Hurricanes & Tropical Storms 1985
Visitor Number 
since September 9, 2005
All Winds are in knots (1 knot = 1.15 mph), pressures are in millibars and category is based on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Storm Summaries For The Year
| # |
Storm Name |
Dates |
Category |
Windspeed |
Pressure |
Rainfall |
Deaths |
Damages |
| 1 |
Tropical Storm Ana |
Jul 15-19 |
TS |
60 |
996 |
|
|
|
| 2 |
Hurricane Bob |
Jul 21-26 |
1 |
65 |
1002 |
|
|
|
| 3 |
Hurricane Claudette |
Aug 9-17 |
1 |
75 |
980 |
|
|
|
| 4 |
Hurricane Danny |
Aug 12-20 |
1 |
80 |
988 |
|
|
|
| 5 |
Hurricane Elena |
Aug 28-Sep 4 |
3 |
110 |
953 |
|
4 |
$1.3 b |
| 6 |
Tropical Storm Fabian |
Sep 15-19 |
TS |
55 |
994 |
|
|
|
| 7 |
Hurricane Gloria |
Sep 16-Oct 2 |
4 |
125 |
920 |
|
|
$900 m |
| 8 |
Tropical Storm Henri |
SEp 21-25 |
TS |
50 |
996 |
|
|
|
| 9 |
Tropical Storm Isabel |
Oct 7-15 |
TS |
60 |
997 |
|
|
|
| 10 |
Hurricane Juan |
Oct 26-Nov 1 |
1 |
75 |
971 |
|
63 |
$1.5 b |
| 11 |
Hurricane Kate |
Nov 15-23 |
3 |
105 |
954 |
|
|
|
Tropical Storm Ana
July 15 - 19, 1985
Tropical Storm
| Winds 60 kts |
Pressure 996 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Hurricane Bob
July 21 - 26, 1985
Category 1
| Winds 65 kts |
Pressure 1002 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
A tropical depression formed in the southeast Gulf of Mexico. It slowly meandered east, becoming a tropical storm just prior to making landfall across southwest Florida. As the system reached the east coast, it turned to the north. Hurricane status was achieved to the east of Georgia. The cyclone moved norht into South Carolina, weakening quickly back into a tropical depression.
As the low moved north through Virginia, Bob spawned two weak tornadoes of F0 intensity and one stronger tornado of F3 intensity, that were reported. The two weak tornadoes near Richmond and Charlottesville damaged ten houses. The strongest tornado in northern Albermarle County destroyed two homes. Funnel clouds were observed throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Gusty winds downed power lines, disrupting the Boy Scout Jamboree in Fredericksburg. Winds peaking at 48 mph at National Airport downed a seaplane in the Washington Channel, near Hains Point, shortly before 2 pm.
High winds and heavy rains damaged trees and led to a loss of power to 30,000 throughout the D.C. suburbs of Virginia and Maryland. A house under construction in Great Falls collapsed. Two people were fatally injured in Germantown, Maryland when a car slid into another vehicle. In the District, a man perished when his van struck an eastbound car. At 2 pm a car accident claimed a life near Calverton, Maryland, all listed as storm related accidents.
Hurricane Claudette
August 9 - 17, 1985
Category 1
| Winds 75 kts |
Pressure 980- mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Hurricane Danny
August 12 -20, 1985
Category 1
| Winds 80 kts |
Pressure 988 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Hurricane Elena
August 28 - September 4, 1985
Category 3
| Winds 110 kts |
Pressure 953 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths 4 |
Damages $1.3 billion |
|
Tropical Storm Fabian
September 15 -19, 1985
Tropical Storm
| Winds 55 kts |
Pressure 994- mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Hurricane Gloria
September 16 - October 2, 1985
Category 4
| Winds 125 kts |
Pressure 920 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages $900 million |
|
For ten days, this system gained intensity as it moved across the Atlantic Ocean. It became a very dangerous category 4 hurricane just east of the Bahamas. As the storm tracked to the north, cooler water temperatures caused weakening. Still, Gloria moved over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at 2 am, where a pressure of 27.98" was recorded.
Virginia Beach, Virginia saw the pressure bottom out at 28.87". Norfolk experienced winds sustained at 46 mph, with gusts to 67 mph. Norfolk Naval Air Station reported wind gusts of 64 mph. Sustained winds of 94 mph, with gusts to 104 mph, blew through South Islands, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Hampton Roads, Virginia, saw a 5.65" of rain. Southeast Virginia measured the most rain for the state with isolated areas reporting over 8". The highest tide noted for the state was 5.3 ft above mean lower low water. Damage totaled $5.5 million statewide. This storm became nontropical in Canada and continued to rapidly move east. A record warm spell greeted Europe as Gloria made landfall on the continent in early October.
Tropical Storm Henri
September 21 - 25, 1985
Tropical Storm
| Winds 50 kts |
Pressure 996- mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Tropical Storm Isabel
October 7 - 15, 1985
Tropical Storm
| Winds 60 kts |
Pressure 997 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Hurricane Juan
October 26 - November 1, 1985
Category 1
| Winds 75 kts |
Pressure 971 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths 63 |
Damages $1.5 billion |
|
This hurricane or the remnants of it were nicknamed "The Killer Flood of 1985" in Virginia. The storm began of non-tropical origins and drifted across Louisiana during the last week of October, before moving east into Pensacola, Florida on Halloween. As the center of Juan moved north towards Michigan, a secondary low moved east across North Carolina, continuing the moderate rainfall. A third low pressure system, along Juan's cold front, transformed a minor flood into a major disaster. A massive rain shield developed as warm, tropical air overrode cooler air to the north of the center. This third system tracked across southwest Virginia on the 4th, and eventually through northern Virginia and Maryland.
Heavy rains fell across the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains, 19.77" near Montebello, Virginia. The Bloomington Reservoir rose 80 feet in a mere 30 hours. It was considered more damageing, further upriver than Agnes was in 1972. Record-breaking flood discharges occurred at many locations within the Potomac, James and Roanoke river basins. The heart of the destruction was across Virginia and West Virginia. In Virginia, 3500 homes were destroyed. Carpeting, dead animals, window frames and numerous household items began flowing down the Potomac. The most extensive damage in Virginia occurred int he Roanoke River basin, in the Roanoke-Salem metropolitan areas. Many in Roanoke were rescued from rooftops via boats and helicopters. Waters rose to the third story of an apartment complex in Salem, Virginia. Lynchburg experienced the James River rising to seven feet above the previous record, set in 1877. Stored tobacco was in ruin, losses totaled $8 million. Extensive flooding invaded Richmond. Monetary losses exceeded those of Camille and Agnes. Forty counties and twelve independent cities were declared Federal disaster areas.
Waters rose to within two inches of the top stones of Georgetown's Lock 3, stopping just shy of a catastrophe for Washington D.C. Waters were high for four days. Total damages along the C & O Canal from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown was over $9 million. Overall, the Potomac saw $113 million in damages. In Virginia, 22 persons perished and $753 million of damage was incurred. In West Virginia, almost 2600 residents were left homeless after the floods, and damages skyrocketed to $500 million. It was the worst flood to date in West Virginia history as several small towns were almost destroyed. Total damages across West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland totaled $1.4 billion.
Hurricane Kate
November 15 - 23, 1985
Category 3
| Winds 105 kts |
Pressure 954 mbs |
Rainfall -- ins |
| Deaths -- |
Damages -- |
|
Sources:
National Hurricane Center
NOAA
GE Source/UK
Copyright © 2003 Marla Kay Urie Price
