fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
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fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
In the spirit of Fay, the most bizarre storm we've had in a while, I thought I might execute an idea I've had for a while now about the 15 most bizarre tropical cyclones (Atlantic only) of the last decade, including 1998.
Mostly track will be factored in, but a few storms have gone against the grain when it comes to intensity SO much that I have to include them.
I'll try to have the first entry up within an hour, and feel free to post your own personal lists!
Mostly track will be factored in, but a few storms have gone against the grain when it comes to intensity SO much that I have to include them.
I'll try to have the first entry up within an hour, and feel free to post your own personal lists!
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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
15. Hurricane Lenny (1999)


Starting off with a bang, we have the 155 mph hurricane that wreaked havoc across the Caribbean.

One not familiar with Lenny would at first glance see nothing odd in the slightest about Lenny's track. However, what looks like a storm moving over the Virgin Islands and then staying just south of land until dissipating east of Belize is just that, except BACKWARDS. That's right folks, Lenny was the only Atlantic storm in 113 years of tracking to track entirely EASTWARD across the entire Caribbean. The synoptics had to be entirely perfect for this to happen, beginning with the southern portion of a deep layer trough in the West Atlantic. After strengthening into a major hurricane and heading NE, two ridges to the north and the east brought Lenny to a standstill over the Windward Islands, causing massive damage as a near Category 5 storm. Lenny was also somewhat unusual in intensity, for to this day he is still the strongest hurricane ever recorded in November.
Otherwise, nothing was too extraordinary about Lenny, but his notoriety was enough to get him retirement. Certainly there are stranger storms of the last decade, which is why I put Lenny at the bottom of this list, but he will always be remembered among trackers for his unique eastward track.
Basic info on Lenny:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lenny


Starting off with a bang, we have the 155 mph hurricane that wreaked havoc across the Caribbean.

One not familiar with Lenny would at first glance see nothing odd in the slightest about Lenny's track. However, what looks like a storm moving over the Virgin Islands and then staying just south of land until dissipating east of Belize is just that, except BACKWARDS. That's right folks, Lenny was the only Atlantic storm in 113 years of tracking to track entirely EASTWARD across the entire Caribbean. The synoptics had to be entirely perfect for this to happen, beginning with the southern portion of a deep layer trough in the West Atlantic. After strengthening into a major hurricane and heading NE, two ridges to the north and the east brought Lenny to a standstill over the Windward Islands, causing massive damage as a near Category 5 storm. Lenny was also somewhat unusual in intensity, for to this day he is still the strongest hurricane ever recorded in November.
Otherwise, nothing was too extraordinary about Lenny, but his notoriety was enough to get him retirement. Certainly there are stranger storms of the last decade, which is why I put Lenny at the bottom of this list, but he will always be remembered among trackers for his unique eastward track.
Basic info on Lenny:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lenny
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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
Might wanna wait until Fay is done, she might crack this list. 

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Only the opinion of a rank amateur, but I think Lenny should be in the top 5!
And only because these are fresh in my experiences, I have to say that there have been more than a few in the last 15-20 years.
Really, Charley was a surprise, Frances had us scratching our heads, Fay's doing a ballroom dance all over the state. (and what's with the central pressure dropping while over the admittedly low, damp land of FL?)
Wilma did an absolute nasty flamenco all over the Yucatan for 3 days and still had enough energy to trot east and mess up SoFla.
And only because these are fresh in my experiences, I have to say that there have been more than a few in the last 15-20 years.
Really, Charley was a surprise, Frances had us scratching our heads, Fay's doing a ballroom dance all over the state. (and what's with the central pressure dropping while over the admittedly low, damp land of FL?)
Wilma did an absolute nasty flamenco all over the Yucatan for 3 days and still had enough energy to trot east and mess up SoFla.
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Dude I can't wait, I love countdowns. I started a list like this a while ago, which was for the top 5 most Photogenic tornadoes off all time, but the list thing kinda died. I was going to continue it with other opinion-based stuff like "Top 5 craziest tracks of all time", "Top 5 most underestimated Atl. Storms of all time" etc.
Lenny as number 15... I would've ranked it much higher, but I'm curious as to the 14 storms you thought were weirder.
Lenny as number 15... I would've ranked it much higher, but I'm curious as to the 14 storms you thought were weirder.

