Tropical Storm Ana (2015)
| Tropical storm (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Tropical Storm Ana approaching South Carolina on May 9
|
|
| Formed | May 8, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | May 12, 2015 |
| (Extratropical after May 11) | |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 60 mph (95 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 998 mbar (hPa); 29.47 inHg |
| Fatalities | 1 direct, 1 indirect |
| Damage | Minimal |
| Areas affected | Southeastern United States |
| Part of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Ana was the earliest recorded tropical cyclone to make landfall in the United States in any given year. A relatively rare pre-season system, Ana was the first tropical storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed as a subtropical cyclone from a non-tropical low north of the Bahamas, and intensified to attain peak winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) before transitioning into a fully tropical cyclone early on May 9. Sustained in part by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, Ana made landfall along the northeast coast of South Carolina early the next morning, becoming the earliest U.S. landfalling system on record. Overall, damage from the storm was minor. Heavy rainfall and gusty winds affected parts of the Carolinas, and some vulnerable beaches endured coastal flooding and several feet of erosion. Gusty winds damaged trees and powerlines, causing sporadic power outages, and a weak tornado was reported in association with Ana. In North Carolina, two deaths—one direct and one indirect—were attributed to the storm.
In the first week of May 2015, a strong cold front became stationary to the north of the Greater Antilles, where warm ocean waters dissipated the temperature gradient across the front. The western section of the front drifted westward as a surface trough of low pressure. Arriving at the Bahamas by May 5, the trough was attended by an expanse of showers and thunderstorms extending from the northwestern Caribbean Sea to southern Florida. A sharp mid- to upper-level trough interacted with the system and facilitated gradual cyclogenesis, and early on May 6, a distinct, non-tropical center of low pressure developed off southeastern Florida. Tracking slowly toward the north over the next two days, the system showed signs of increased organization, and a Hurricane Hunter aircraft found tropical storm-force winds to the north and west of the center on May 7. With the development of deep convection, the system was classified Subtropical Storm Ana at 00:00 UTC on May 8, while situated about 170 mi (270 km) to the south-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Due to its involvement with the upper trough, as well as its large wind field, the system was considered subtropical, as opposed to fully tropical.
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