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Tropical Storm Arthur (2020)

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Tropical Storm Arthur
Tropical storm (SSHWS/NWS)
Arthur off the east coast of North Carolina near peak intensity on May 18
FormedMay 16, 2020
DissipatedMay 20, 2020
(Extratropical after May 19)
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 60 mph (95 km/h)
Lowest pressure991 mbar (hPa); 29.26 inHg
FatalitiesNone
DamageUnknown
Areas affectedCuba, South Florida, The Bahamas, North Carolina
Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Arthur was a relatively strong off-season tropical storm that impacted the U.S state of North Carolina in May 2020. The first depression and first named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Arthur marked the record sixth consecutive year in the Atlantic basin with an early start before June. Originating from a broad trough that formed on May 14 near Cuba, the early system slowly drifted south of Florida through the Florida Strait for 2 days, before becoming a depression on May 16 north of The Bahamas, starting the Atlantic season. A day later, the system would be named Arthur and slowly drift north towards the Outer Banks of North Carolina, before skirting the same area and weakening as it moved towards Bermuda.

In its formative stages, Arthur delivered heavy rainfall to the Florida Keys and South Florida, and also caused rough surf off the majority off the east coast of Florida. The system's outer bands would also begin to cause significant rainfall and gusty winds off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, as well as rip currents along the majority of the Southeastern Coast.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

On May 12, the National Hurricane Center issued a Special Tropical Weather Outlook (STWO) to discuss the possibility of subtropical development north of the Bahamas in the proceeding days related to a broad low pressure system that was expected to form near Cuba. By May 13, thunderstorm activity began to increase in association with a developing Trough near the western tip of Cuba, and the NHC considered the developing system to have a 70% chance of subtropical formation in the next 5 days. Several hours later, the trough had fully developed south of the Florida Keys and began to spread disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity across the region. A day later, the system was given a medium chance of becoming a subtropical or possibly fully tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. The disturbance began to accelerate eastward as conditions were deemed very favorable for at least some degree of subtropical cyclogenesis. At this time, the NHC scheduled a Hurricane Hunter aircraft to investigate the system by the next day, however it was later cancelled at the time it was scheduled due to a lack of organization of the storm's convective activity. Convection began to slowly build around the center by early May 16, and a well-defined low-level circulation (LLC) began to form displaced just slightly east of the main thunderstorms. The NHC in response to this increase of development sent a group of reconnaissance planes to investigate the system. During this flight, a well-defined circulation center was found with 30 kt (35 mph, 55 km/h) winds mostly wrapped around the circulation, allowing the NHC to upgrade the low to Tropical Depression One, the first storm of the season, at 5:00 PM EDT on May 16. The system was considered tropical instead of subtropical in nature due to persisting central deep convection and a tight radius of winds.

Several hours after designation as a tropical depression, the NHC sent another group of Hurricane Hunter aircraft to investigate the system further. According to reconnaissance, tropical storm-force winds had been confirmed to have sustained east and southeast of the center of circulation. With this data in mind, the NHC upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Arthur at 11:00 PM EDT on May 17, making Arthur the first named storm of the season. Being steered generally north-northeast for the next several hours, Arthur would remain well offshore of the coasts of Florida and Georgia. A mid-level trough centered over the United States caused Arthur to slowly be pushed northeastwards over a section of relatively cool waters and as a result most of the storm's convection became limited to the east of the circulation in the form of a well-defined band, while the rest of the circulation remained mostly exposed. Despite these unfavorable conditions, reconnaissance aircraft found Arthur slightly stronger with 48 kt flight-level winds and 37 kt near-surface winds, despite its appearance on satellite degrading significantly throughout the past few hours. Little would change in Arthur's intensity and appearance until it moved on top of the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream, where deep convection began to swiftly re-develop over the center. In addition to a re-development in convection, Arthur intensified more to a minimum central pressure of 991 mb and with sustained winds of 45 kt (50 mph, 80 km/h). As Arthur intensified, it's center skirted the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, passing a mere 20 miles southeast from Cape Hatteras. This was one of the earliest tropical cyclone impacts to the United States since Tropical Storm Ana of 2015. As a ridge strengthened to the north, Arthur began to be shoved away from the North Carolina coast and an increase in southwesterly shear as well as the beginning of extratropical transition began to separate the storm's main convective activity away from the LLC. The storm completed this process by early May 19, and became an extratropical cyclone as a trailing warm front developed behind the now almost fully exposed LLC, where the last advisory was issued on the system well northwest of Bermuda.

