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Encyclopedia > Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal
Category 4 hurricane

Hurricane Opal approaching Pensacola, Florida
Formed September 27, 1995
Dissipated October 6, 1995
Highest winds 150 mph (240 km/h) sustained
Lowest pressure 919 mbar (hPa)
Damages $5 billion (2005 dollars)
Fatalities 59 direct
Areas affected Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Georgia, most of eastern North America
Part of the
1995 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Opal was a major hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1995. It struck the Yucatan Peninsula, then churned in the Gulf before making landfall a second time on the panhandle region of Florida, devastating the Pensacola area. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes. ... Summary Hurricane Opal approaching Pensacola, Florida on October 4, 1995. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... A millibar (mbar, also mb) is 1/1000th of a bar, a unit for measurement of pressure. ... HPA means Physiology Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis: The hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands work together to regulate hormone levels and maintain homeostasis. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 190 mi/306 km 330 mi/531 km 3. ... The westernmost 16 counties in the state. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... B C D E 6 F G H I J K L 14 M N O P R S T Categories: | ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... Look up September in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... Landfall has two meanings: Landfall, Minnesota the place or time at which a hurricane or waterspout, or even a boat hits land Landfall is also the title of New Zealands most important literary journal. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Nickname: The City of Five Flags Motto: Official website: http://www. ...


Storm history

Storm path
Storm path

The tropical wave that would become Hurricane Opal emerged from the west coast of Africa on September 11. The wave would stay disorganized, and did not begin strengthening until it neared the Yucatan Peninsula, becoming a tropical depression on September 27 while 70 nautical miles (130 km) south-southeast of Cozumel. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x633, 675 KB) Summary Hurricane Opal (1995) track. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x633, 675 KB) Summary Hurricane Opal (1995) track. ... It has been suggested that Easterly wave be merged into this article or section. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... A nautical mile is a unit of length. ... Location of Cozumel State Quintana Roo Presidente municipal Gustavo Ortega Joaquín Area   â€“Land   â€“Water ? km² N/A km² N/A km² Population   â€“Total (2003)   â€“Density about 90,000 (2003) Time zone UTC –6 Latitude Longitude 20°30′ N 86°57′ W Official website: Ayuntamiento de Cozumel Cozumel (Maya: Island...


The depression slowly moved over the Yucatan for the next several days, eventually emerging over the Bay of Campeche, where it was officially upgraded to tropical storm strength. After languishing for days and nearly dying out from the ocean-cooling effect of its own rainfall, it rapidly intensified and began moving north across the Gulf of Mexico. It reached Category 4 hurricane status with sustained winds of 130 knots and a central pressure of 919 mb (the lowest ever recorded in a hurricane that never reached Category 5 intensity), possibly due to crossing the Loop Current, but weakened to a minimal Category 3 hurricane by the time of landfall at Pensacola Beach, Florida on October 4. Categories: Stub | Seas | Geography of Mexico ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... A millibar (mbar, also mb) is 1/1000th of a bar, a unit for measurement of pressure. ... Gulf Stream currents. ... The iconic Pensacola Beach ball. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ...


Opal remained a hurricane for nearly 12 hours after landfall, its rapid forward speed propelling it the entire length of Alabama before being downgraded to a tropical storm as it crossed into Tennessee. Over the following 12 hours, it was not downgraded to a tropical depression until it reached Ohio, and not declared extratropical until reaching Canada, where it still managed to bring squally conditions. Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 195 km 710 km 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Extratropical is a term used in advisories and tropical summaries to indicate that a cyclone has lost its tropical characteristics. ... A squall or squall line is an organized line of thunderstorms. ...


Impact

Deaths from Hurricane Opal
Country Deaths
Guatemala 31
Mexico 19
USA 9
Total 59

Opal killed 59 people: 31 in Guatemala and 19 in Mexico from flooding, and nine in the United States. One was killed in Florida by a tornado. The other eight were killed from falling trees in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. No deaths were reported from storm surge, which experts consider unusual due to the storm's strength and the location of landfall. Union City, Oklahoma tornado (1973) A tornado is a violent spinning storm typically shaped like a funnel with the narrow end on the ground. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 190 mi/306 km 330 mi/531 km 3. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... ...


Opal caused $3 billion dollars in damage, making it the sixth costliest hurricane of the 20th century. Only Hurricane Fran ($3.5 billion), Hurricane Fifi ($5 billion), Hurricane Hugo ($7 billion), Hurricane Andrew ($26 billion), and several storms of the 2004 and 2005 seasons caused more damage. Hurricane Fran was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall near Cape Fear in North Carolina at Category 3 strength. ... Hurricane Fifi-Orlene, usually known as just Hurricane Fifi was a catastrophic storm the 1974 Atlantic and was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin. ... Hurricane Hugo was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck Puerto Rico, St. ... Hurricane Andrew was one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit the United States. ...


Damage was heavy all the way inland to Montgomery, Alabama where winds reached 90 MPH or 145 km/h. Beginning the evening of October 4, numerous power outages were reported in metro Atlanta, where sustained tropical storm conditions overnight (including gusts to nearly 70 MPH or 110km/h) felled thousands of trees. Oaks were particularly susceptible, as their root systems were loosened by nearly two days of rain thrown against an approaching cold front by the storm. Inland can mean: Inland Fräkne Hundred - a hundred of Bahusia in Sweden Inland Northern Hundred - a hundred of Bahusia in Sweden Inland Southern Hundred - a hundred of Bahusia in Sweden Inland Torpe Hundred - a hundred of Bahusia in Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... A power outage is the loss of the electricity supply to an area. ... According to the 2000 census, the 28-county Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area has a population of 4,247,981 making it the eleventh largest metropolitan area in the United States. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... In meteorology, a weather front is a boundary between two air masses with differing characteristics (e. ...


Significant flooding and blackouts were caused by the storm as far north as Buffalo, New York. Nickname: Motto: Official website: Buffalo, NY Location Location of Buffalo in New York State Government County Erie County Mayor Byron Brown Geographical characteristics Area Total 136. ...


The name Opal was retired in the spring of 1996 and was replaced with Olga in the 2001 season. Opal was the first of only 5 storms to be assigned a name beginning with 'O' since hurricane naming began in the Atlantic in 1950. 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the northern hemisphere. ... The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the northern hemisphere. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...


See also

   
Tropical cyclones Portal
Tropical cyclones of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
O
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS 1 2 3 4 5

  Results from FactBites:
 
Hurricane Opal - definition of Hurricane Opal in Encyclopedia (448 words)
Hurricane Opal was a major hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1995.
It reached category-four hurricane status, with sustained winds of 130 knots, but weakened to a minimal category-three hurricane by the time of landfall at Pensacola Beach, Florida on October 3.
Opal remained a hurricane for nearly 12 hours after landfall, its rapid forward speed propelling it the entire length of Alabama before being downgraded to a tropical storm as it crossed into Tennessee.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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