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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
For me it's Lenny for sure;because of all the facts described in the above messages,but i had to added the fantastic swells he produced over the winward sides of the islands during 3 days ,swells that reached the south American main lands of Venezuela,Colombia...I got a long video of these swells in Basse-Teere;incredible,and a lot lot of damages!!!
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Re:
KWT wrote:I'd have also put Lenny higher up, longest easterly track ever in the Caribbean...a near cat-5...in November![]()
strongest November hurricane ever as well!
Don't think its quite top 10 but its up there IMO.
I think its extremely bizarre...definitely my top 5...it went BACKWARDS through the caribbean
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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
14. Tropical Storm Allison (2001)



HOLY CRAP!
Fay's grandmother Allison did many things that seem to run in the family of stalling tropical storms. Allison was definitely a role model to waves everywhere that persistence pays off, as she can be traced back to Africa but didn't finally get her act together until right at the last moment on June 5. With a formation just 140 miles away from land, it seemed unlikely that she would strengthen more than maybe 45 mph. Starting off as subtropical, she quickly strengthened to 60 mph, causing some voluntary evacuations on Galveston Island. Moving slowly, she made landfall as a 50 mph tropical storm in Freeport.
Well, 50 mph landfall, heading north, weakens to a depression early June 6, little damage, good work everyone now let's keep an eye out for Barry...
Right?
WRONG.
After drifting towards Lufkin, Allison decided to just sit for a day. She then moved south at 1 or 2 mph BACK TOWARDS the Gulf of Mexico. It took her 3 and a half days to enter water again. Since Houston was moved over twice by Allison, they had the highest rainfall of up to a whopping 40 inches.
As if Allison's track wasn't odd enough yet, she spent another 36 hours in the Gulf of Mexico before turning BACK north and landfalling in Morgan City, still only a tropical depression. That in itself wouldn't be so odd if she hadn't then decided to reform to the ENE near New Orleans. Allison then did something Fay has brought up, by--you guessed it, strengthening over land. She did only become a STS, but still she intensified to 45 mph well inland in Mississippi. In one respect, this is odder than Fay, because Fay was at least over the swampy Everglades.

Allison had one more trick up her sleeve though. Just when it seemed she was dead and gone, she moved to the East Coast and slowed, dumping rain on North Carolina north to Pennsylvania. While she was on the coast of New Jersey, she once again, for the last time, became a subtropical storm. She shortly after became extratropical over Long Island on June 17.
Allison killed 41 people and was the only tropical storm to ever be retired to this day.


HOLY CRAP!

Fay's grandmother Allison did many things that seem to run in the family of stalling tropical storms. Allison was definitely a role model to waves everywhere that persistence pays off, as she can be traced back to Africa but didn't finally get her act together until right at the last moment on June 5. With a formation just 140 miles away from land, it seemed unlikely that she would strengthen more than maybe 45 mph. Starting off as subtropical, she quickly strengthened to 60 mph, causing some voluntary evacuations on Galveston Island. Moving slowly, she made landfall as a 50 mph tropical storm in Freeport.
Well, 50 mph landfall, heading north, weakens to a depression early June 6, little damage, good work everyone now let's keep an eye out for Barry...
Right?
WRONG.
After drifting towards Lufkin, Allison decided to just sit for a day. She then moved south at 1 or 2 mph BACK TOWARDS the Gulf of Mexico. It took her 3 and a half days to enter water again. Since Houston was moved over twice by Allison, they had the highest rainfall of up to a whopping 40 inches.
As if Allison's track wasn't odd enough yet, she spent another 36 hours in the Gulf of Mexico before turning BACK north and landfalling in Morgan City, still only a tropical depression. That in itself wouldn't be so odd if she hadn't then decided to reform to the ENE near New Orleans. Allison then did something Fay has brought up, by--you guessed it, strengthening over land. She did only become a STS, but still she intensified to 45 mph well inland in Mississippi. In one respect, this is odder than Fay, because Fay was at least over the swampy Everglades.

Allison had one more trick up her sleeve though. Just when it seemed she was dead and gone, she moved to the East Coast and slowed, dumping rain on North Carolina north to Pennsylvania. While she was on the coast of New Jersey, she once again, for the last time, became a subtropical storm. She shortly after became extratropical over Long Island on June 17.
Allison killed 41 people and was the only tropical storm to ever be retired to this day.
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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
So, Fay hasn't had "intensity" on her side. She's making it up in persistence.
If you're not flooded by Fay, you'll be 'molded' by the tremendous humidity and fungus!
If you're not flooded by Fay, you'll be 'molded' by the tremendous humidity and fungus!
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Re: fasterdisaster's 15 Most Bizarre Atl. Cyclones since 1998
Good job fasterdisaster, this is pretty cool. Can't wait for the next storm.
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Re:
Clipper96 wrote:Fay is not an unusual Florida system; she has to stand behind Francis and Jeanne for any shot at rankings for slow-moving rainmakers.
What storm were you watching? lol. Look at the track.
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Re: Re:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_FrancesCategory 5 wrote:What storm were you watching? lol. Look at the track.Clipper96 wrote:Fay is not an unusual Florida system; she has to stand behind Francis and Jeanne for any shot at rankings for slow-moving rainmakers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Jeanne
Both of these storms are retired.


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