1978 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1978 Atlantic hurricane season was a slightly above average hurricane season in terms of number of named storms. Eleven tropical cyclones were named in all, and five of these became hurricanes; two of the five became a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale). This was also the last Atlantic hurricane season to use an all-female naming list. The season officially began on June 1, 1978, and ended on November 30, 1978. These dates, adopted by convention, denote the period in each year when most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic basin. However, the formation of subtropical or tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year, as shown by the formation of an unnamed subtropical storm on January 18.

Three storms made landfall along the coast of the western Gulf of Mexico during the season. At the end of July and into early August, short-lived Tropical Storm Amelia and its remnants caused extensive flooding in Texas after dropping as much as of rain. There were 33 deaths and US$110 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in damage. Also in August, Tropical Storm Bess made landfall in Veracruz, and later, Tropical Storm Debra did so in Louisiana. Neither caused significant damage, though Debra or its remnants spawned multiple tornadoes that killed two people. Hurricanes Ella and Greta each reached Category 4 strength. Though remaining out at sea, Ella did lash the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada with gusty winds and rip currents in early September. Greta brought strong winds, high tides, and flooding to Central America, particularly Belize and Honduras, resulting in about $25 million in damage and at least five fatalities. The storm crossed intact into the eastern Pacific Ocean and was renamed Olivia. Overall, the storms of this season collectively caused $141 million in damage and 42 fatalities.

Season summary

thumb|right|[[Hurricane Greta–Olivia|Hurricane Greta directly north of Honduras on September 18]]

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1978. Of the twelve tropical storms, five of them strengthened into a hurricane, which is slightly below the 1966-2009 average of 6.2. Three tropical storms and two hurricanes made landfall during the season. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of the 1978 season caused at least 42 fatalities and $141 million, with $6 million in damage and one death in Puerto Rico from the precursor of Hurricane Kendra.

Systems

Unnamed subtropical storm

In the middle of January, an upper-level trough in the westerlies spawned a surface low-pressure area to the east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles and to the south of a subtropical ridge. Isolated from the detrimental effects of the westerlies, it was initially non-tropical in nature and intensified through a baroclinic energy source, or one that derives energy from the interaction of cold and warm air. Convection increased slightly despite cool sea surface temperatures of around . At 1200 UTC on January 18, it organized into a subtropical depression about east-northeast of Puerto Rico while moving in a general westward track, which it would maintain for much of its duration. On the same day, the pressure gradient between the storm and the ridge produced gale-force winds. Later that day, the storm strengthened into a subtropical storm and attained peak winds of , supported by both ship and Hurricane Hunters reports. At around that time, the cyclone was moving west-southwestward, and within 72 hours was forecast by one hurricane forecast model to be located over Hispaniola. By midday on January 22, the winds decreased to below gale force after the convection dissipated near the center. Subsequently, it turned more to the west away from land, and by January 23 the circulation degenerated into a remnant trough about north of the Lesser Antilles. The storm was one of six tropical or subtropical cyclones on record to be active in the month of January, and one of four to have formed in the month.

Tropical Storm Amelia

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on July 19. The wave did not develop significantly while crossing the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The disturbance then entered an area of the Gulf of Mexico that was conducive to tropical cyclogenesis and became a tropical depression while located about south of Brownsville, Texas on July 30. Despite its proximity to land, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Amelia on July 31 and peaked with winds of . Around that time, Amelia made landfall near Port Isabel, Texas. Later on July 31, the storm weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated early the following day.

Amelia affected the Texas coast for two days, causing several shipping incidents and minor damage in Corpus Christi and South Padre Island. While active, there were no deaths linked to the storm. However, the biggest impact from the storm followed its dissipation, when its remnants contributed to record rainfall totals over the state. The state, already suffering from a previous drought, believed that the rain would help alleviate the conditions. However, the dry ground aided the flooding from the storm. The rainfall caused several rivers and creeks to flood, especially around the Texas Hill Country and northern Texas, leading to severe damage.

Tropical Storm Bess

A low-pressure area developed in Georgia along a dissipating cold front on August 1. The system detached from the cold front and drifted southwestward, reaching northeastern Gulf of Mexico on August 3. Satellite imagery, buoys, and reconnaissance aircraft flights indicated that by August 5, the system likely acquired a closed circulation. Thus, the National Hurricane Center estimated that a tropical depression developed in the central Gulf of Mexico at 1200 UTC that day. On August 6, a reconnaissance flight into the depression resulted in an upgrade to Tropical Storm Bess, while located about southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The storm had initially headed west-southwestward at , before moving southwestward at nearly the same speed.

