List of storms in the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season

During the year, a total of 17 tropical cyclones, 15 tropical storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes formed. The most intense hurricane, Dean, tied for the seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded as well as the third most intense Atlantic hurricane at landfall. The season was one of only four on record for the Atlantic with more than one Category 5 storm. It was the second on record in which an Atlantic hurricane, Felix, and an eastern Pacific hurricane, Henriette, made landfall on the same day. September had a record-tying eight storms, although the strengths and durations of most of the storms were low. Aside from Dean and Felix, none of the storms exceeded Category 1 intensity.¹

Storms

Subtropical Storm Andrea

A large extratropical cyclone that formed off the mid-Atlantic coast on May 6 deepened steadily along a cold front that pushed through Florida. When the system lost most of its baroclinic support, development ceased until its low moved into warmer waters near the Bahamas. However, interaction between the low and a strong high-pressure system to the north generated hurricane-force winds in the system. Decreasing vertical wind shear allowed the storm to generate deeper convection much closer to the center.² By May 9 the previously extratropical cyclone had transformed into Subtropical Storm Andrea while located about 140 miles (225 km) southeast of Savannah, Georgia.³

Tropical storm watches were immediately issued for parts of coastal Georgia and Florida, though all were later dropped.² Andrea was the first named storm to form in May since Arlene in 1981, and the first pre-season storm since Ana in April 2003.⁴ Andrea began its subtropical phase as it was weakening, and continued this deterioration as it moved southward into an environment with higher wind shear. By May 11 Andrea had lost all significant convection and degenerated into a remnant low. Though it produced intermittent bursts of convection, Andrea's chance of regeneration was extinguished when an advancing cold front pushed it northward and eventually absorbed the system.²

The storm produced rough surf and large waves along the coastline from Florida to North Carolina, causing beach erosion and some damage.⁵ No deaths were directly attributable to Andrea, though six people died from the waves generated during its extratropical phase. The storm was also blamed for high winds that could have fueled severe wildfires in northern Florida and southern Georgia.⁶ However, because Andrea never made landfall, most of the resulting damage was associated with large waves, higher than normal tides, associated coastal flooding, and beach erosion caused by the storm.²

Tropical Storm Barry

On May 30, a broad low pressure area formed in the Gulf of Honduras. Moving northward, the system slowly deepened as it moved through the northwest Caribbean Sea and into the southeast Gulf of Mexico. On June 1, the first day of the officially defined hurricane season, this cyclone organized into Tropical Storm Barry despite being located in an area of high shear, and warnings were immediately issued along the western Florida coastline. Barry provided much-needed precipitation to parts of Florida and Georgia, which were experiencing drought conditions.⁷ Barry made landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida on June 2 as a minimal tropical storm. Soon thereafter Barry was downgraded to a tropical depression as it began its extratropical transition. Barry became an extratropical cyclone late in the afternoon of June 2. On June 3, the cyclone moved up the coast of the Carolinas bringing rains into the Mid-Atlantic states and New England. By June 5 its center had moved northward into Atlantic Canada.

Tropical Storm Chantal

An area of low pressure developed near the Bahamas on July 28, and slowly organized while moving to the north-northeast. Late on July 30, it was upgraded to a tropical depression, the third of the season, after maintaining deep convection near the center for most of the day.

On July 31, the system strengthened into a tropical storm south of Nova Scotia, the first in nearly two months. However, Chantal became extratropical later that day as it tracked towards Newfoundland over the cooler waters of the north Atlantic.

