Hurricane Danny (1997)

Hurricane Danny

hurricane
Formed	July 16, 1997
Dissipated	July 26, 1997

Hurricane Danny was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States during the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. Danny is most noted for its extreme rainfall it produced on its path, causing four fatalities and $100 million dollars in damage. Danny brought about the end of a busy early start of the season, and became the earliest 5th tropical or subtropical storm of a season when it reached tropical storm strength on July 17. This record was broken in 2005 when Tropical Storm Emily attained tropical storm status on July 12. Another unusual fact of Danny was its extended northeast track through the Gulf of Mexico, a rare occurrence in the middle of July caused by due to two high pressure systems.

Storm history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

Map key

Saffir–Simpson scale

  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown

Storm type

Tropical cyclone

Subtropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

Like the previous 4 tropical cyclones of the 1997 season, Danny's origin was non-tropical. A broad mid-tropospheric trough over the southeastern United States spawned an area of convection over the lower Mississippi River Valley in mid-July, and drifted southward towards the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Deep convection became organized near a cyclonic circulation, and the system was declared Tropical Depression Four on July 16 while about 150 miles south of the Louisiana coastline. The depression slowly organized as it drifted to the northeast, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Danny on July 17.

Throughout the night of July 17 and the 18th, Danny quickly developed deep convection and banding features in favorable environment of the Gulf of Mexico, and reached hurricane status later on the 18th. Stuck between two high pressure systems, Danny continued its unusual July track to the northeast, and crossed over southeastern Louisiana near the Mississippi River Delta. A small storm, Danny continued to strengthen after again reaching the Gulf of Mexico on the night of the 18th, and attained a peak of 80 mph early on the 19th.

Tropical Storm Danny south of Massachusetts

After stalling near the mouth of the Mobile Bay on July 19, Hurricane Danny turned to the east, and made its final landfall near Mullet Point, Alabama later that day. The storm rapidly weakened as it continued northward, and was only a tropical depression by the 20th. The weak depression moved through Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, maintaining a well-defined cloud signature. Due to a front behind the system, Danny strengthened baroclinically over North Carolina to a tropical storm on the 24th. It quickly reached a secondary peak of 60 mph, and continued rapidly northeastward. A strong mid to upper-level cyclone brought Danny northward, threatening Massachusetts. It stalled while just 30 miles southeast of Nantucket on July 26, turned to the east out to sea, and became extratropical later that day.

Impact

File:Hurricane Danny- Flooding.JPG

Flooding along the Fish River near Marlow, Alabama

Like other slow-moving tropical cyclones, Danny produced extreme amounts of rainfall over Louisiana and Alabama. The highest amount was 36.71 inches, located at Dauphin Island. Reportedly, this is the largest hurricane-related rainfall ever recorded in Alabama, and is among the largest in the United States. Much of the extreme rainfall was confined to a small radius near the center of the small storm, and limited the flooding, which could have been disastrous if it were widespread. Click here for the storm total rainfall graphic: [1]

File:Hurricane Danny- Damage.JPG

Coastal damage in the aftermath of the hurricane

In addition to the rainfall, Danny caused a 6.5 foot storm surge in one location, though surge caused relatively little impact. Unusually, when Danny stalled off the coast of Alabama, prevailing northerly winds forced the water out of Mobile Bay, causing tides to be two feet below normal. Observers also noted that, with the exception of river channels, it would be possible to walk across the bay. Despite its effects in the northern Gulf of Mexico, only one person was directly killed from the storm here: a man drowning off the coast when he fell off of his sailboat. One indirect casualty occurred in the area, when a man had a heart attack while trying to secure a boat during the storm. In addition, two tornadoes occurred in Alabama.

Though Danny's impact was severely reduced when it reached Georgia and the Carolinas, it still managed to cause 8-12 inches of rain as it drifted through the western portion of the states. The heavy rains caused two people to drown in Charlotte. South Carolina received tornadic activity as well, one of which killed a woman in Lexington County. Four indirect deaths occurred from traffic accidents during the storm's onslaught.

Rainfall totals from Hurricane Danny

Danny also spawned several tornadoes and waterspouts over Virginia; most of them occurred in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton. The tornadoes damaged homes and businesses but there were no deaths. [2] Elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic states, a severe drought was in place during the month of July. Copious rainfall amounts helped bring a minor relief to the drought. Strong winds were experienced in southeastern Massachusetts, though damage was minor. [3]

Because Danny was a small storm, it caused a damage toll of only $100 million (1997 US dollars), likely a lower amount than if a larger storm were to repeat it. It caused a total of 4 direct deaths and 6 indirect deaths.

Lack of retirement

The name Danny was not retired and it was re-used in the 2003 and will be again in 2009.

See also

• List of notable Atlantic hurricanes

External links

• NHC Danny report
• HPC Danny rainfall report
• Hurricane Danny
• of Danny spawns tornadic thunderstorms
• Virginan Piliot map of Tornado sightings
• Tropical Storm Danny visits Portsmouth
• North Effectts