ZCZC MIATWSAT 
TTAA00 KNHC 011132
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
8 AM EDT WED OCT 1 1997
 
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
...SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY DURING SEPTEMBER...

HURRICANE ERIKA WAS THE ONLY NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONE TO BE TRACKED IN
SEPTEMBER.  ERIKA FORMED IN THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC ON
SEPTEMBER 3RD.  IT STRENGTHENED TO A HURRICANE ON THE 5TH AND PASSED
JUST NORTHEAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES ON THE 6TH AND 7TH AS IT
CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN.  ITS INTENSITY PEAKED ON THE 8TH AND 9TH AS
A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON SCALE WITH 125 MPH
WINDS.  ERIKA MOVED NORTHWARD AND THEN EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTH
ATLANTIC FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WHILE GRADUALLY WEAKENING.  IT
MOVED THROUGH THE ISLANDS OF THE AZORES ON THE 15TH AS A TROPICAL
STORM AND THEN BECAME EXTRATROPICAL.

ERIKAS STRONGEST WINDS MISSED THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS BUT OUTER
RAINBANDS CAUSED GUSTY WINDS AND UP TO THREE INCHES OR SO OF
RAINFALL AT SOME LOCATIONS.  LARGE WAVES CAUSED BEACH EROSION AND
COASTAL FLOODING IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO. THE ISLANDS
FROM ANTIGUA TO ST. MARTIN AND ANGUILLA ALSO EXPERIENCED THE FRINGES
OF THE HURRICANE.  THE AZORES EXPERIENCED TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1929 THAT ONLY ONE TROPICAL STORM OR
HURRICANE HAS OCCURRED DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER COMBINED.

SUMMARY TABLE

NAME              DATES       WIND      DEATHS    U.S. DAMAGE
----              -----       ----      ------    -----------
HURRICANE ERIKA   SEP 3-15    125 MPH     ?       10 MILLION
                                                  (PRELIMINARY)

LAWRENCE


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