Preparations and impact

Florida, Georgia and South Carolina

Although Arthur never directly impacted Florida as a tropical system, the precursor system to Arthur caused heavy rainfall and gusty winds in the Florida Keys and South Florida throughout May 13-14. Over 4 inches (101.6 mm) of rain fell in many sections of the Middle Keys and a peak rainfall total of 5.35 inches (135.8 mm) fell in Marathon on May 14, where it was the tenth highest rainfall amount for the city on record and second most for May. Flash flood warnings were issued for large portions of Miami-Dade County on May 14, where street flooding was reported. Tropical storm-force wind gusts as well as waterspouts caused gale warnings and special marine warnings to be issued across the majority of South Florida. Rip currents in Florida led to the water rescues of 70 people in Volusia County, 3 of which who were hospitalized. Purple and red flags were raised along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina to alert the public for rip currents and dangerous surf conditions. 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) high waves occurred off the coast of Georgia on May 17.

Cuba and the Bahamas

Reports of heavy rain occurred in the northern portions of Granma Province in Cuba throughout May 15 due to the broad system. Media of flooded streets and homes showed significant damage in certain areas of the province, where 78 mm (3.07 in) of rainfall fell in Bayamo in only 4 hours. In the Bahamas, squall conditions occurred on Grand Bahama island, where many were still recovering from the adverse effects of Hurricane Dorian. Gusty winds damaged tents and other temporary shelters across the island, and rainfall caused some minimal flooding. Impacts were relatively limited, since the strongest winds of the disturbance were located to the east of the center which was hundreds of miles north of the island.

North Carolina

On May 16, Tropical Storm Watches were issued from Surf City to Duck and Pamlico Sound to Albemarle Sound with the designation of Tropical Depression One. A day later, these watches were upgraded to tropical storm warnings as Arthur moved closer towards the Outer Banks. By late May 17, rough surf conditions were already being experienced on the southern portion of the Outer Banks. The National Weather Service also noted that storm surge could cause some coastal flooding and dangerous marine conditions. Governor Roy Cooper urged all residents in Eastern North Carolina to keep "very aware" on the storm, and that you shouldn't "take any chances" with the rough sea conditions.

Arthur on its closest approach to North Carolina on radar on May 18

On May 18, Arthur began to scrape the southern North Carolina coast, where the National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening inundation. Torrential rainfall occurred as Arthur's outer rainbands scraped eastern North Carolina. 4.92" of rain fell in Newport, NC within 6 hours, and many other locations recorded atleast 3" of rain from the storm. Tropical storm-force wind gusts in Cape Hatteras were also recorded, but most of the higher sustained winds remained offshore due to Arthur's lopsided nature. Other sections of Carteret County in North Carolina recorded at least 4-5 inches of rain on May 18. Wave heights as high as 12.5 ft (3.8 m) were recorded from buoys along the coast of the Outer Banks from Arthur. Due to flooding from Arthur, many highways in the Outer Banks and into mainland North Carolina were closed. SpaceX was also forced to delay the launch of several Starlink internet satellites due to adverse weather from Arthur affecting the recovery fleet. As Arthur moved away from the coast, tropical storm warnings were lifted as conditions gradually improved later in the evening.

