Timeline of the
1974 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedJune 22, 1974
Last system dissipatedNovember 12, 1974
Strongest system
NameCarmen
Maximum winds150 mph (240 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure928 mbar (hPa; 27.4 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameCarmen
Duration12 days
Storm articles
Other years
1972, 1974, 1980

The 1974 Atlantic hurricane season was a cycle of the annual tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. There was near-average activity during the season,[nb 1] which officially began on June 1, 1974 and ended on November 30, 1974. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical systems form.[2] The first system of the season, Tropical Depression One, formed on June 22. The final system of the season, Tropical Depression Seventeen, dissipated on November 11.

The 1974 season produced twenty tropical or subtropical depressions, of which eleven reached tropical (7) or subtropical (4) storm intensity. Four of the tropical storms became hurricanes, of which two became major hurricanes.[nb 2] At Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale, Hurricane Carmen was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season. It threatened two densely populated areas during its duration, Belize City, Belize and New Orleans, Louisiana, but veered away at the last moment each time. Even so, the storm caused much flooding and crop damage in and around the Yucatán Peninsula and Gulf Coast of the United States.[4] The deadliest cyclone of 1974 was Hurricane Fifi (Category 2), which killed 6,000–8,000 people in Honduras, making it one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes on record.[5] As a result of their intensity and damage caused, the names Carman and Fifi were subsequently retired from reuse in the North Atlantic by the World Meteorological Organization.[6]

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.

By convention, meteorologists one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[7] In this time line, all information is listed by UTC first with the respective local time included in parentheses.

Timeline

Subtropical Storm Four (1974)Hurricane Fifi–OrleneHurricane CarmenTropical Storm Alma (1974)Subtropical Storm One (1974)Saffir–Simpson scale

June

June 1

Tracking map of Tropical Depression One

June 22

Tracking map of Subtropical Storm One.

June 24

June 25

June 26

July

Tracking map of Tropical Depression Two.

July 13

Image of Subtropical Storm Two on July 17, 1974, at peak strength.

July 16

July 17

July 18

July 20

Tracking map of Tropical Depression Three.

July 31

August

August 2

Image of Subtropical Storm Three at peak strength.

August 10

August 12

August 13

Tracking map of Tropical Storm Alma.

August 14

August 15

Tracking map of Tropical Depression Five.

August 24

August 26

Image of Hurricane Becky at peak intensity on August 30, 1974.

August 28

August 29

August 30

August 31

September

September 1

Hurricane Carmen at landfall in Belize on September 2

September 2

Image of Tropical Storm Dolly at peak intensity on September 4.

September 3

September 4

Tracking map of long-lived Tropical Depression Eight.

September 5

September 6

September 7

September 8

Image of Tropical Storm Elaine on September 10 while at peak intensity.

September 9

September 10

September 11

Tracking map of Hurricane Fifi–Orlene. This storm is just the sixth storm to survive the passage to the Pacific Ocean since records began in 1851.[18]

September 16

September 17

September 18

September 20

September 22

September 23

September 27

September 28

Image of Tropical Storm Gertrude on September 28.

September 29

September 30

October

October 2

October 4

Tracking map of Subtropical Storm Four.

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

October 30

November

November 2

November 10

November 12

November 30

See also

Notes

  1. ^ An average Atlantic hurricane season, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has 12 tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.[1]
  2. ^ Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale are considered major hurricanes.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Background Information: North Atlantic Hurricane Season". College Park, Maryland: NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Dorst, Neal (June 1, 2018). "Hurricane Season Information". Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricanes. Miami, Florida: NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale". nhc.noaa.gov. Miami Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Hope, John R. (April 1975). "Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1974". Monthly Weather Review. American Meteorological Society. 103 (4): 285–293. Bibcode:1975MWRv..103..285H. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1975)103<0285:AHSO>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Rappaport, Edward N.; Fernandez-Partagas, Jose (May 28, 1995). "The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492–1996". Updated April 22, 1997 by Jack Beven. Miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  6. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names". miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "Understanding the Date/Time Stamps". miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Non Developing Tropical Depressions 1967–87". National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2009-06-16.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ a b c d "HURDAT Best Track for Subtropical Storm One". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  10. ^ a b c d "HURDAT Best Track for Subtropical Storm Two". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  11. ^ a b c "HURDAT Best Track for Subtropical Storm Three". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "HURDAT Best Track for Tropical Storm Alma". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "HURDAT Best Track for Hurricane Becky". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "HURDAT Best Track for Hurricane Carmen". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  15. ^ a b c "HURDAT Best Track for Tropical Storm Dolly". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  16. ^ a b c d "HURDAT Best Track for Tropical Storm Elaine". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h "HURDAT Best Track Data for Hurricane Fifi". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  18. ^ "Atlantic Tropical Cyclones 1851–2008". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "HURDAT Best Track for Hurricane Gertrude". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "HURDAT Best Track for Subtropical Storm Four". Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database. Retrieved 2009-06-17.