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Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin

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Lake Pontchartrain Atlas:

Table of Contents

Environmental Overview

Environmental Status & Trends

Physical Environments

Biological Resources

Environmental Issues

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

Recent Hurricanes Producing Significant Basin Damage
Tropical Cyclones of the Louisiana Coast
- 1900-1939
- 1940-1979

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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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