1980 жылғы "Аллен" дауылы: Атлант мұхитының күшті найзағайы

Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 1980

Hurricane Allen was a rare and extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that affected the Caribbean, eastern and northern Mexico, and southern Texas in August 1980. The first named storm and second tropical cyclone of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, it was the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure, behind Hurricane Rita, the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Hurricane Gilbert and Hurricane Wilma. It was one of the few hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale on three occasions, and spent more time as a Category 5 than all but two other Atlantic hurricanes. Allen is the only hurricane in the recorded history of the Atlantic basin to achieve sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h), thus making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane by wind speed. Until Hurricane Patricia in 2015, these were also the highest sustained winds in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricane Allen was also the second strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Gulf of Mexico, with the strongest being Hurricane Rita. Throughout its life, Allen moved through the deep tropics on a westerly to northwesterly course through the tropical Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico before making its final landfall near the United States–Mexico border. At peak strength, it passed near Haiti, causing hundreds of deaths and heavy damage. After crossing the Gulf of Mexico, Allen weakened as it struck the lower Texas coast, causing high winds, a significant storm surge, and heavy rainfall, which caused damage to southern Texas. Overall, Allen killed at least 269 people and left $1.57 billion in damages (1980 US dollars), mostly within the United States and Haiti. Because of its impact, the name Allen was retired from the six year revolving list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names in 1981 and the name was replaced by Andrew. The name Andrew, though, was subsequently retired after the 1992 season's Hurricane Andrew. The remnants of the storm caused a brief lapse in the heat wave of 1980 in places like Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, which had recorded 69 days of heat.

Allen was an early Cape Verde type hurricane which originated from a tropical wave that previously moved off the African coastline on July 30. The system developed as it moved westward, becoming a tropical depression on August 1. Early on August 2, as the depression moved towards the Caribbean, it had intensified and became the first named storm of the season. The National Hurricane Center noted that conditions appeared favorable for further intensification. However, it was also noted that a large cold low north of Puerto Rico was producing strong westerly wind shear, which would cause Allen to possibly encounter unfavorable conditions within 72 hours. Although slower forward movement was anticipated, Allen remained at generally the same westward pace, between
At 1600 UTC on August 3, the National Hurricane Center upgraded Allen to hurricane status, as an Air Force plane recorded winds of However, in post analysis, it was discovered that Allen had been a hurricane since 0000 UTC on August 3. Shortly after the upgrade, Allen began a period of rapid deepening, and intensified into a major hurricane at 0000 UTC August 4, while roughly 38 mile (61 km) northwest of Bridgetown, Barbados. Six hours later, Allen passed only 8 mile (13 km) south of St. Lucia at 0600 UTC. Allen continued to rapidly intensify, and became a Category 4 hurricane only two hours after that advisory. Shortly before 0000 UTC on August 5, the minimum pressure decreased to , which was noted as equivalent to Hurricane David in the previous season. By August 5, Allen intensified into a Category 5 hurricane while south of Puerto Rico. This made Allen the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic on record, Hurricane warnings went into effect for Jamaica from around noon on August 5 until late in the afternoon of August 6. The Cayman Islands saw hurricane watches issued from the afternoon of August 5 into the morning of August 6 before the watches were upgraded to hurricane warnings from the morning until late afternoon of August 6.

Areas of northeastern Mexico saw heavy rains with the passage of Allen, with the highest totals exceeding The hurricane earlier brushed the Yucatán Peninsula. As Allen only affected sparsely populated regions of Mexico, there were no reports of significant damage. Allen dumped of rain in south Texas, ending a summer long drought during the Heat Wave of 1980. The storm caused seven deaths in Texas and 17 in Louisiana (most resulting from the crash of a helicopter evacuating workers from an offshore platform). Allen spawned several tornadoes in Texas. One tornado caused $100 million in damage when it hit Austin, Texas, making it the costliest tropical cyclone spawned tornado in recorded history. Overall, however, the storm caused limited damage in the United States due to its suddenly diminished power and because its highest tides and winds hit a sparsely populated portion of the Texas coast.

Because of the hurricane's destructive impacts, the name Allen was retired from the Atlantic tropical storm name list by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 1981, and will never again be used for a future Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with Andrew for the 1986 season.