At 1200 UTC on August 7, Bess attained its minimum barometric pressure of . Thereafter, Bess began to turn nearly due southward under the influence of a high-pressure area over southern Texas. Later on August 7, the storm reached its maximum sustained winds of . Early on August 8, Bess made landfall near Nautla, Veracruz, at the same intensity and then rapidly dissipated inland. The storm also produced heavy rainfall, peaking at in La Estrella. However, no flooding occurred and no damage or fatalities were reported.

Hurricane Cora

On August 4, a disturbance exited the west coast of Africa and moved quickly westward within the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Two days later, the system broke away from the ICTZ, when it started organizing. It developed into Tropical Depression Three late on August 7. A day later it intensified into Tropical Storm Cora on August 8. The storm quickly intensified and developed a well-defined eye feature. The NHC upgraded Cora to hurricane status, marking only the second time that an Atlantic hurricane was upgraded solely based on satellite photography; the first was Doris in 1975. The NHC estimated that Cora attained peak winds of early on August 9. For much of its duration, Cora moved quickly to the west-southwest toward the Lesser Antilles. Possibly as a result of the fast forward motion, the hurricane weakened soon after reaching its peak intensity, dropping to tropical storm status on August 10. That day, a Hurricane Hunter aircraft encountered the weakening storm. Cora struck the island of Grenada on August 11 while weakening to a tropical depression. Cora degenerated into a tropical wave on August 12 in the eastern Caribbean. The remnant crossed over Central America into the Pacific Ocean, where it regenerated into Hurricane Kristy. Although it remained far to the south, Hurricane Cora affected weather conditions that reached as far north as Presque Isle, Maine, where balloonists Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman were preparing to make the first ever transatlantic balloon flight on the Double Eagle II. The winds created by Cora's influence would give the hot air balloon the northerly push required for takeoff.

Tropical Storm Debra

An upper-level cold-core low pressure system developed over southwestern Florida in late August. The low moved southwest towards the Yucatán Peninsula over the next day, as a tropical wave drifted westwards from the Caribbean Sea. The interaction between the upper-level system and the wave led to the formation of a tropical depression on August 26 around south of New Orleans. At first the depression drifted westward but, as the western periphery of a high-pressure area weakened, it tracked towards the north and slowly strengthened. After a reconnaissance aircraft found surface winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) on August 28, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Debra. While Debra approached the coast of Louisiana, its pressure dropped to pressure to 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg), while the winds peaked at 60 mph (100 km/h) at 00:00 UTC on August 29. The storm made landfall between Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, on August 28. The low crossed Louisiana into Arkansas, merging with a frontal trough on August 29; the frontal wave drifted into southern Illinois and traveled eastbound into the Ohio Valley for the next three days.

Oil companies evacuated about 1,000 employees from offshore oil rigs in Texas and Louisiana. One person died while attempting to evacuate an oil rig to the south of Cameron, Louisiana. In Louisiana, rainfall peaked at in Freshwater Bayou. There was flooding in Rapides Parish. Five tornadoes were reported from the system in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi shortly after Debra's landfall. A tornado spawned in Turkey Creek, Mississippi, destroyed three mobile homes and a house, killing one person and seriously injuring another; this tornado tracked on to Crystal Springs, Mississippi. A confirmed tornado at the Ike settlement in Vernon Parish, knocked over a trailer. Wind gusts reached in Grand Chenier, which downed tree and damaged roofs. One person was hurt in the Memphis tornado. Power was knocked out at four blocks of the Memphis International Airport, gas supplies were cut off in Memphis, and downed trees and power poles blocked many streets.

