Hurricane Lenny
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Lenny at peak intensity to the south of Saint Croix on November 17
|
|
| Formed | November 13, 1999 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | November 23, 1999 |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 155 mph (250 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 933 mbar (hPa); 27.55 inHg |
| Fatalities | 17 direct |
| Damage | $685.8 million (1999 USD) |
| Areas affected | Colombia, Puerto Rico, Leeward Islands |
| Part of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Lenny is the second-strongest November Atlantic hurricane on record, behind a hurricane in 1932. It was the twelfth tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny formed on November 13 in the western Caribbean Sea and maintained an unprecedented west-to-east track for its entire duration. It attained hurricane status south of Jamaica on November 15 and passed south of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico over the next few days. Lenny rapidly intensified over the northeastern Caribbean on November 17, attaining peak winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) about 21 mi (34 km) south of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. It gradually weakened while moving through the Leeward Islands, eventually dissipating on November 23 over the open Atlantic Ocean.
Before moving through the Lesser Antilles, Lenny produced rough surf that killed two people in northern Colombia. Strong winds and rainfall resulted in heavy crop damage in southeastern Puerto Rico. Despite the hurricane's passage near Saint Croix at peak intensity, damage on the small island was only described as "moderate", although there was widespread flooding and erosion. Damage in the United States territories totaled about $330 million. The highest precipitation total was 34.12 in (867 mm) at the police station on the French side of Saint Martin. On the island, the hurricane killed three people and destroyed more than 200 properties. In nearby Antigua and Barbuda, the hurricane killed one person; torrential rainfall there contaminated the local water supply. Significant storm damage occurred as far south as Grenada, where high surf isolated towns from the capital city.
...
Wikipedia