Floyd Hurricane Hur-ri-cane (n) 1. A tropical cyclone usually involving heavy rains And winds exceeding 74 mph. (119 kph. ) From carib huracan What is a hurricane? Encarta defines it as a tropical cyclone with winds up to 74 mph (119 kph.
) To many people it means destruction. Hurricane Floyd caused tremendous destruction to America as well as set it back a few million. Stay with me as we track the storm. Tropical Storm Floyd forms in Atlantic Washington September 8, 1999 – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Tropical Storm Floyd, the sixth named storm of the season, formed about 800 miles east of the Leeward Islands. Floyd had maximum winds of 40 mph and was forecast to intensify to minimal hurricane strength with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
Tropical storm force winds extended up to 85 miles from the center of the storm. The system moved west-northwest at 16 mph and forecasters expected Floyd to continue along this track for 72 hours. Floyd was in an area very favorable for development and satellite images indicated the system was strengthening. The center of the system was not yet well defined, but forecasters believed Floyd could reach major hurricane strength with maximum sustained winds of 112 mph or more after 72 hours.
Tropical Storm Floyd Continues to Intensify Washington, September 9, 1999 — The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Tropical Storm Floyd was located about 450 miles east of the Leeward Islands. The strong tropical storm and had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. NHC Forecasters expected the system to reach minimal hurricane strength within the next 24 hours and thought it will be a strong Category II hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 109 mph within 72 hours. Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 115 miles from the center of the storm.
Floyd moved toward the west-northwest at 15 mph and was expected to continue this motion. NHC expected Floyd to pass well north of the Leeward Islands. Floyd Now a Hurricane Washington, September 10, 1999 — National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded Floyd to a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. As of 8:00 AM EDT, the system was located about 210 miles east-northeast of Barbuda in the northern Leeward Islands.
Some of Floyd’s outer rain bands were already over part of the islands. Data from Air Force Hurricane Hunters flights indicated Floyd was strengthening and was forecasted to intensify to a Category III hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph by early Monday morning. Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 175 miles from the center of the storm. Floyd moved toward the west-northwest at 12 mph and forecasters expected it to continue along this path for the remainder of that day, keeping the center of the storm north of the Leeward Islands. However, they cautioned that any deviation to the left of the forecasted track would bring tropical storm conditions to the northern most islands of the northeastern Caribbean.
Hurricane Floyd at Category IV, Threatens Southeast U. S. Coast Washington, September 13, 1999 — The National Hurricane Center reported Hurricane Floyd was a dangerous Category IV hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. As of 5 a. m.
Tuesday, Floyd was located 245 miles east of San Salvador in the Central Bahamas moving at 14 mph to the west. Hurricane force winds (75 mph and greater) extend outward from the center of the storm up to 105 miles. Tropical storm force winds (39 mph and greater) extended outward up to 290 miles from the center. Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft found Floyd’s minimum central pressure at 922 MB, a drop of 39 MB over 24 hours. NHC forecasters project Floyd could make landfall somewhere along the Southeast U. S.
Coast from Florida’s east coast north to the Carolinas sometime between Wednesday and Thursday, depending on its exact track. The NHC forecast called for Floyd to continue on its westerly track for the next 36 hours, then begin a gradual turn to the west-northwest. The rate of this turn was dependent upon the effect of a high-pressure ridge to the north. NHC posted hurricane warnings for the Northwest Bahamas, including the Abaco .