Hurricane Ella

Towards the end of August, a cold front stalled and dissipated across the western Atlantic Ocean, which spawned a tropical disturbance southeast of Bermuda on August 28. It developed into a tropical depression on August 30, about 520 miles (840 km) south-southeast of Bermuda. Located to the south of a subtropical ridge, the depression tracked steadily west-northwestward, becoming Tropical Storm Ella 18 hours later. The storm reached hurricane status late on August 31, based on confirmation from nearby ship reports and a Hurricane Hunters flight. On September 1, Ella reached a preliminary peak intensity of . At the same time, an approaching short-wave trough caused the hurricane to decelerate and turn slightly to the north, bringing it just off the east coast of North Carolina. Ella's winds dropped to minimal hurricane status as the convection diminished. After stalling for about 24 hours, Ella turned and accelerated to the northeast, steered by another trough. The hurricane began to significantly re-intensify. Early on September 4, Ella again reached major hurricane status, and later that day it peaked with winds of ; at the time it was about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and its peak winds were measured by Hurricane Hunters. This made it the strongest hurricane ever recorded in Canadian waters. Weakening began immediately after peak intensity due to cooler water temperatures. Early on September 5, Ella passed very near Cape Race, although the strongest winds were south and east of the center. Associated convection became completely removed from the center, and the hurricane became extratropical as it was absorbed by a larger mid-latitude system.

The hurricane prompted a hurricane watch for the Outer Banks of North Carolina during Labor Day Weekend, resulting in a significant decrease in tourism. Hurricane Ella produced waves of in height, as well as rip currents along the coast. This caused some minor beach erosion, but the depleted sand returned within a few days. Prior to the storm's arrival, the Newfoundland Weather Forecast Office issued a hurricane warning for southeastern Newfoundland. The ferry between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland was disrupted, and boats across the region were sent back to harbor. Rainfall was fairly light, peaking at in southeastern Newfoundland, and sustained winds reached at Cape Race. After the trough began weakening, favorable conditions returned, allowing Flossie to re-strengthen into a tropical storm on September 10. Flossie then decelerated and became nearly stationary on September 12. Around that time, the storm was upgraded to a hurricane. Further intensification continued, and Flossie peaked with winds of early on September 13. The storm began turned nearly due northward and began weakening. Flossie accelerated to the northeast and eventually transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while north of the Azores on September 15. The strong extratropical cyclone brought winds as high as to Fair Isle, Great Britain.

Hurricane Greta

A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression near Trinidad on September 13. By the following day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Greta. It headed westward to west-northwestward across the Caribbean Sea and slowly intensified, becoming a hurricane on September 16. The rate of intensification increased as Greta was approaching the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Greta briefly peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , while brushing northeastern Honduras. Although the storm remained offshore, land interaction caused significant weakening. On September 19, Greta made landfall in Stann Creek District, Belize with winds of . The storm rapidly weakened inland over Central America, but survived its passage and eventually became Hurricane Olivia in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Early in its duration, Greta produced heavy rainfall in the Netherlands Antilles. however, damage and loss of life was significantly less than feared. The storm damaged about 75% of the houses on Roatán along the offshore Bay Islands, and there was one death in the country. while on the mainland, there was minimal flooding despite a high storm surge. In Belize City, a tornado flipped over a truck and damaged four houses. Damage in Belize was estimated at $25 million, and there were four deaths. but produced only of rain on the island. The storm then made a brief dip to the east-southeast, before resuming its east-northeastward course on September 16. Beginning on the following day, satellite imagery indicated that the system was acquiring tropical characteristics. As a result, it was reclassified as Tropical Storm Hope at 0600 UTC on September 17. By 1200 UTC on September 21, Hope transitioned into an extratropical cyclone

Six hours after being named, Irma reached its peak intensity of . On October 5, Irma turned towards the north-northeast and passed about midway between the central and western Azores. and that evening was absorbed into an approaching cold front, about northeast of the Azores. Although Irma passed near parts of the western and central Azores with gale-force winds in some areas, no reports of damage or casualties caused by Irma were received. Several nearby ships reported winds around . It was noted that heavy rains may have occurred on some of the mountainous islands as Irma passed.

After peaking with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of early on October 9, Juliet passed north of Puerto Rico. Damage in Puerto Rico reached $6 million. A high-pressure area and Kendra combined produced strong winds and abnormally high tides along the East Coast of the United States, though no damage was reported. Storms were named Amelia, Bess, Cora, Flossie, Hope, Irma, and Juliet for the first time in 1978. This was the last Atlantic hurricane season to utilize only female names for tropical storms. A new set of six annual lists utilizing both female and male names came into use in 1979.

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Amelia
Bess
Cora
Debra
Ella
Flossie
Greta

Hope
Irma
Juliet
Kendra

Retirement

The name Greta was retired after the 1978 season.