Hurricane Flora - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

A disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone organized into a tropical depression on September 26 while located about 755 miles (1,215 km) southwest of the island of Fogo in the Cape Verde Islands. Upon forming, the depression had a poorly-organized circulation with banding features to its north and east. The depression moved west-northwestward, and the system failed to organize significantly by a day after developing. On September 27, the banding features dissipated, though the area of convection around the center increased. Satellite imagery was unavailable until September 30, during which there were not sufficient ship reports to indicate the presence of a low-level circulation. The depression continued west-northwestward, and it is estimated it intensified into Tropical Storm Flora on September 29 while located about 560 miles (900 km) east-southeast of Trinidad, or about 350 miles (560 km) north of Cayenne, French Guiana. Operationally, advisories were not initiated until a day later.

Flora quickly intensified after it became a tropical storm, and early on September 30 it attained hurricane status. Later that day, Reconnaissance Aircraft confirmed the existence of the hurricane, with the flight reporting a well-defined, circular 8-mile (13 km) wide eye. One observer noted Flora to be the best organized tropical cyclone over the previous two years. After attaining major hurricane status, Flora passed directly over the island of Tobago late on the 30th with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h). The hurricane continued west-northwestward as it entered the Caribbean, and early on October 2 it reached winds of 140 miles per hour (230 km/h). Thirty hours later, Flora intensified slightly further and attained peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) while located about 105 miles (169 km) south of the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

After turning to the northwest, Hurricane Flora maintained its peak strength, and made landfall in the Sud Department of Haiti late on October 3 as a 145 mph (233 km/h) Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale with gusts from 180 to 200 miles per hour (290 to 320 km/h). The calm of the eye lasted for up to 70 minutes in one location. After quickly weakening to a 120 mph (190 km/h) hurricane, Flora turned more to the west in the Windward Passage, and restrengthened slightly to strike southeastern Cuba about 30 miles (48 km) east of Guantanamo Bay with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h). A high pressure system to its north turned the motion of the hurricane to a westward drift, causing it to weaken quickly over land. Flora neared the north coast of Cuba on October 4 before turning to the south. It executed a cyclonic loop and entered the coastal waters off the Granma Province. An anticyclone to the west of Flora turned the hurricane to the north, bringing it ashore near Santa Cruz del Sur on October 7 with winds of around 90 mph (140 km/h). Flora initially turned southeastward over central Cuba, and late on October 8 a short-wave trough turned the hurricane northeastward, bringing it into the coastal waters of the Holguín Province. Flora remained a hurricane while drifting over land due to abundant moisture and a favorable upper level environment.

After passing over the southeastern Bahamas early on October 9, Flora began to restrengthen, and on October 10 it again reached major hurricane status while located 290 miles (470 km) south of Bermuda. The hurricane gradually weakened as it continued northeastward, and weakened to a Category 1 hurricane on October 11. Flora gradually lost its convection over the north Atlantic Ocean, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 12 while located 270 miles (430 km) east-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The extratropical remnant dissipated the next day.