1993 жылғы Атлант мұхитының тропикалық дауілі "Брет"

Atlantic tropical storm in 1993

Tropical Storm Bret was the deadliest natural disaster in Venezuela since the 1967 Caracas earthquake. The third tropical cyclone of the 1993 Atlantic hurricane season, Bret formed on August 4 from a westward moving, African tropical wave. Bret would later peak as a tropical storm as it neared Trinidad. It took an extremely southerly course through the Caribbean, passing over the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. High terrain in the northern parts of those countries severely disrupted the circulation of the storm, and Bret had weakened to a tropical depression before emerging over the extreme southwestern Caribbean Sea. There, it restrengthened to a tropical storm and made landfall in Nicaragua on August 10, dissipating soon after. Bret's remnants reached the Pacific Ocean, where they would later regenerate into Hurricane Greg. Though Bret was only a weak tropical storm at landfall, it caused extreme flooding and nearly 200 deaths as it moved through South America, mostly in Venezuela. The first tropical storm to strike the country in 100 years, Bret deluged northern regions with of rainfall. The capital, Caracas, received of rain over seven hours, resulting in widespread mudslides in the hills around the city that buried houses and carried away cars. There were 173 deaths in the country, and damage was estimated at US$25 million (1993 USD). Volunteers and firefighters helped storm victims cope with the damage, while workers cleared roads to restore transportation. Outside of Venezuela, Bret first affected Trinidad and Tobago, causing minor flooding and power outages. It passed just south of Curaçao, where the storm damaged the coral reef and the roofs of 17 homes. The storm later brushed northern Colombia, killing one person there, before hitting Central America. In Nicaragua, Bret killed 31 people and left US$3 million in damage, with many coastal towns isolated by floods. There was one death in neighboring Costa Rica and seven in Honduras, all due to flooding. In Central America, damage would be compounded by Hurricane Gert as it traversed the region in early September.

Tropical Storm Bret originated from a tropical wave—a westward tracking low pressure area—that crossed the coast of Africa on August 1, 1993. Throughout its journey across the open Atlantic, the wave retained an impressive cloud structure with an area of deep convection. By August 4, the associated thunderstorm activity consolidated and organized into curved rainbands. The National Hurricane Center (NHC), noting the improving structure and sufficient support from Dvorak intensity estimates, reassessed the wave as a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC that day, the third such system of the annual hurricane season. At the time of its classification, it was located along the 10th parallel north over the central Atlantic, about west southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. With a very resilient high pressure area to its north, the depression continued moving due west at an unusually low latitude for most of its existence. The system gradually organized due to low wind shear. After the outflow increased and the circulation became better established, the NHC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Bret early on August 5. Initially, the agency expected the storm would attain hurricane status while moving west northwestward through the Caribbean Sea, although the storm would maintain its westward track. Early on August 6, Bret attained peak winds of , The circulation became exposed late on August 6, but the thunderstorms soon refired over the center. The storm moved across the northern portion of the island, Despite the southerly inflow being disrupted by the mountainous terrain, Bret maintained its circulation while continuing westward, passing just north of Venezuela's capital Caracas. Around 08:00 UTC on August 8, the storm moved back onshore Venezuela near Morrocoy National Park in Falcón state. However, a circulation emerged into the Gulf of Venezuela, which soon crossed into northeastern Colombia. There, the circulation neared the Pico Cristóbal Colón, the tallest mountain in Colombia with a peak of 18,947 feet (5775 m). This caused the structure to deteriorate, and on August 9 Bret weakened to tropical depression status with the circulation "practically dissipated", according to the NHC. The Hurricane Hunters had difficulty finding a closed circulation, prompting the NHC to discontinue advisories at 15:00 UTC on August 9. After moving through the southwestern Caribbean Sea, Bret began to re develop convection as upper level conditions became more favorable. The convection continued to organize, prompting the NHC to upgrade Bret again to a tropical storm. The storm strengthened slightly further to a secondary peak of Around 17:00 UTC on August 10, Bret made its final landfall in southern Nicaragua near Bahia Punta Gorda. The circulation moved through the country and turned more to the west northwest. Post storm analysis determined otherwise that Bret dissipated over western Nicaragua, near the Pacific coast on August 11.