On August 1, flooding was reported from Placentia to the capital city of St. John's, where about 100 mm (4 inches) of rain caused the postponement of the annual Royal St. John's Regatta. Up to 150 mm (6 inches) of rain fell in the Whitbourne area, according to Environment Canada. ⁸ The most serious flooding was across the southern Avalon Peninsula, where dozens of roads were washed out, houses were flooded above their basements and several communities were isolated.⁹ Ferry service between Argentia and North Sydney, Nova Scotia, was suspended, and one ferry was diverted to Port aux Basques.¹⁰

States of emergency were declared in at least five communities in the areas surrounding Placentia Bay and Conception Bay, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Municipal Affairs Minister Jack Byrne requested a federal disaster area declaration. Damage is estimated to be well into the millions of dollars, with at least $4 million in damage in the town of Placentia alone.¹⁰

Hurricane Dean

A vigorous tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa in the second week of August. It quickly organized itself and formed into a low on August 12. Tropical Depression Four formed on August 13 in the eastern Atlantic from a tropical wave to the south of Cape Verde. The depression was already exhibiting persistent deep convection, albeit confined to the western portion of its circulation due to easterly wind shear.¹¹ The depression was expected to strengthen significantly over the following days¹¹ due to abating wind shear and warming sea surface temperatures which created conditions favorable for tropical intensification.¹² The depression moved briskly westward, south of a deep layered ridge,¹³ quickly escaping the easterly shear.¹⁴

Based on satellite images and microwave and QuikSCAT data, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Dean on August 14.¹⁵ The storm continued to strengthen overnight as it gained organization,¹⁶ and on August 16 it was upgraded to the first hurricane of the 2007 season.¹⁷

On August 17 the eye of the hurricane passed into the Caribbean between the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia as a Category 2 hurricane.¹⁸ In the warm waters of the Caribbean, Dean rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph (266 km/h) sustained winds. An eyewall replacement cycle weakened Dean, which then passed just south of Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane. ¹⁹ Dean regained Category 5 status late on August 20 and at that strength it made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico near Costa Maya on August 21.¹⁹ Dean weakened to a category one storm over land.

At least 42 people have been killed by Hurricane Dean (see Impact of Hurricane Dean). None of these deaths, however, have been attributed to its first landfall, as a Category 5 hurricane, likely because the landfall brought the heaviest storm surges onto sparsely-populated lands north of Chetumal Bay, including the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

Tropical Storm Erin

On August 9, an area of convection developed just south of Jamaica in association with a trough of low pressure.²⁰ The system tracked west-northwestward, and by August 10 consisted of a broad surface trough with minimal shower activity.²¹ Convection increased on August 11,²² and by August 12 the interaction between a tropical wave and an upper-level low in the area resulted in a large area of disorganized thunderstorms extending from the western Caribbean Sea into the central Bahamas.²³ Upper-level winds gradually became more beneficial for development, and on August 13 a broad low pressure area formed about 90 miles (145 km) north-northeast of Cancún, Quintana Roo.²⁴ Late on August 14, a reconnaissance flight into the system reported a small circulation center, but at the time was not well-defined enough to result in the initiation of tropical cyclone advisories. However, deep convection was maintained near the increasingly organizing center, and at 0300 UTC on August 15 the National Hurricane Center classified it as Tropical Depression Five about 425 miles (685 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas.²⁵

Based on reconnaissance data received from an NOAA plane investigating the depression, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Erin on August 15.²⁶ It weakened to a tropical depression as it made landfall near Lamar, Texas, on August 16,²⁷ and the NHC issued its last advisory on the system shortly thereafter as it moved inland, and the HPC dropped the system as a tropical depression when it lost its surface wind circulation on the afternoon of August 19.²⁸

Two people were killed when a warehouse collapsed in Texas.²⁹ In total, 16 people died as a result of Erin. Damage was estimated at $25 million.

