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix
   Enlarge
   Damage to the Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix

   Due to its large circulation, Lenny also affected Guadeloupe, Dominica,
   St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Grenadines, Barbuda, Martinique, and
   Montserrat. 20 foot waves pounded the islands, resulting in damaged
   buildings. Heavy rain and strong winds contributed to 6 deaths among
   these islands. In Dominica, for example, hotels along the island's west
   coast experienced major damage, with 35% loss of the banana crop and
   40% of coastal roads washed out. 95% of the crops in Barbuda were
   destroyed, while 65% of the island was flooded.

Aftermath

   After the Four Seasons resort on Nevis was flooded and heavily damaged,
   the buildings were closed down for just over a year while a $50 million
   (1999 USD, $57 million 2005 USD) reconstruction went underway. A
   reopening occurred on November 24, 2000, just over a year after Lenny's
   wrath. United States President Bill Clinton declared a state of
   emergency for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the aftermath of the storm,
   which made the island's residents eligible for federal financial aid.

Retirement

   The name Lenny was retired in the spring of 2000 and will never again
   be used for an Atlantic hurricane. The name was replaced with Lee in
   the 2005 season.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lenny"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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