Hurricane Dennis (1981)

Hurricane Dennis

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Dennis off the North Carolina coastline
Formed	August 7, 1981
Dissipated	August 22, 1981
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 80 mph (130 km/h)
Lowest pressure	995 mbar (hPa); 29.38 inHg
Fatalities	No fatalities reported
Damage	$17 million (1981 USD)
Areas affected	Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Isle of Youth, Cuba, The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, Carolinas, Virginia
Part of the 1981 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Dennis was the most damaging storm of the 1981 Atlantic hurricane season which took twelve and a half days to reach hurricane status. The tropical wave that later would become Dennis moved off the African coastline on August 5. By August 7 a tropical depression developed, which quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Dennis, the 4th named storm of the 1981 season. As Dennis approached the Caribbean Sea, strong upper level winds degenerated the storm back into a tropical wave by August 11. On August 15 Dennis regained tropical storm status as it crossed Cuba and moved into the Straits of Florida. On the 18th and 19 August, Dennis traversed the Florida peninsula as a weak tropical storm and later moved offshore. Dennis then skirted the Carolinas and briefly reached hurricane strength before being declared extratropical on August 22.

Dennis left $15 million (1981 USD, $34.4 million in 2007 USD) in damage to the agriculture to Florida, with minor rainfall and effects farther north up the coast.

Hurricane Dennis formed from a tropical system that was well organized after entering the Atlantic Ocean from Africa on August 5. The system quickly intensified and became a tropical depression on August 7 as it headed westward. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Dennis about 12 hours later. Dennis continued westward as a tropical storm for three days before entering an area of wind shear, which weakened the system. Dennis was downgraded to a tropical depression on August 11, and after entering the Caribbean Sea, weakening into a tropical wave. The wave continued westward, passing to the south of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands before turning to the northeast towards Cuba. The wave made landfall in Jamaica before stalling near Cuba.

While it was stationary, the tropical wave began to come back together, strengthening into Tropical Depression Dennis on August 15. The system quickly re-attained tropical storm status and crossed over Cuba. Slower, yet constant strengthening occurred, and Dennis began to form an eye on satellite photos. Dennis made landfall near Key West on August 18 and crossed across the state. During the day and the day after, Dennis crossed Florida and headed up the east coast. On August 21, Dennis turned away from the coast and strengthened into a hurricane, peaking at 80 mph (130 kilometres) that day. Dennis moved over colder waters and became extratropical on August 22.