Hurricane Felix

On August 31, an area of disturbed weather east of the Windward Islands was numbered Tropical Depression Six after satellite imagery showed that a tropical low had formed.³⁰ Early on September 1, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and named Felix. Later that day, Felix was upgraded to a hurricane. On September 2, Felix was upgraded to a major hurricane. It rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm by the end of the evening, and after briefly weakening to Category 4 status Felix again restrengthened and struck northeastern Nicaragua with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) on September 4. (See Impact of Hurricane Felix). It rapidly weakened over land and the last advisory was issued on September 5. At least 133 people were killed by Hurricane Felix with another 70 others missing.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle

A cold front that moved off the southeastern coast of the United States on September 1 developed a weak low over the waters near Georgia. The low drifted eastward and weakened over the next few days until it joined with convection from an upper-level trough that had been moving over the western Atlantic.³¹ On September 8, the center of circulation became sufficiently organized to discovered be declared Subtropical Storm Gabrielle, about 360 nautical miles (670 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras.³² For the next twelve hours, the system's strongest winds and thunderstorms remained separated from the center. On September 8 new convection eventually united with the center, leading the transition of Gabrielle into a tropical storm. Gabrielle gradually strengthened as it traveled northwest towards North Carolina and Virginia. The storm reached its peak intensity of 60 mph (95 km/h) just before it arrived in Cape Lookout, though strong wind shear kept most of the convection and surface winds offshore.³¹ Gabrielle weakened over land, and moved back into the Atlantic on September 10. The circulation deteriorated further, and the storm dissipated southwest of Nova Scotia the next day.³³

In advance of the storm, tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued for coastal areas,³¹ while rescue teams and the U.S. Coast Guard were put on standby.³⁴ The storm dropped heavy rainfall near its immediate landfall location but little precipitation elsewhere. Along the coast, high waves, rip currents, and storm surge were reported. Slight localized flooding was reported. Gusty winds also occurred, though no wind damage was reported. Overall damage was minor, and there were no fatalities.³¹

Tropical Storm Ingrid

A large, westward-moving tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 6. Strong easterly shear inhibited its development until the 9th, when it developed a broad area of low pressure in the mid-tropical Atlantic.³⁵ By the morning of September 12, the shear had weakened, allowing the system to organize into Tropical Depression Eight about 980 nautical miles (1,810 km) east of the Lesser Antilles.

The depression moved west-nortwestward for the next week, steering along the southern edge of a mid-tropospheric ridge. Unfavorable conditions caused by moderate westerly shear inhibited the storm's initial development. Despite this, the cyclone slowly developed into a weak tropical storm on September 13, and reached its maximum intensity the next day.³⁵ The shearing winds from a tropical upper tropospheric trough persisted over the cyclone, returning Ingrid to a depression on September 15. The final advisory was issued on the 17th as the system degenerated into an open wave north of the Leeward Islands.³⁶ There were no reports of damage or casualties associated with Ingrid because the storm never threatened land.

Hurricane Humberto

On September 8, weak surface trough and an upper-level low produced disorganized showers and thunderstorms between western Cuba and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.³⁷ The area of thunderstorms continued to move west-northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico and on September 12 thunderstorms organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression Nine about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Matagorda, Texas.³⁸³⁹ The depression quickly intensified, and within three hours of forming, it became Tropical Storm Humberto.⁴⁰ Humberto turned to the north and eventually north-northeast and continued to rapidly intensify. In the early morning hours of September 13, Hurricane Hunter aircraft found that Humberto had strengthened into a hurricane while located about 15 miles (20 km) off the coast of Texas. ⁴¹ Around 0700 UTC (3 a.m. CDT), Hurricane Humberto made landfall near High Island, Texas as a category 1 hurricane.⁴² Humberto quickly weakened and entered Southwest Louisiana as a tropical storm during the afternoon of September 13. ⁴³

Hurricane Humberto caused some structural damage on High Island and widespread tree and power line damage in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area.⁴⁴ Power outages caused four oil refineries to halt production in Beaumont. One person was reported dead as a result of the storm, a Bridge City man killed when his carport crashed on him outside his house. Damage was estimated at $50 million.⁴⁴

Tropical Depression Ten

A subtropical depression formed on September 21 in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from the interaction of a tropical wave, the tail end of a cold front, and an upper-level low. Initially containing a poorly-defined circulation and intermittent thunderstorm activity, the system transitioned into a tropical depression after convection increased over the center. Tracking northwestward, the depression moved ashore near Fort Walton Beach early on September 22, and shortly thereafter it dissipated over southeastern Alabama.⁴⁵

