From: jack@cloud3.met.fsu.edu (JACK)
Subject: Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary #56 (August 23 - 30, 1992)
Keywords:  Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon, Hurricane
Reply-To: jack@cloud3.met.fsu.edu
Organization: FSU-Meteorology Department
Distribution:  world
Date: 31 AUG 92 17:33:32    

   This report is compiled from warnings issued by:
      National Hurricane Center
      Central Pacific Hurricane Center
      Naval Western Oceanography Center
      Fiji Meteorological Service
      Joint Typhoon Warning Center
      Japanese Meteorological Agency
      Royal Observatory of Hong Kong
      Indian Meteorological Department
      Reunion Meteorological Service
      Mauritius Meteorological Service
      (others may be added as they become available)


WEEKLY TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY #56: AUGUST 23 - 30, 1992

North Atlantic Basin:

   Hurricane Andrew: Here is as much information as I have on Andrew at the
present time. The National Hurricane Center will be writing a preliminary 
report on the storm that will probably be available sometime in October.
The final summaries on Andrew will be published in Weatherwise, Mariners
Weather Log, and Monthly Weather Review sometime next year. 

   I. Track and Intensity: At the start of the summary period, Andrew was
just east of the Bahamas moving west toward the islands and Florida with
130 kt winds. Maximum sustained winds oscillated between 120-130 kt as
Andrew moved across the northern Bahamas to the Florida coast. The central
pressure, which had bottomed out at 922 mb, rose to 941 mb as Andrew went
through the Bahamas, then dropped to 932 mb just before the eye crossed the
Dade county coastline. Landfall occurred at around 0900 UTC 24 August in 
the Homestead-Cutler Ridge-Perrine area 20-25 miles south of Miami. Andrew
moved quickly across Florida with the eye moving off the west coast south
of Naples around 1300 UTC. The storm entered the Gulf with maximum winds
of 115-120 kt and a central pressure hovering near 945 mb. Little change
in strength occurred for the next 24 hours as Andrew turned to a west-
northwest track. Andrew started deepening again during the afternoon of
25 August as the storm turned northwest toward Louisiana. The central pre-
ssure reached 932 mb before starting to rise again as the central core
moved over the Louisiana coast. Andrew was turning northward as it made
landfall about 0800 UTC 26 August just southwest of Morgan City with central
pressure of 955 mb and maximum winds of 110-120 kt. Andrew then moved north
passing between Lafayette and Baton Rouge later that day while weakening to
a tropical storm. Andrew turned northeast as it moved into Mississippi and
weakened to a depression on 27 August. Andrew weakened to a low pressure
system later that day over northeastern Mississippi and northern Alabama.
While this was the end of Andrew as a tropical cyclone, the remnant low re-
mained identifiable until it was absorbed by a large non-tropical low over
New England on 29 August.

  II. Meteorological Data: Data is rather sketchy so far. In the Bahamas, 
Nassau reported 70 kt winds gusting to 90 kt as Andrew passed to the north. 
In Florida, the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse auotmated station (just southeast of 
Miami) reported northerly winds 121 kt gusting to 143 kt at 0800 UTC 24 
August. This anemometer was mounted 44 m above sea level. Sea level pressure 
at the time was 967.5 mb. At 0803 UTC, the station was reporting gusts to
147 kt when it suddenly stopped reporting. The National Hurricane Center had 
sustained winds in the 100-120 kt range, with a peak gust of 143 kt. This 
anemometer was located on the roof of a 12 story building, and it blew away
during the storm. Miami International Airport estimated 75 kt maximum winds
gusting to 100 kt. The most remarkable detail at this station was that the 
pressure only went down to 992.6 mb 20-25 miles north of a hurricane with a
932 mb central pressure! No other data is available from the region where the
eye passed at this time. In Louisiana, none of the normal reporting land or
automated stations had sustained hurricane force winds. The New Iberia Emer-
gency Operations Center reported sustained winds of 104 kt with gusts to 139
kt, and there are several other unofficial reports of 100-120 kt sustained
winds in the area between New Iberia and Morgan City.

 III. Tornadoes: There are no confirmed reports of tornadoes in Florida as
of this writing. One tornado occurred in La Place, Louisiana (20 miles west
of New Orleans) before Andrew's landfall in Louisiana. One person was re-
ported killed there with 52 homes either damaged or destroyed. Numerous
reports of tornadoes and other severe weather occurred from Louisiana into
the mid-Atlantic states from 26 to 28 August as Andrew (or its remnants)
moved northeastward. At the present time, I do not have a count of how
many tornadoes there were or how much damage occurred. 

  IV. Storm Surge: These figures are almost totally non-existent as of this
writing. There is one report of an 8 foot surge (2.4 m) in southern Bis-
cayne Bay in Florida. More significant storm surge flooding occurred in
Louisiana, but no data is available from there yet.

   V. Impact, Damage, and Casualties: In the Bahamas, hurricane force winds
affected Eleuthera, Nassau, the Biminis, and probably several other north-
ern islands as well. In Florida, hurricane force winds affected Dade and 
mainland Monroe counties. Tropical storm force wind gusts covered the Flor-
ida Keys and as far north as West Palm Beach and Fort Myers. Storm rainfall
in Florida appears to have been less than 5 inches (127 mm) in most places
due to the rapid storm motion. In Louisiana, hurricane force winds occurred
along the central coastal region and northward over the Atchafalaya Swamp 
between Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Tropical storm force winds occurred east
of this over to the New Orleans area. Storm rainfall totals have been as much
as 10 inches (254 mm) over parts of southeastern Louisiana. Further heavy 
rains of up to 5 inches (127 mm) occured along Andrew's track in Missis-
sippi and Alabama.

