Hurricane Bertha (1996)
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Hurricane Bertha was the second named storm, the first hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the active 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. An early forming Cape Verde hurricane, Bertha formed in the first week of July from a tropical wave that exited the coast of Africa on July 3. Bertha caused some damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands before making landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds on July 12. Bertha wasn't retired, however, but later on in the season, Hurricane Fran was.
Bertha caused $334.8 million (2005 USD) in damage. Bertha caused 12 fatalities.
| |
| Formation | July 5, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Dissipation | July 14, 1996 |
| Highest winds | 115 mph |
| Lowest pressure | 960 mbar |
| Deaths | 12 total |
| Damages | $135,000,000 (1996 USD) |
| Areas affected | Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic States, New England |
Contents |
[edit] Storm History
A tropical wave moved off the African coast on July 3 and began heading westward across the Atlantic Ocean. On July 5, the wave became Tropical Depression Two. Later that day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Bertha, one of the earliest formations ever for a storm so far east in the Atlantic Ocean. Bertha continued west-northwest, and it became a hurricane on the 7th while it was near the Lesser Antilles. Bertha moved through the Leeward Islands next, and, while passing north of Puerto Rico, Bertha rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds, one of only 12 major hurricanes to form before August, and one of only six July major hurricanes, as of 2005. Unfavorable conditions weakened Bertha back to a minimal hurricane shortly after it became a major hurricane.
As Bertha passed to the east of the Bahamas, it turned to the north. Prior to landfall, Bertha reintensified to a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane before making landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on the afternoon of July 12. After landfall, Bertha quickly weakened to a tropical storm, continued up the coast, bringing heavy rainfall and light damage to the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as southern New England. On July 14, Bertha became an extratropical cyclone over New Brunswick.
[edit] Impact
Because Bertha quickly moved through wherever it struck, damage was minimal.
[edit] U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands, which had been devastated by Hurricane Marilyn just 10 months earlier, suffered significant damage from Bertha, and was declared a federal disaster area. Also, in St. Thomas and St. Martin, 2,500 homes were estimated to be destroyed by Bertha.
750,000 people evacuated from coastal areas of South Carolina and North Carolina in anticipation of Bertha.
[edit] North Carolina
Bertha caused light damage in North Carolina, mostly along the beaches. Nearly 6,000 homes were damaged in the state, with 900 of them being declared uninhabitable. $135,000,000in insured damages were reported, with a total estimate of $270,000,000 damage to the United States.
Bertha also killed 12 people, most of them indirectly.
[edit] Lack of Retirement
Due to the minimal damage throughout its path, the name Bertha was not retired in the Spring of 1997 by the World Meteorological Organization, and it was used in the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season, and is on the list of names to be used for the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.
[edit] See Also
1996 Atlantic hurricane season
[edit] References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bertha