It was the first tropical cyclone to threaten the New Orleans area after the destructive 2005 hurricane season and Hurricane Katrina.⁴⁶ Overall impact from the cyclone was minor and largely limited to light rainfall..⁴⁷ However, the precursor system spawned a damaging tornado in Eustis, Florida, where 20 houses were destroyed and 30 more were damaged.⁴⁸

Tropical Storm Jerry

Jerry's origins can be traced back to a non-tropical low pressure area over the central Atlantic on September 21. Late the next day, it had been determined that a subtropical depression had formed, as a warm core had developed but the system was still involved with an upper-level low, and its strongest winds were well removed from the center.⁴⁹ Early on September 23, both satellite estimates and QuikScat data determined that the depression had strengthened into Subtropical Storm Jerry, despite the lack of a well-defined inner core.⁵⁰ The storm became fully tropical that evening as a weak and sheared tropical storm with 40 mph (65 km/h) winds over a small radius.⁴⁹⁵¹ It remained a tropical storm until September 24, when it weakened to a tropical depression ahead of a powerful cold front with little deep convection remaining in the system.⁵² It completely dissipated by early on September 25. Jerry never approached land during its lifespan, and no damage or casualties were reported.⁴⁹

Hurricane Karen

A very large tropical wave accompanied by a large envelope of low pressure emerged from the coast of Africa on September 21. As it moved westward, deep convection gradually increased over the disturbance as its broad low-level circulation became better-defined. By September 24, as the system traveled northwestward it organized enough to become a tropical depression.⁵³ Six hours later the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Karen.⁵⁴

Karen's organization and intensity remained steady for the next day. Early on the 26th, however, the storm strengthened significantly. In post-operational analysis the cyclone was determined to have reached hurricane-strength for about twelve hours.⁵³ The strengthening was short-lived because a sharp upper-level trough to the west of Karen increased the amount of vertical wind shear over the hurricane. By September 28 these unfavorable conditions had weakened Karen to a marginal tropical storm and left its low-level circulation exposed.⁵⁵ Meanwhile, the storm began heading northward and experiencing intermittent bursts of deep convection. However, the relentless wind shear exposed the system's circulation until it dissipated in the mid-Atlantic on September 29. Karen's remnants lingered near the Leeward Islands for the next few days, although the system never directly affected land. As a result, no reported damages or casualties were associated with Karen.⁵³

Hurricane Lorenzo

A tropical wave moved off the western coast of Africa on September 11,⁵⁶ traversed the Caribbean and crossed the Yucatán on September 21. The disturbance developed a small surface low on the September 24 while moving erratically over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.⁵⁶ Strong upper-level winds initially prevented the system from developing convection; however, the shear relaxed on the following day and convection increased.⁵⁷⁵⁶ On the evening of September 25, a Hurricane Hunter aircraft found evidence that the low qualified as a tropical depression.⁵⁸ Under weak steering currents, the depression drifted south and southwest, executing a small cyclonic loop into the Bay of Campeche. Upper-level winds gave way to an anticyclone above the depression, and the system became a Tropical Storm Lorenzo on September 27 about 130 nautical miles (240 km) east of Tuxpan.⁵⁶ Rapid intensification brought Lorenzo to hurricane status early that evening, less than twelve hours after becoming a tropical storm. Lorenzo reached its peak intensity on September 28, then weakened slightly before making landfall near Tecolutla, Mexico as a minimal hurricane. The small circulation weakened rapidly after landfall, and the system dissipated the next day.⁵⁶

Six deaths in Mexico were attributable to Lorenzo; mostly due to flash floods and mudslides. The states of Puebla and Veracruz reported damage from rain and high winds. Two hundred people were forced to evacuate in Hidalgo when the San Lorenzo River overflowed its banks. Lorenzo made landfall in virtually the same location that Hurricane Dean had struck a month earlier.⁵⁶

