1972 Atlantic hurricane season: Encyclopedia II - 1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Storms

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Storms

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Subtropical Storm Alpha

Subtropical Storm Alpha developed from a cold-core (extratropical) low in late May off the Florida coast. As the low moved northeastward, it warmed a little, and became Subtropical Depression One. It turned sharply southward on May 26 due to a building ridge of high pressure. The same day it became Subtropical Storm Alpha, and it moved toward the Georgia coast. After reaching its peak of 70 mph, Alpha weakened, but managed to hit near Brunswick, Georgia as a 45 mph subtropical storm. Alpha dissipated over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on May 29.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Hurricane Agnes

Main article Hurricane Agnes

Hurricane Agnes was a large June Gulf of Mexico hurricane that formed over the Yucatan Peninsula on June 14. It moved northward, reaching and maintaining hurricane intensity prior to landfall on the Florida Panhandle. Agnes reintensified over North Carolina, and in combination with an extratropical low to its west, brought very heavy rains to the Mid-Atlantic. Agnes dissipated on June 23 after causing over $3 billion in damage (1970 dollars). It held the record for most expensive hurricane until Andrew bulldozed Florida and Louisiana twenty years later.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Hurricane Betty

The precursor of Hurricane Betty was a subtropical depression that developed from a decaying cold front on August 22, located 200 miles north-northeast of Bermuda. Initially a small cyclone, only 30-40 miles in diamater, the depression grew as it strengthened and moved eastward, becoming Subtropical Storm Bravo on August 24. On August 25, the broad wind field became more compact, and it was named Tropical Storm Betty. On August 27 it became a hurricane, and on August 28 Betty reached her peak of 100 mph (category 2 intensity), the highest winds in the 1972 season. Building high pressure to its east forced Betty to the southwest, and over the next 3 days it executed a loop, but cooler waters and upper level shear turned the system extratropical on September 1.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Tropical Storm Carrie

A complex system combining a tropical wave and an upper level low led to the formation of a tropical depression east of Florida on August 29. It managed to become a tropical storm on August 31 and reached its initial peak later that day, but upper level winds ripped the system apart, leaving behind a tropical storm with barely 40 mph winds. Carrie found her second wind as a trough in the westerlies brought it northward. Due to baroclinic processes, Carrie reached her peak of 70 mph just prior to becoming extratropical on September 3. As Carrie passed Cape Cod, it caused $1.15 million in damage throughout Massachusetts and New England.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Hurricane Dawn

A tropical wave, combined with a Upper trophospheric trough, caused an area of convection to become a tropical depression on September 5, near the southeast coast of Florida. Though conditions were unfavorable, the depression managed to become Tropical Storm Dawn on September 6 and a hurricane on September 7. The development of a cold core low near Cape Hatteras forced Dawn westward, then southeastward, where Dawn became a 50 mph tropical storm. It continued to weaken as it approached the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, and it finally dissipated on September 14, causing little damage over land.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Subtropical Storm Charlie

Subtropical Storm Charlie formed on September 19 over the North Atlantic. It moved quickly northeastward, reaching 65 mph winds before becoming extratropical on September 21. As an extratropical system, it became incredibly powerful, reaching 944 millibars in pressure, a reading typical of a strong Category 3 or 4 hurricane.

1972 Atlantic hurricane season - Subtropical Storm Delta

Subtropical Storm Delta developed from a cold core low. The low moved southwestward in late October, and on November 1 it developed into a subtropical depression. On November 2, it became Subtropical Storm Delta. It moved southwestward initially, then eastward on November 4, where it met unfavorable conditions. Delta became a depression again on November 5, and ultimately dissipated on November 7.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Storms", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki