Cyclone Orson
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Satellite image of Cyclone Orson near peak intensity
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| Formed | 17 April 1989 |
| Dissipated | 24 April 1989 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 250 km/h (155 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 904 hPa (mbar); 26.7 inHg (Fourth lowest pressure in Australian basin) |
| Fatalities | 5 direct |
| Damage | $16.8 million (1989 USD) |
| Areas affected | Western Australia |
| Part of the 1988–89 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Orson was the fourth most intense cyclone ever recorded in the Australian region. Forming out of a tropical low on 17 April 1989, Orson gradually intensified as it tracked towards the west. After attaining Category 5 intensity on 20 April, the storm began to track southward and accelerated. The following day, the cyclone reached its peak intensity with winds of 250 km/h (155 mph 10-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 904 hPa (mbar). Orson maintained this intensity for nearly two days before making landfall near Dampier. The cyclone rapidly weakened after landfall as it accelerated to the southeast. After moving into the Great Australian Bight on 24 April, the storm dissipated.
Despite Orson's extreme intensity, damage was relatively minimal as it struck a sparsely populated region of Western Australia. Five people were killed offshore and damages amounted to A$20 million (US$16.8 million). The storm damaged a new gas platform that explored a possible oil field, believed to contain nearly 200 million barrels (32,000,000 m3) of oil. The damage delayed the project for nearly two weeks. The most severe impacts took place in Pannawonica, where 70 homes were damaged. Following the storm, cleanup costs reached A$5 million (US$4.1 million). Due to the severity of the storm, the name Orson was retired after the season.
Cyclone Orson originated out of a tropical low, monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, that formed northwest of Darwin, Australia on 17 April 1989. The system tracked southwest throughout the day before turning due west and strengthening into a tropical cyclone, at which time it received the name Orson. At this time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also began monitoring the storm as Tropical Storm 28S. The forward motion of the storm gradually slowed as it intensified and on 19 April, Orson attained Category 3 status on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, classifying Orson as a severe tropical cyclone. Later that day, as the storm attained Category 4 status, an eye developed. By this time, Orson began to turn towards the southwest and on 20 April, the storm intensified into a Category 5 cyclone with winds of 210 km/h (130 mph 10-minute sustained).
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Wikipedia