   Andrew is currently the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Dam-
age estimates in south Florida range up to 20 billion dollars as of this
writing. Damage estimates in Louisiana currently are in the 300-700 million
dollar range. There are no damage estimates from the Bahamas (where severe
damage is known to have occurred on several of the islands) or anywhere
else at the present time.

   Four people have been reported killed in the Bahamas so far. Twenty-five
people are believed dead in south Florida, while one person is known dead 
in Louisiana. These death tolls may go higher before the cleanup is over.
While no figures on the number of homeless are available for Louisiana and
the Bahamas, 150,000-250,000 people are reported homeless in south Florida.

Eastern North Pacific Basin (E of 140 Deg. W): 

   Hurricane Lester: At the start of the summary period, ex-hurricane
Lester was moving northeastward into northwest Mexico with 60 kt winds. The
storm continued northeast into Mexico and quickly dissipated as a tropical
cyclone. However, the remnant low pressure system continued northeastward
and was still identifiable when it moved into Arizona. This system produced
heavy rains and some strong winds over parts of Arizona, and moisture from the
system contributed to heavy rains elsewhere in the central United States. 
While there are no reports of casualties, press reports indicate several 
villages in northwest Mexico near Hermosillo were affected with five thousand
people left homeless.

   Tropical Storm Madeline: Tropical Depression 15E formed near 13N 125W on
27 August. Moving generally west-northwestward, the system reached tropical
storm intensity on 28 August. A peak intensity of 45 kt was reached later
that day. Madeline continued west-northwest through 29 August, then it 
turned to a westerly track on 30 August while weakening. At the end of the
summary period, Madeline was approaching 140W moving west with 35 kt winds.

   Tropical Storm Newton: Tropical Depression 16E formed on 28 August near
11N 110W. Moving west, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Newton 
the next day. Newton continued west through 29 August, then it turned to a
west-northwest track on 30 August. At the end of the summary period, Newton
was moving west-northwest with 45 kt winds, which is the peak intensity of
the storm thus far.

Central North Pacific Basin (180 Deg. W to 140 Deg. W): No tropical cyclones.

Western North Pacific Basin (W of 180 Deg. W):

   Typhoon Omar: Tropical Depression 15W formed near 8N 156E on 24 August.
Moving west-northwest, the system became Tropical Storm Omar the next day.
Omar tunrned more west on 26 August, and it contiuned west on 27 August as
it reached typhoon intensity. Rapid strengthening then occured as the system
headed for Guam. The eye of Omar passed directly over Guam around 0700 UTC
28 August. At 0640 UTC Andersen Air Force Base at the north end of the is-
land report 90 kt sustained northeasterly winds gusting to 130 kt. At 0655 
UTC the base was inside the eye reporting a pressure of 945.8 mb with 28 kt 
easterly winds gusting to 63 kt. The typhoon continued west away from Guam, 
then it turned west-northwest later that day. Omar reached a peak intensity 
of 130 kt on 29 August as it continued west-northwest, then it turned 
northwest on 30 August as it slowly weakened. At the end of the summary 
period, Omar was moving northwest with 115 kt winds. Omar's strike on Guam 
was devastating with one person reported killed and thousands left homeless.
At last report 85% of the island was without power, and, as of this writing,
the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is still out of action. All warnings on Omar
after striking Guam have been issued by the Alternate Joint Typhoon Warning
Center at the Naval Western Oceanography Center in Hawaii.

   Tropical Storm Polly: Tropical Depression 16W formed on 25 August near 
18N 140E. The system moved generally west-northwest as it slowly strengthened
to tropical storm intensity on 27 August. Polly continued west-northwest
through 28 August, then it turned northwest toward Taiwan on 29 August.
Polly crossed the northern end of Taiwan on 30 August with maximum winds of
around 50 kt. At the end of the summary period, Polly was moving north-
northwest over the northern part of the Taiwan Straits with 50 kt winds.
Polly is a large system with many monsoon depression characteristics. Trop-
ical storm force winds occurred over Taiwan, the southwestern Ryukyu Is.,
and much of the adjacent ocean regions. There are numerous ship reports of
40-50 kt winds, with ship 4XGR reporting 60 kt well east of the center at
1200 UTC 30 August. Maximum winds at the land stations on Taiwan were 30-40
kt with higher gusts. Minimum pressure reported was on Taiwan 977 mb, with
several stations reporting pressures below 980 mb. So far, there are no re-
ports of damage or casualties.

North Indian Ocean Basin: No tropical cyclones.

South Indian Ocean Basin (W of 135 Deg. E): No tropical cyclones.

South Pacific Ocean Basin (E of 135 Deg. E): No tropical cyclones.

Disclaimer: While an effort has been made to make sure this information is 
accurate as possible, it was drawn from operational warnings that may not
always agree with the best track information published after the storm is
over. Please address any questions or comments by e-mail to:

                    jack@cloud3.met.fsu.edu.

Past copies of the Tropical Cyclone Weekly Summary can be obtained via e-
mail. Please send an e-mail message if you are interested.
Xref: sparky sci.geo.meteorology:2967 sci.environment:10935