Hurricane Diana (1984)
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- This is about a hurricane of 1984; for the hurricane of 1990, see Hurricane Diana; for other storms of the same name, see Hurricane Diana (disambiguation).
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Diana just before landfall on September 13 |
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| Formed | September 8, 1984 | |
| Dissipated | September 16, 1984 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 949 mbar (hPa; 28.04 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 3 indirect | |
| Damage | $65.5 million (1984 USD) $136 million (2008 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
South Carolina, North Carolina | |
| Part of the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Diana was the strongest storm of the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season, and the first major hurricane to hit the U.S. East Coast in nearly 20 years. It caused moderate damage in North Carolina when it looped before making landfall as a Category 2 hurricane.
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[edit] Storm history
A frontal trough, in the process of absorbing Tropical Storm Arthur, stalled over the Western Atlantic by Florida and the Bahamas. Convection increased over an area just north of the Bahamas in response to the development of a frontal low, but it was disorganized in nature. It drifted westward, where a ship reported winds of 40 mph near the center of the low. Based on this, reconnaissance reports of a closed circulation, and more organized convection, it was estimated that Tropical Storm Diana formed on September 8.
Under weak steering currents while detached to the front, Diana drifted westward, and came within 50 miles of the Florida coast. Rather than continuing westward, where it would have hit near Cape Canaveral, Diana turned to the northwest where it paralleled the coastline. The storm, continually strengthening over the Gulf Stream, turned to the northeast and became a hurricane on September 10. On the 11th and 12th, Diana rapidly intensified to a peak of 135 mph winds while remaining offshore.
An approaching frontal system caused Diana to execute a cyclonic loop, where cool, dry air caused it to weaken. The hurricane still hit Wilmington, North Carolina with winds of 90 mph on September 13, and quickly weakened to a tropical storm over land. The high pressure system that built in after Diana looped weakened, allowing the storm to move to the north. After crossing the Outer Banks, Diana accelerated to the northeast, and after restrengthening to a 70 mph storm, became extratropical near Nova Scotia on September 16.
[edit] Impact
With Category 4 winds of 135 mph, Diana threatened to become the most intense hurricane to strike North Carolina since Hurricane Hazel in 1954. However, it looped and weakened. Because of this, Diana only caused $65.5 million in damage (1984 USD) due to heavy flooding (in some cases as much as 14 inches), tree damage, and downed power lines. Most of the damage was experienced between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Three indirect deaths were reported from Diana. One person died from a heart attack while making hurricane preparations, and the other two were from automobile accidents. The Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded winds of over 75 mph, making Hurricane Diana the first hurricane to bring hurricane force winds to a nuclear power plant. Some yard damage was seen, but the plant was mostly unaffected.
[edit] Lack of retirement
The name Diana was not retired, though another Hurricane Diana in 1990 was retired, and replaced by Dolly in the 1996 season. It is not to be confused with Hurricane Diane in the 1955 season, whose name was also retired.
[edit] Trivia
Diana was the first major hurricane to impact the United States East Coast in 19 years, the most recent one being Hurricane Betsy in the 1965 season. This marked the beginning of a trend, with numerous other major hurricanes hitting the area over the next two decades. [1]
