Global InformationTimeline of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season information
| Timeline of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Season summary map | |||||
| Season boundaries | |||||
| First system formed | June 17, 1996 | ||||
| Last system dissipated | November 26, 1996 | ||||
| Strongest system | |||||
| Name | Edouard | ||||
| Maximum winds | 145 mph (230 km/h) (1-minute sustained) | ||||
| Lowest pressure | 933 mbar (hPa; 27.55 inHg) | ||||
| Longest lasting system | |||||
| Name | Fran | ||||
| Duration | 15.5 days | ||||
| |||||
The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season had 13 named storms, of which 9 became hurricanes and 6 became major hurricanes (hurricanes that are classified as Category 3 or higher).[1] These major hurricanes were Bertha, Edouard, Fran, Hortense, Isidore, and Lili.[2][3][4][5][6][7] This timeline documents all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation. The timeline also includes information that was not operationally released, meaning that information from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as information on a storm that was not operationally warned on, has been included. The season officially began on June 1, 1996, and ended on November 30 that same year.
The season's most destructive storms were Hurricane Cesar, Hurricane Fran, and Hurricane Hortense. Hurricane Cesar (later known as Hurricane Douglas in the Eastern Pacific basin) was the deadliest storm of the season; it killed at least 51 people and caused severe damage in northern Colombia and southern Central America.[8] Hurricane Fran caused $3.2 billion (1996 USD) worth of damage in the United States, mostly in North Carolina, and killed 26 people.[4] Hurricane Hortense dropped torrential rainfall on southwestern Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic, killing 21 people and leaving behind $127 million (1996 USD) in damage.[5] All three storms had their names retired by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 1997,[9] and were replaced with Cristobal, Fay, and Hanna for the 2002 season, respectively.
By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[10] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central.[nb 1][11] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first with the respective regional time included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the National Hurricane Center's products. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.
- ^ "1996 Atlantic Ocean Tropical Storms and Hurricanes". National Data Buoy Center. June 16, 2006. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Berthawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Edouardwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Max Mayfield (October 10, 1996). "Preliminary Report: Hurricane Fran". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Lixion A. Avila (October 23, 1996). "Preliminary Report: Hurricane Hortense". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Isidorewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Liliwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Lixion A. Avila (August 26, 1996). "Preliminary Report: Hurricane Cesar". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ "FAQ: What names have been retired in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins?". Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ "Understanding the Date/Time Stamps". Miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ "Update on National Hurricane Center Products and Services for 2020" (PDF). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).