Hurricane Flossie (2007)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Flossie
Type=hurricane
Year=2007
Basin=EPac
Image location=Flossie 11 aug 2007 2015Z.jpg


Formed=August 8, 2007
Dissipated=August 16, 2007
1-min winds=120
Pressure=949
Da

Fatalities= None reported
Areas=Hawaiokinai
Hurricane season=2007 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Flossie was a strong Category Four Hurricane which brushed the island of Hawaiʻi as it rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. Flossie was the ninth tropical cyclone and sixth named storm of the 2007 Pacific hurricane season. Flossie developed from a ill defined wave which formed off the coast of Africa on July 21 and traversed the Atlantic. The wave crossed into the Pacific on August 2 while remaining poorly organized. The low slowly developed over the next few days before gaining enough convection to be declared a tropical depression on August 8. The depression quickly strengthened to a tropical storm early the next morning and later to a hurricane on August 10. Flossie became a major hurricane on August 11 and reached category four status just before entering the Central Pacific basin later that day. Flossie maintained a category four until August 14 when vertical wind shear increased and began to weaken the system. Flossie brushed the southern coast of Hawaiʻi as the strong wind shear took its toll on the storm. Flossie dissipated on August 16 as it moved away from the islands without making landfall.

Meteorological history

A poorly organized tropical wave moved off the African coast on July 21 into the Atlantic Ocean. The wave produced very little convection as it moved towards the west. On August 1, the wave crossed over Central America and entered the Pacific the next day. The low continued to produce very little convection for the next few days. On August 4, there was some increase in convection but not much. Two days later, there was a large increase in convection and the low was near tropical depression strength. However, the convection did not persist and the system weakened slightly. On August 8, the system had reorganized and gained stronger convection which persisted and the low was declared "Tropical Depression 09-E" later that night. cite web|author=Pasch and Roberts|title=Hurricane Flossie NHC TCR|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-EP092007_Flossie.pdf] [cite web|author=Pasch|title=Tropical Depression 09-E Discussion Number 1|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.001.shtml?]

The depression was located in an environment of low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures, favorable for intensification, and was quickly upgraded to Tropical Storm Flossie on its second advisory. [cite web|author=Rhome|title=Tropical Storm Flossie Discussion Number 2|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.002.shtml?] Flossie gradually intensified and was upgraded to a hurricane on August 10 as an eye began to form. Forecasts showed that Flossie would intensify some more before entering an area that was less favorable for development which would get less favorable towards the end of the forecast period. [cite web|author=Roberts and Knabb|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 8|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.008.shtml?] Flossie intensified further to a strong Category One shortly after and the peak intensity in the forecast was increased to a low end Category Two. [cite web|author=Knabb|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 9|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.009.shtml?]

That night, Flossie's eye became more well defined and cleared out as the storm rapidly intensified to a major hurricane as it moved out of the National Hurricane Center's area of responsibility. [cite web|author=Mainelli|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 11|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.011.shtml?] Flossie continued to rapidly intensify and reached Category Four status shortly after entering the Central Pacific. Forecasts showed the intensification ending and that colder water and stronger shear would begin to weaken the system in 24 hours. [cite web|author=Knabb|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 12|year=2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/ep09/ep092007.discus.0012.shtml?] Flossie maintained its intensity as it continued its westward movement. The possibility of a Hawaiʻian landfall was beginning to unfold as Flossie neared the big island. [cite web|author=Kodama|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 13|year=2007|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/archive/2007/TCDCP2.EP092007.13.0708112054] Flossie again intensified slightly, with winds reaching convert|140|mph|km/h|abbr=on|lk=on. [cite web|author=Kodama|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion Number 14|year=2007|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-08-01|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/archive/2007/TCDCP2.EP092007.14.0708112054]

Preparations and impact

The CPHC issued a hurricane watch on August 13 for the Big Island of Hawaiokinai as the storm neared the islands without weakening significantly.cite web|author=Houston|year=2007|title=Hurricane Flossie Public Advisory Twenty|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center|accessdate=2007-08-13|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/prod.php?file=/cphc/tcpages/archive/2007/TCPCP2.EP092007.20.0708131447] Hawaiokinai has not had a hurricane landfall since Hurricane Iniki of 1992.cite web|author=Jonathan Tirone|year=2007|title=Hawaiian Hurricane Watch Possible as Flossie Travels Faster|publisher=Bloomberg.com|accessdate=2007-08-13|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=amrIRq13VFls&refer=latin_america] Later, as the hurricane tracked slightly further to the north and its wind radii expanded, a tropical storm warning was issued for the same areas as the hurricane warning.cite web|author=Powell|year=2007|title=Hurricane Flossie Discussion 21|publisher=Central Pacific Hurricane Center|accessdate=2007-08-13|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/prod.php?file=/cphc/tcpages/archive/2007/TCDCP2.EP092007.21.0708132045] Accordingly, the mayor of Hawaii County declared a state of emergency later that morning.cite web|author=Kodama|year=2007|title=Hurricane Flossie Local Statement 08-13-0955|publisher=National Weather Service, Honolulu HI|accessdate=2007-08-14|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/data/HFO/HLSHFO.0708131953] Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle also signed an emergency declaration that activated the Hawaii Army National Guard before the storm. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6946543.stm|title=Hawaii island spared by hurricane|date=2007-08-15|accessdate=2007-08-15|publisher=BBC News]

Punaluokinau Beach Park, Whittington Beach Park and South Point were closed on August 13,cite web|author=Kodama|year=2007|title=Hurricane Flossie Local Statement 08-13-1742|publisher=National Weather Service, Honolulu HI|accessdate=2007-08-14|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/data/HFO/HLSHFO.0708140342] with Hawaii County Civil Defense also ordering the closure of all schools, including the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College, as well as all public parks, as of August 14.cite web|author=Kodama|year=2007|title=Hurricane Flossie Local Statement 08-13-1528|publisher=National Weather Service, Honolulu HI|accessdate=2007-08-14|url=http://www.prh.noaa.gov/data/HFO/HLSHFO.0708140127] The Port of Hilo was also closed.http://www.prh.noaa.gov/data/HFO/HLSHFO.0708150658]

Punaluokinau Beach Park received 15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m) of surf, while Pohoiki reported 10-20 ft (3.0-6.1 m). The surf collapsed a 44 acre lava bench into the ocean. [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/2007.php] Sustained 40 mph (65 km/h) winds, with gusts to 48 mph (77 km/h), were recorded at South Point. Because it caused little if any damage, the name Flossie was not retired, and will be reused in 2013.

ee also

* See the [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/FLOSSIE.shtml? NHC archive] on Hurricane Flossie.
* See the [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/archive.php?stormid=EP092007 CPHC archive] on Hurricane Flossie.

References