Tropical Storm Melissa

Melissa began as a tropical wave that exited the western coast of Africa on September 26. The next day an area of low pressure developed near the Cape Verde islands, and the system soon organized into Tropical Depression Fourteen on September 28.⁵⁹ The depression drifted westward between very weak steering currents.⁶⁰

While slowly tracking westward, the depression strengthened slightly and became Tropical Storm Melissa on September 29, tying the record for most tropical storms to form in a month.⁶¹ The next day increasing westerly shear weakened Melissa back to a tropical depression. As it lost deep convection, the depression moved rapidly toward the west-northwest along the southern edge of a regenerating low-level ridge.⁶⁰ Thunderstorm activity sputtered, and the depression degenerated to a remnant low on the 30th about 475 nautical miles (880 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands. The low tracked along the low-level ridge for the several days, and merged with a frontal zone northeast of the Leeward Islands on October 5. Since Melissa did not affect land, there were no reports of damage or casualties associated with the storm.⁶⁰

Tropical Depression Fifteen

Tropical Depression Fifteen formed from a large and complex area of disturbed weather that extended from the Caribbean Sea into the western Atlantic. On October 8 the eastern end of the system formed a surface low and gradually developed convection as it moved northeastward. It is possible that the system's formation was helped by the remains of Hurricane Karen.⁶² While 645 nmi (1,195 km) southeast of Bermuda the system was sufficiently organized to declare it a tropical depression on October 11. The depression maintained its intensity while an upper-level trough moved through the area. In its wake the cyclone was left with hostile conditions, including strong northerly wind shear.⁶³ The depression weakened to a remnant low on October 12 and merged with a frontal zone two days later. The resulting extratropical low strengthened slightly until it was absorbed by a larger extratropical system north of the Azores on October 17. Because the system remained far from land, no damages were reported.⁶²

Hurricane Noel

During the evening of October 27, a low pressure system that had been slowly developing over the eastern Caribbean gained enough organization to be declared Tropical Depression Sixteen. It steadily intensified and became a tropical storm on the afternoon of October 28. It made landfall in Haiti on October 29, and then meandered across the western Caribbean near Cuba for the next three days. Noel brought torrential rain to the region, killing at least 168 people. It then accelerated northeastward, passing through the Bahamas before strengthening to a hurricane on November 1. Noel began an extratropical transition on November 2. While sustained winds were still at Category 1 strength, the NHC issued its final advisory that afternoon. The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued ongoing advisories every three hours on Post-tropical Storm Noel as it approached Canada's eastern provinces until it completed its transition to being fully extratropical on November 4 while over Labrador, shortly before it crossed back into the Atlantic, heading towards West Greenland.

Tropical Storm Olga

In the second week of December, after the official end of the hurricane season, a low developed east of the northernmost Lesser Antilles. It slowly acquired tropical characteristics, and late on December 10, the National Hurricane Center declared it Subtropical Storm Olga while just north of Puerto Rico. It is the first post-season storm since Tropical Storm Zeta in the 2005 season. Olga was only one of a few out of season landfalls, and was the deadliest post-season storm in the Atlantic Basin, with 40 deaths. The storm made landfall on December 11 on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Later that evening, Olga transitioned into a tropical storm just after making landfall. Olga tracked over Hispaniola and emerged in the Caribbean Sea. Strong wind shear and dry air caused Olga to weaken into a remnant low early on December 13.⁶⁴

The storm impacted many areas affected by Tropical Storm Noel a month earlier. In Puerto Rico, moderate rainfall caused one death. According to the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Cyclone Report on Olga, at least 22 occurred due to the release of floodgates at a dam in Santiago Province. Two deaths were also reported in Haiti, and one fatality was confirmed in Puetro Rico. Almost 12,000 homes were damaged, of which 370 were completely destroyed.⁶⁴

Retirement

Hurricanes Dean, Felix, and Noel were retired by the World Meteorological Organization on May 13, 2008 at the 30th Session of the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee during its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. The names were replaced with Dorian, Fernand, and Nestor.⁶⁵

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