Cyclone Catarina

Cyclone Catarina was a tropical cyclone in the South Atlantic and hit the southeastern Brazil in March 2004. Though he was not the first tropical cyclone in the South Atlantic, he was the first hurricane strength has been reached. The storm killed at least three people and caused $ 350 million (present value $ 449 million ) in damages.

The storm was initially nameless, because for the South Atlantic due to the rarity of tropical cyclones in this area, there was no official naming scheme. Very soon he was but named by local media after the affected State of Santa Catarina Catarina.

Storm History

On 12 March, forming a stationary trough off the coast of southern Brazil. A disturbance formed on him and moved to 22 March in an east - southeasterly direction until it is a high-pressure wedge that was located southeast of the system was staying. Of exceptionally good upper-level winds and warmer than average water temperatures between 24 - were 26 ° C, the system was able to develop slowly, and resembled on March 24, a subtropical storm. Located about 1010 km east-southeast of Florianópolis, it moved slowly westward, and appeared on March 25, a tropical storm to have become.

As a compact storm, he moved steadily westward and intensified into a hurricane on March 26. A Brazilian newspaper wrote that a Furacao ( Hurricane ) the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina threatened. This headline was a Mitgrund for the name Catarina. Catarina also received further excellent conditions and reached its peak intensity with winds of 160 km / h with gusts up to 180 km / h on 28 March. The cyclone went on the same day with the same intensity on land and hit the 30,000 inhabitants comprehensive city of Torres in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Catarina came off like a normal tropical cyclone rapidly over land on.