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Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin

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Lake Pontchartrain Atlas:
Preface
Table of Contents
Introduction
Environmental Overview
Environmental Status & Trends
Restoration
Physical Environments You are at thePhysical Environments section of the Environmental Atlas of Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Geology
Biological Resources
Environmental Issues
Bibliography
Resources
Contributors
Acronyms
Contact:
Jack Kindinger
Physical Environments: Climate | Hurricane History | Circulation | Wave Climate | Relative Sea Level | Relative Sea Level Rise

Physical Environments - Hurricane History

Contributors: Yamazaki, Penland
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Tropical Cyclones 1980 - 1989
Figure 34: Tropical Cyclones 1980 - 1989

Tropical Cyclones 1990 - 1999
Figure 35: Tropical Cyclones 1990 - 1999

Table 3: Specific Storm information (1980 - 1999)
Storm
Name
Storm
Duration
Max Wind
(mph)
Max Wind
(km/h)
Pressure Min
(mb)
Reported
Landfall
Date
Reported Landfall/
Approach
Chris 09/09 - 09/12/82 63 101.4 994    
Danny 08/12 - 08/20/85 92 148 988 08/16/85 Pecan Island, LA
Elena 08/28 - 09/04/85 127 204.4 953 09/02/85 Gulfport, MS
Juan 10/26 - 11/01/85 86 138.4 971 10/27-31/85 multiple
Beryl 08/08 - 08/10/88 52 83.7 1001    
Florence 09/07 - 09/11/88 81 130.4 983 09/09/88 Port Eads, LA
Gilbert 09/08 - 09/20/88 184 296.1 888 09/14/88 Cozumel, Mexico
Andrew 08/16 - 08/28/92 155 249.4 922 08/26/92 Atchafalya Bay, LA
Danny 07/16 - 07/27/97 81 130.4 984 07/18/97 Grand Isle, LA
Earl 08/31 - 09/08/98 98 157.7 964 09/03/98 Panama City, FL
Frances 09/08 - 09/13/98 63 101.4 990 09/10/98 Matagorda, TX
Georges 09/15 - 10/01/98 155 249.4 937 09/28/98 Pass Christian, MS
Hermine 09/17 - 09/20/98 46 74 999 09/19/98 Cocodrie, LA
* = unknown

Table 4: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Classification Scheme
Category
Minimum Pressure
(mb)
Sustained Wind
(knots)
Sustained Wind
(mph)
Storm Surge
(ft)
Tropical Depression ----- <34 <39 -----
Tropical Storm ----- 34-63 39-73 -----
Category 1 Hurricane >980 64-82 74-95 4-5
Category 2 Hurricane 965-980 83-95 96-110 6-8
Category 3 Hurricane 945-965 96-112 111-130 9-12
Category 4 Hurricane 920-945 113-134 131-155 13-18
Category 5 Hurricane <920 >134 >155 >18

Table 5: Louisiana Hurricane Facts
First Recorded Storm September 1711
Earliest Tropical Storm April 03, 1846
Longest period between storms 18 years (September 1722 - September 1740)
Shortest period between storms 10 days (August 22, 1879 - September 01, 1879)
Most storms in a single year 3 (1860, 1985, 1998)
Highest death total 2,000 (October 1893)
Highest death total this century 556 (Audrey, June 1957)
Most monetary damage $25 billion (Andrew, August 1992)
Most powerful storm at landfall Camille, August 1969 (Category 5)

Table 6: New Orleans Monthly Storm Occurrences* From 1900-1979
Landfall Intensity
May-June
July
Aug
Sep
Oct-Nov
Total
Hurricane 2 3 9 21 5 40
Tropical Storm 8 6 7 21 9 51
Tropical Depression 1 3 2 4 1 11
*All storms passed within 180 nautical miles of New Orleans, LA

Table 7: Frequency of Hurricanes Passing Within 80 Miles of New Orleans, Louisiana
Intensity
Frequency
Category 1 8 years
Category 2 19 years
Category 3 32 years
Category 4 70 years
Category 5 180 years
  
Table 8: Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names That Affected the Louisiana Coast
Andrew, Audrey, Betsy, Camille, Carla, Carmen, Elena, Gilbert, Hilda

Source: Hurricane dataset obtained from the National Hurricane Center website.

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