Everything about Hurricane Karen 2001 totally explained
Hurricane Karen was a hurricane of non-tropical origin that formed in October of the
2001 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed out of the interaction between a
cold front and an upper level
trough on
October 10 located to the south of
Bermuda, and quickly strengthened as an
extratropical storm. The storm passed near Bermuda on
October 12, producing hurricane-force winds on the island. It then organized, becoming a
subtropical cyclone on the 12th and a
tropical cyclone on the 13th. Karen strengthened to reach 80 mph (130 km/h) winds as a Category 1 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and after weakening over cooler waters, it made landfall on
Nova Scotia as a tropical storm. It quickly became extratropical.
On Bermuda, winds from the precursor extratropical storm produced moderate damage, primarily to power lines and marine interests. Over 2/3 of the island's power subscribers were left without power during the worst of the storm, and several boats sank or ran aground from the high winds. Damage on Bermuda totaled to over $1.4 million (2001 USD; $1.7 million 2008 USD). In Atlantic Canada, Tropical Storm Karen produced light winds and rain, but caused minimal damage.
Storm History
A cold front stalled a couple hundred miles southeast of
Bermuda on
October 10. During that day, a strong upper-level
trough moved southeastward off the southeast coast of the
United States. Due to several factors, including upward motion and strong diffluence — the rate at which a fluid moves — the area became
baroclinically unstable. This caused the interaction between the trough and the front to develop into an
extratropical low about 345 miles (555 km) southeast of Bermuda on
October 11. The low moved quickly northward, then northwestward, strengthening quickly due to the instability of the atmosphere. Late on the 11th, the system slowed, and the upper-level circulation became aligned with the low-level circulation. The extratropical storm began to develop
tropical characteristics late on the 11th, including surface temperatures warmer than the surrounding environment, and vertical wind characteristics of a tropical cyclone. Based on its organization, the system developed into Subtropical Storm One early on
October 12 while located about 35 miles (55 km) south of Bermuda.
While passing to the south of Bermuda, the
subtropical storm maintained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), with wind gusts on the island surpassing 100 mph (160 km/h). After becoming dissociated from the
Westerlies, the system turned northward, and began to develop convection over the center. In addition, the frontal characteristics of the subtropical storm continually weakened. On
October 13, based on an
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit observation that stated that a
warm core was present throughout the system, the
National Hurricane Center designated the system as a
tropical storm, and gave it the name
Karen. At this point, Karen was located 200 miles (320 km) north of Bermuda. and the storm intensified to a hurricane later on October 13.
Convection gradually decreased, and Karen made landfall on southwestern
Nova Scotia with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) on
October 15. Under the influence of a mid-latitude system, the storm turned sharply to the northeast, and after losing the remaining of its convection it became extratropical shortly after landfall. Continuing northward, the remnant low quickly weakened, and dissipated as it was absorbed by a larger extratropical storm over the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
At the time of Karen's landfall, gale warnings were issued for coastal waters, while inland wind warnings were in effect for
Cape Breton. In addition, heavy rainfall warnings were issued for large portions of
Nova Scotia including
Halifax, southeastern
New Brunswick,
Fundy National Park, and
Prince Edward Island. resulting in minor flooding of streets. The strong winds also caused considerable damage to vegetation. Three cruise ships weathered the storm at
Saint George Harbour, where the powerful winds ripped out a post and snapped a mooring line, leaving a ship drifting in the harbor. One crew member was minorly injured. Over a dozen boats broke free from their moorings, resulting in them running aground or sinking. Overall damage was moderate, totaling to about $1.4 million (2001 USD, $1.7 million 2008 USD). No fatalities were reported, though a few storm-related injuries occurred.
Canada
Tropical Storm Karen produced light to moderate winds across
Atlantic Canada, peaking at 47 mph (76 km/h) with a gust of 64 mph (103 km/h) in
Cape George in
Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, along with a 26 mph (42 km/h) report in
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
s in the storm dropped light rainfall of up to 1.8 inches (46 mm) in
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and 1.4 inches (35 mm) in
Saint John, New Brunswick, most of which fell in a short amount of time. Skewed to the left side of the transitioning storm,
the rainfall was beneficial for the drought-stricken areas of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Due to the fast-moving nature of the storm, though, most areas reported only around half an inch of rain.
A buoy in
Halifax Harbour reported wave heights of up to 16.7 feet (5.1 m), causing breaking waves at docks white caps along the ocean. Damage in Canada was minor due to the storm, limited to an uprooted tree in
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and several other trees with damaged branches.
There were no injuries or fatalities in Canada.
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