Hurricane Michelle
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Michelle at peak intensity on November 3
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| Formed | October 29, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | November 6, 2001 |
| (Extratropical after November 5) | |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 933 mbar (hPa); 27.55 inHg |
| Fatalities | 22 direct, 62 missing |
| Damage | $2 billion (2001 USD) |
| Areas affected | |
| Part of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Michelle was the fourth costliest tropical cyclone in Cuban history and strongest of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. The thirteenth named storm and seventh hurricane that year, Michelle developed from a tropical wave that had traversed into the western Caribbean Sea on October 29; the wave had initially moved off the coast of Africa 13 days prior. In its early developmental stages, the depression meandered over Nicaragua, later paralleling the Mosquito Coast before intensifying into tropical storm intensity on November 1; Michelle was upgraded to hurricane strength the following day. Shortly after, rapid intensification ensued within favorable conditions, with the storm's central barometric pressure dropping 51 mbar (hPa; 1.51 inHg) in 29 hours. After a slight fluctuation in strength, Michelle reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mbar (hPa; 27.55 inHg). At roughly the same time, the hurricane began to accelerate northeastward; this brought the intense hurricane to a Cuban landfall within the Bay of Pigs later that day. Crossing over the island, Michelle was weakened significantly, and was only a Category 1 hurricane upon reentry into the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane later transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over The Bahamas on November 5, before being absorbed by a cold front the following day.
Hurricane Michelle caused widespread devastation across the western Caribbean during its eight-day trek. As a tropical wave, torrential rainfall occurred across Jamaica, causing mudslides and killing two people. Damage in the island country was estimated at $18 million. When the storm drifted over areas of Central America early in its existence, heavy rains isolated numerous villages and damaged infrastructure, impacting areas affected by Hurricane Mitch roughly three years prior. In Honduras and Nicaragua, 14 people were killed, with an additional 62 people unaccounted for. In the Cayman Islands, areas were impacted by strong storm surge and flooding, particularly in Grand Cayman, where damage was totaled $28 million.
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Wikipedia