1997 Atlantic hurricane season

1997 Atlantic hurricane season
Map
First storm started: May 31, 1997
Last storm ended: October 17, 1997
Strongest storm: Erika - 946 mbar, 125 mph winds
Number of storms: 7 named storms
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) 1
Cost of damage: $110 million (1997 USD)
$150 million (2008 USD)
People killed: 11

The 1997 Atlantic hurricane season was an Atlantic hurricane season. It began on June 1, 1997 and ended on November 30, 1997. However, Subtropical Storm One formed on May 31, a day before June 1. The 1997 Atlantic hurricane season had only seven named storms.

1997 was also not very damaging or deadly, with only 11 deaths and $110 million in damage. Hurricane Danny was the only hurricane of 1997 that had caused any major affects to land.

Storms

Unnumbered Subtropical Storm

Subtropical storm (SSHS)
 
DurationJune 1 – June 2
Peak intensity50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min)  1003 mbar (hPa)

A subtropical storm formed from a low pressure area on June 1. It was not known at the time that it was a subtropical storm. The subtropical storm died on June 2.

Tropical Storm Ana

Tropical storm
 
DurationJune 30 – July 4
Peak intensity50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min)  1000 mbar (hPa)

Ana started on June 30 as a tropical depression off the coast of South Carolina. It became a tropical storm the next day. By July 3, Tropical Storm Ana weakened back to a depression and it died on July 4.

Hurricane Bill

Category 1 hurricane
 
DurationJuly 11 – July 13
Peak intensity75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min)  986 mbar (hPa)

Bill was a short lived hurricane that started on July 11. It quickly became a tropical storm on that same day. On July 12 it had become a hurricane, and Hurricane Bill died on July 13.

Tropical Storm Claudette

Tropical storm
 
DurationJuly 13 – July 16
Peak intensity45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min)  1003 mbar (hPa)

Claudette started on July 13, while it was a few hundred miles to the south-southeast of North Carolina. It stayed weak and for a few hours it weakened to a tropical depression, but it again got strong and became a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Claudette died on July 16. The remains were last seen on July 23 near the Azores.

Hurricane Danny

Category 1 hurricane
 
DurationJuly 16 – July 26
Peak intensity80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min)  984 mbar (hPa)

Danny started in the northern Gulf of Mexico on July 16, as a tropical depression. It got stronger quickly, as it was a category 1 hurricane by July 18. Hurricane Danny made landfall in extreme southeastern Louisiana On July 18. Danny also made two landfalls as a category 1 hurricane in the Mobile Bay area on July 19. It weakened very fast over land, being only a tropical depression on July 20. Later on, Danny became a tropical storm again on July 24 and went into the Atlantic Ocean. Danny passed near Nantucket shortly before it died on July 26. Hurricane Danny killed 9 people and caused $100 million in damage.

Tropical Depression Five

Tropical depression
 
DurationJuly 17 – July 19
Peak intensity35 mph (55 km/h) (1-min)  1008 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Five started on July 17. It moved to the northwest and showed some signs that it was dying on July 18. Tropical Depression Five died on July 19.

Hurricane Erika

Category 3 hurricane
 
DurationSeptember 3 – September 20
Peak intensity125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min)  946 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Erika started on September 3 as Tropical Depression Six. It moved to the north-north west and became a hurricane by the next day. Erika passed near the Virgin Islands on September 6, while it was a category 1 hurricane. On September 7, Hurricane Erika quickly strengthened, it peaked as a category 3 hurricane on September 8. Erika started getting weaker on September 9. It moved mainly to the east and northeast before it died on September 20 near Azores. Erika killed 2 people and caused $10 million in damage.

Tropical Storm Fabian

Tropical storm
 
DurationOctober 5 – October 8
Peak intensity40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min)  1004 mbar (hPa)

Fabian started on October 5 north of Puerto Rico. Tropical Storm Fabian moved to the north and died on October 8. Storms before it became Fabian may have caused heavy rain in the Lesser Antilles.

Tropical Storm Grace

Tropical storm
 
DurationOctober 16 – October 17
Peak intensity45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min)  999 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Grace was the last storm of 1997. It started on October 16 near Dominican Republic. Grace made a sharp turn to the northeast and died on October 17.

Storm names

This is a list of names set aside for use in the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. Names that did not get used in gray.

  • Ana
  • Bill
  • Claudette
  • Danny
  • Erika
  • Fabian
  • Grace
  • Henri (unused)
  • Isabel (unused)
  • Juan (unused)
  • Kate (unused)
  • Larry (unused)
  • Mindy (unused)
  • Nicholas (unused)
  • Odette (unused)
  • Peter (unused)
  • Rose (unused)
  • Sam (unused)
  • Teresa (unused)
  • Victor (unused)
  • Wanda (unused)

Retirement

The World Meteorological Organization retired no names used in the 1997 season. All names on this list were used again in 2003 as a result.

Tropical cyclones of the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season

Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5