Hurricane Florence (1994)

Hurricane Florence

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Florence at peak intensity
Formed	November 2, 1994
Dissipated	November 8, 1994
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 110 mph (175 km/h)
Lowest pressure	972 mbar (hPa); 28.7 inHg
Fatalities	None reported
Damage	None
Areas affected	Central Atlantic
Part of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Florence was a strong, late season hurricane that remained out over the open waters of the Central Atlantic for nearly a week, before being absorbed into a large extratropical cyclone. With peak winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 972 mbar (hPa; 28.71 inHg), Florence was the strongest storm of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. Florence developed out of an area of low pressure associated with a stalled frontal system located 1,150 mi (1,850 km) east-southeast of Bermuda in late October. The system gradually became better organized and was classified a subtropical depression on November 2. The storm intensified into a subtropical storm shortly thereafter before weakening to a depression the next day.

After gaining tropical characteristics throughout most of the day on November 3, the storm was designated Tropical Depression Eleven. The depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Florence, the sixth named storm of the season. The storm briefly underwent rapid intensification, strengthening into a hurricane, before leveling out as a Category 1 hurricane. Florence was subsequently upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane on November 7. However, a large extratropical cyclone located to the north caused the hurricane to rapidly accelerate, with forward speeds reaching 58 mph (93 km/h). By the next day, Florence lost its identity, while still producing hurricane-force winds, as it was absorbed by the extratropical cyclone.

The origins of Florence can be traced back to an area of low pressure which developed in late October along a stationary front located 1,150 mi (1,850 km) east-southeast of Bermuda. The low gradually detached from the front and began developing convective banding features. The system was not fully tropical as the strongest winds were recorded a couple hundred miles from the center, leading to the system being classified a subtropical cyclone on the morning of November 2. Minor intensification followed shortly after and the subtropical depression was upgraded to a subtropical storm. This was based on ship reports of 40 mph (65 km/h) sustained winds associated with the system. By November 3, the storm became slightly disorganized and was downgraded to a subtropical depression. By the afternoon, the subtropical system began to undergo a transition from a subtropical system to tropical system. Later that day, the storm was classified Tropical Depression Eleven while located 875 mi (1,400 km) east-southeast of Bermuda. The depression was moving towards the northwest at 8 mph (13 km/h) and the same general motion was expected as a large upper-level low situated over the system was forecast to move towards the northeast, leading to Eleven moving around the periphery of the low.