Tropischer Sturm Katrina (1999)
- This article is about the 1999 tropical storm. For the catastrophic 2005 hurricane, see Hurricane Katrina. For other storms of the same name, see Tropical Storm Katrina.
Tropical Storm Katrina was a weak late-season tropical storm in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the eleventh named storm of the 1999 season.
Katrina formed over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. It was only briefly a tropical storm and was a tropical depression for much of its lifespan, much of it over land. It crossed over Central America exactly one year after the catastrophic Hurricane Mitch, but did little damage.
Storm history
Vorlage:Storm path The system originated from a weak cold front that slowly tracked across the western Caribbean Sea in the fourth week of October. The cold front dissipated but a weak area of low pressure gradually took its place over the next several days. On October 27, a circulation was detected north of Panama as the system gradually organized itself. A reconnaissance aircraft flew into the system on the afternoon of October 28 and found a well-defined low-level circulation east of Bluefields, Nicaragua.[1] The system was declared Tropical Depression Fifteen at that time.[2]
The system was never very well organized, and interaction with the mountainous terrain of Central America slowed down any potential development.[3] High wind shear due to an upper-level ridge of high pressure to the east also hindered development as it approached the coast of Nicaragua.[4] Nonetheless, on the afternoon of October 29, convection briefly increased and the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina.[5] The storm made landfall that evening just south of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, and quickly weakened back to a tropical depression after being a tropical storm for only six hours.[1]
After its first landfall, the depression remained disorganized as it moved northwest, with much of its path being over land.[1] The system managed to survive across Nicaragua and Honduras, emerging in the Gulf of Honduras late on October 30 as a weak tropical depression with 30 mph (45 km/h) winds and a reformed center of circulation. It was described as a "Hallowe'en trick" by Dr. Jack Beven, the forecaster for the National Hurricane Center.[6] Despite being back over water, Katrina failed to strengthen and remained a tropical depression as it made its second landfall on the southeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula early on October 31.[7] It then slowly tracked across the central portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, gradually weakening as another cold front approached out of the Gulf of Mexico.[8] Katrina slowly absorbed itself into the cold front early on November 1 as it entered the Gulf, and was completely absorbed that afternoon while just north of the Yucatan Peninsula.[1]
Preparations
Despite being a very weak storm, forecasters were very nervous about Katrina, as Central America was devastated by Hurricane Mitch exactly one year earlier. There was considerable fear of additional flash flooding and mudslides across the mountainous region.[9]
Impact
References
- ↑ a b c d National Hurricane Center: Preliminary Report: Tropical Storm Katrina. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Fifteen Advisory #1. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Fifteen Discussion #2. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Fifteen Discussion #4. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Katrina Discussion #5. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Katrina Discussion #10. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Katrina Discussion #11. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Tropical Depression Katrina Discussion #14. NOAA, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.
- ↑ USA Today: Katrina a very short-lived storm. Gannett Company, 1999, abgerufen am 16. März 2007.