See also

References

  1. "Special Tropical Weather Outlook 1005 AM EDT Tue May 12 2020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  2. "Special Tropical Weather Outlook Special Tropical Weather Outlook". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. "Special Tropical Weather Outlook 725 PM EDT Wed May 13 2020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  4. "Special Tropical Weather Outlook 830 AM EDT Thu May 14 2020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "Special Tropical Weather Outlook 240 PM EDT Thu May 14 2020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. "Special Tropical Weather Outlook 850 AM EDT Fri May 15 2020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  7. "NHC Graphical Outlook Archive". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  8. ^ Cangialosi, John. "Tropical Depression One Discussion Number 1". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "URNT12 KNHC 170014 VORTEX DATA MESSAGE AL012020". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Stewart, Stacy. "Tropical Storm Arthur Discussion Number 2". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Pasch, Richard. "Tropical Storm Arthur Intermediate Advisory Number 2A". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. Pasch, Richard. "Tropical Storm Arthur Discussion Number 3". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. Brown, Daniel. "Tropical Storm Arthur Discussion Number 4". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 18, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Brown, Daniel. "Tropical Storm Arthur Discussion Number 8". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 18, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. Brown, Daniel. "Tropical Storm Arthur Advisory Number 8". Retrieved May 18, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. "Tropical Storm Arthur Spreads Rain and Gusty Winds Into Eastern North Carolina and Southeast Virginia on Monday". The Weather Channel.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Tropical Storm Arthur Forecast Discussion Number 9". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. Blake, Eric. "Post-Tropical Cyclone Arthur Discussion Number 12". National Hurricane Center.
  19. "First Depression or Storm of 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Possibly Arthur, To Form Off Southeast Coast This Weekend". The Weather Channel.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. "The rainfall record in #MarathonFL was crushed today! As of 6 pm, 5.35" had been recorded, which is over 4" more than the previous record of 1.20" set in 1988! It's also the 2nd wettest day in May and the 10th wettest day ever. #flwx #FloridaKeys #KeyWest #RecordRainfall #weatherpic.twitter.com/SosQ92zOpm". @NWSKeyWest. 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2020-05-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. Meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, CNN. "Arthur, the first named storm of the hurricane season, could form Saturday". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-18. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. Cohen, Howard. "Flood and wind advisories issued for South Florida, and the storms could spawn tornadoes". The Miami Herald. Retrieved May 18, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. "This year's first Atlantic storm Arthur will bring high surf, strong winds and heavy rains to the North Carolina coast". www.wrcbtv.com. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  24. "Tropical Storm Arthur Churning Off Georgia Coast". 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  25. "Wetter weather returns this week!". www.wtoc.com. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  26. ^ "Lluvias intensas provocan inundaciones en Bayamo". ADN Cuba (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  27. "Tropical weather conditions expected to hit Grand Bahama". www.tribune242.com. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  28. Norcross, Bryan (2020-05-15). "Messy system near South Florida still forecast to organize". WPLG. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  29. Cangialosi, John. "Tropical Depression One Advisory Number 1".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. "Tropical Storm Arthur Advisory Number 3".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "Tropical Storm Arthur crawls closer to North Carolina coast". The Associated Press.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. "Gov. Cooper urges caution as Tropical Storm Arthur approaches NC coast". Fox 8 News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. "Tropical Storm Arthur expected to brush North Carolina, bring "life-threatening surf"". Fox 8 News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ Cappucci, Matthew (2020-05-18). "Tropical Storm Arthur lashes Outer Banks with heavy rain, high surf". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  35. "Public Information Statement: PRECIPITATION REPORTS 1055 AM EDT Mon May 18 2020". National Weather Service.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. "Public Information Statement: HIGHEST WIND REPORTS 237 PM EDT Mon May 18 2020". National Weather Service.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. "Daily Precipitation Map 5/18/2020 Carteret County, NC". CoCoRaHS.
  38. "Tropical Storm Arthur flirts with landfall over NC Outer Banks". No. May 18, 2020. AccuWeather.
  39. "Tropical Storm Arthur hits North Carolina coast with rain". The Sun Sentinel.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. May 2020, Chelsea Gohd 18. "SpaceX postpones Starlink satellite fleet launch due to Tropical Storm Arthur". Space.com. Retrieved 2020-05-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. "Tropical storm warning lifted as Arthur moves away from North Carolina's Outer Banks". The News & Observer.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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