page_title: Hurricane Chantal (1989)
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Chantal (1989) / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleTDTS12345 English: Hurricane Chantal (1989) track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: Hurricane Chantal was one of three tropical cyclones to make landfall in Texas during the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season. The third named storm and the first hurricane of the season, Chantal slowly developed on July 30 in the southern Gulf of Mexico from a tropical disturbance that was previously within Intertropical Convergence Zone while near Trinidad and Tobago. While heading north-northwestward, the depression steadily intensified and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Chantal on the following day. Thereafter, Chantal quickly strengthen and became a hurricane on August 1. After intensifying slightly further, Chantal made landfall near High Island, Texas later that day. The storm quickly weakened upon moving inland and fell to tropical storm intensity a few hours after landfall. Early on August 2, Chantal weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated over Oklahoma by August 4.
  While making landfall in Texas, the storm produced relatively small tides, with most locations reporting waves less than 4 feet in height. However, some locations experienced extensive beach erosion. In addition, there were numerous rescues made by the U.S. Coast Guard.
context_section_description: The origins of Hurricane Chantal can be tracked back to a tropical disturbance within the Intertropical Convergence Zone near Trinidad and Tobago on July 24. The system crossed westward over the Caribbean Sea, and there were no signs of organization until July 27 near the coast of Honduras. Despite the predictions for slow development from the tropical weather outlooks, it was possible that the system developed a surface low center near Belize City, Belize late on July 28. After the system moved inland over the Yucatán Peninsula, it became disorganized, although the National Hurricane Center indicated in the tropical weather outlook that once it moved into the Gulf of Mexico there was potential for development. Although the outflow of the system had appeared impressive on satellite images, the potential for development seemed uncertain, mostly due to the close proximity to land. The storm quickly became better organized based on satellite data and ship reports. 
  Almost immediately after emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on July 30, the cloud pattern of system quickly became better organized. Later after emerging into the Gulf of Mexico, ships and satellite images confirmed that Tropical Depression Four had formed offshore of the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula; although it was likely that the depression formed 80 miles (129 km) north of the Yucatán Peninsula several hours earlier than confirmed. The following morning after development occurred, the depression had intensified into a tropical storm 575 miles (920 km) southeast of Texas; the National Hurricane Center assigned it to the name Chantal. Although it became a tropical storm early that morning, the system was not upgraded to a tropical storm until a reconnaissance flight confirmed tropical storm force winds about six hours later, when sustained winds were already 50 mph (85 km/h). Tropical Storm Chantal rapidly strengthened thereafter, with weather satellites indicating t–numbers increasing from 2.5 to 3.5 within twelve hours using the Dvorak technique. Chantal continued to intensify, and headed northwestward at 11 mph (18 km/h) due to weak ridging over Florida.
  Later on July 31, satellite imagery revealed better organization, and another reconnaissance flight found winds at 91 mph (151 km/h) while flying at 1500 feet (457 m). Based on these observations, it was estimated that Chantal had intensified into a hurricane early on August 1. Hurricane Chantal continued to intensify, slightly, and attained its peak intensity on August 1 at 1000 UTC, reaching maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 986 mbar (29.1 inHg). Only three hours thereafter, Hurricane Chantal made landfall near High Island, Texas with winds still at 80 mph (130 km/h). Chantal rapidly weakened to a tropical storm at 1800 UTC on August 2, just five hours after landfall, and quickly degenerated to a tropical depression early on August 2. Tropical Depression continued its course and eventually dissipated over western Oklahoma on August 3. The remnants of Chantal then moved northward over the Great Plains and was tracked northward over New York, eventually reaching New England and Newfoundland just before Hurricane Dean approached.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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