1995 Atlantic hurricane season

hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean

The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was the time from June 1 to November 30, 1995 when hurricanes officially formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Storms sometimes form before and after these dates but most storms form during the season. No storms formed after November 30 in the 1995 season.

1995 Atlantic hurricane season
Map
First storm started: June 2
Last storm ended: November 3
Strongest storm: Hurricane Opal - 916 mbar, 150 mph winds
Number of storms: 19
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) 5
Cost of damage: $9.3 billion (1995 USD)
$13 billion (2008 USD)
People killed: About 115
Nearest seasons: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

The 1995 season was extremely active, largely due to favorable conditions including a La Niña and warm sea surface temperatures. Nineteen named storms formed during the season, making it the third most active on record behind the 2005 and 1933 seasons and tied with 1887 season. There were also eleven storms that reached hurricane strength, again the third most hurricanes in one season after the 1969 and 2005 seasons.

This season broke the record for the most Tropical Cyclones at a time in the Atlantic with five storm at a time from August 22 to September 1 – Humberto, Iris, Jerry, Karen, and Luis, were the names of the storms at the same time.

A satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean on August 24 including Humberto, Iris, Jerry, and two waves that would soon become Karen and Luis

Storms

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1995 Atlantic hurricane season
1 Allison
TS Barry
TS Chantal
TS Dean
2 Erin
TD Six
4 Felix
TS Gabrielle
2 Humberto
2 Iris
TS Jerry
TS Karen
4 Luis
TD Fourteen
3 Marilyn
1 Noel
4 Opal
TS Pablo
3 Roxanne
TS Sebastien


1 Tanya

Hurricane Allison

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Category 1 hurricane
DurationJune 2 – June 6
Peak intensity75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min)  987 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Barry

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Tropical storm
DurationJuly 5 – July 10
Peak intensity70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min)  998 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Chantal

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Tropical storm
DurationJuly 12 – July 22
Peak intensity70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min)  991 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Dean

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Tropical storm
DurationJuly 28 – August 3
Peak intensity45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min)  999 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Erin

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Category 2 hurricane
DurationJuly 31 – August 6
Peak intensity100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min)  974 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Six

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Tropical depression
DurationAugust 5 – August 7
Peak intensity35 mph (55 km/h) (1-min)  1002 mbar (hPa)

On August 4, Tropical Depression Six formed in the Bay of Campeche. Six made landfall in over Mexico and dissipated on August 6, never reaching tropical storm strength. There were no reports of damage or deaths.

Hurricane Felix

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Category 4 hurricane
DurationAugust 8 – August 22
Peak intensity140 mph (220 km/h) (1-min)  929 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Gabrielle

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Tropical storm
DurationAugust 9 – August 12
Peak intensity70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min)  988 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed on August 9 and nearly became a hurricane but it made landfall in Mexico, near La Pesca, Tamaulipas, on August 11. Tropical Storm Gabrielle dissipated the next day without ever reaching hurricane status causing no damage or deaths.

Hurricane Humberto

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Category 2 hurricane
DurationAugust 22 – September 1
Peak intensity110 mph (175 km/h) (1-min)  968 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Iris

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Category 2 hurricane
DurationAugust 22 – September 4
Peak intensity110 mph (175 km/h) (1-min)  965 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Jerry

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Tropical storm
DurationAugust 22 – August 28
Peak intensity40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min)  1002 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Jerry formed just off the Florida coast near Andros Island on August 23 as Tropical Depression Eleven. Jerry made landfall at as a very weak tropical storm. Jerry made landfall in Jupiter, Florida. Jerry dissipated on the 28th over Georgia.

Tropical Storm Karen

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Tropical storm
DurationAugust 26 – September 3
Peak intensity50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min)  1000 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Luis

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Category 4 hurricane
DurationAugust 27 – September 11
Peak intensity150 mph (240 km/h) (1-min)  935 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Luis was one of the most powerful storms of the very active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Luis was the strongest storm to hit the Leeward Islands since Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Luis was one of the four tropical cyclones active from August 22 to September 1 along with Humberto, Iris, Jerry, and Karen.

Tropical Depression Fourteen

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Tropical depression
DurationSeptember 9 – September 13
Peak intensity35 mph (55 km/h) (1-min)  1008 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Fourteen started on September 9. Fourteen moved mostly to the northwest, which made it further from land. It never became a tropical storm before it died on September 13.

Hurricane Marilyn

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Category 3 hurricane
DurationSeptember 12 – September 22
Peak intensity115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min)  949 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Noel

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Category 1 hurricane
DurationSeptember 26 – October 7
Peak intensity75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min)  987 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Opal

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Category 4 hurricane
DurationSeptember 27 – October 5
Peak intensity150 mph (240 km/h) (1-min)  916 mbar (hPa)

Opal started on September 27, just to the east of the Yucatan Peninsula. It soon made landfall before becoming a tropical storm. As soon as it enter the Gulf of Mexico it became a tropical storm. It soon became a hurricane and strengthened fast. Hurricane Opal was stopped at a category 4 hurricane. When it made landfall in Florida on October 3, it was a category 2 hurricane.

Tropical Storm Pablo

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Tropical storm
DurationOctober 4 – October 8
Peak intensity60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min)  994 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Roxanne

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Category 3 hurricane
DurationOctober 7 – October 21
Peak intensity115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min)  956 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Sebastien

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Tropical storm
DurationOctober 20 – October 25
Peak intensity65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min)  1001 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Sebastien formed on August 20 from a tropical wave just east of the Lesser Antilles. Sebastien remained rather weak, moving northwest through light wind shear. Sebastien took a sharp turn and started moving south-southwest. On October 24, Sebastien weakened to a depression and made landfall in Anguilla. By this time, Sebastien had entered a low level flow as well as increasing wind shear. On October 25 Sebastien dissipated over the northern Caribbean Sea. Although its remnants still caused heavy rain over Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Tanya

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Category 1 hurricane
DurationOctober 27 – November 3
Peak intensity85 mph (140 km/h) (1-min)  972 mbar (hPa)

The 1995 season ended with Hurricane Tanya, the first storm to be get a name beginning with 'T' since hurricane naming began in the Atlantic basin in 1950 it was the only until Tropical Storm Tammy in 2005.

Storm names

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This list is the names set aside for use in for Atlantic tropical cyclones in 1995. Notice that only Van and Wendy aren't used they are marked in gray.

  • Allison
  • Barry
  • Chantal
  • Dean
  • Erin
  • Felix
  • Gabrielle
  • Opal
  • Pablo
  • Roxanne
  • Sebastien
  • Tanya
  • Van (unused)
  • Wendy (unused)

Retirement

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In the Spring of 1996 the names Luis, Marilyn, Opal, and Roxanne were retired. Lorenzo, Michelle, Olga, and Rebekah were placed on the list in 2001 instead.

Other websites

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Tropical cyclones of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season

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