In general, Bret was forecast to track farther north than it ultimately did. About 24 hours in advance of the storm, tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued for the southern Lesser Antilles and Venezuela. The first tropical storm watch was posted late on August 5 from Dominica southward to Trinidad. On the next day, this was upgraded to a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch from Saint Lucia to Trinidad. Tropical storm warnings spread westward through Venezuela along the storm's path, as well as the ABC islands and northern Colombia along the Guajira Peninsula. Later when Bret began reorganizing in the southwestern Caribbean, portions of Nicaragua were under a tropical storm warning only nine hours before the storm struck. In Trinidad and Tobago, the government set up shelters and sent home non essential oil workers. Officials canceled flights and shut the ports as a precaution. Stores and business closed early after locals had stocked up on life supplies. Army troops were deployed in Port of Spain to avert looting. The threat of the storm caused a rise in unleaded oil prices. In Venezuela, boats were ordered to remain at port, while flights were canceled to Isla Margarita and Puerto la Cruz. Rescue workers were mobilized in the capital city of Caracas to prepare in the event of landslides. Ahead of the storm, the head of Sucre state declared a state of emergency, and later Caracas was placed under the same state once the rains began. According to the governor of Venezuela's capital district, local weather media expected the storm to only brush Caracas and surrounding areas; as a result, not all precautions were made. and another 40,000 evacuated from portions of Nicaragua, Flights in the country were canceled due to the storm. The winds knocked down trees while the rains caused flooding, resulting in power outages, The storm damaged houses on southern Trinidad and central Tobago. On nearby Grenada, a weather station reported sustained winds of , with gusts to A ship known as the Lady Elaine, reported winds of , while anchored at Hog Island on the south coast of Grenada. A peak wind of was recorded at a local weather station, though strong onshore breeze averaged In addition, nearby Bonaire experienced gusts to gale force during the passage of the storm. As a minimal tropical storm, Bret moved through northern Colombia.

Striking eastern Venezuela, Bret produced wind gusts of in Guiria, near where the storm moved ashore. Isla Margarita offshore reported wind gusts of , However, the storm's rainfall was more significant. Guanare in western Venezuela reported of rainfall in just 10 hours. Quebrada Seca in Barinas state recorded of rainfall over 24 hours, and in the capital Caracas, of rainfall occurred over just seven hours. One station in the country recorded of precipitation in seven hours, setting a nationwide record for the 20th century for the heaviest rainfall over that duration. and rivers overflowed, although damage was minimal. On the mainland, heavy rainfall caused damaging mudslides and flooding, Floodwaters mixed with raw sewage from damaged water lines across the region. Residents returned to damaged homes despite warnings. Residents requested assistance from the local fire company, although disrupted telephone service created an atmosphere of confusion. and areas were left without power. Portions of the Pan American Highway and a coastal road were disrupted by landslides, including 6,000 in Barinas state,

Upon making landfall in Nicaragua, Bret caused severe flooding along the coast that left 25 villages isolated. Heavy rainfall also caused rivers to overflow, causing heavy damage in adjacent fields that affected rice, cassava, and bananas; about of rice fields were destroyed. Two villages of the Miskito people were washed away, leaving 500 residents homeless. The storm damaged at least 1,500 houses and destroyed another 850, Bret also destroyed ten churches and ten schools, as well as 25 medical centers. The preliminary damage total was around US$3 million, although it did not include crop or infrastructure damage. Floodwaters reached 7 feet (2 m) deep, isolating coastal towns. The storm destroyed over of various crops, and there were seven deaths in the country. The storm knocked down trees near the capital San Salvador, temporarily leaving the city without power. About 1,400 workers and volunteers helped in rescue efforts after the mudslides struck Caracas and surrounding areas, assisted by Red Cross volunteers and 800 firefighters. Volunteers provided water and medicine to the affected, while workers emptied residual pools of water to mitigate the spread of disease. Roads were quickly cleared of debris and mud, although many were not reopened initially due to the threat for additional mudslides. Within a week of the storm's passage, telephone service was largely repaired in Caracas and airline travel was restored. After the storm, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided US$50,000 in emergency spending, and UNICEF sent US$15,000 to buy oral rehydration salts. After the storm, the Nicaraguan government declared a state of disaster in the North and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions, as well as Tisma in the Masaya Department. Officials sent medical crews to the hardest hit areas. This was due to an increased potential for the spread of water born diseases, the result of ongoing floods and damaged sanitation facilities. Meanwhile, planes flew overhead to determine the extent of damage. On August 18, the government requested international assistance to cope from the disaster. In response, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UNDP sent US$70,000 in emergency aid, some of which to be used for fuel to transport medicine and food. The World Food Programme sent 72 tons of food and milk. The countries of Japan and the United States were the first to respond; the former provided $100,000, and the latter sent a Lockheed C 130 Hercules to distribute food. Switzerland later sent US$81,000 as a cash donation, while the European Economic Community sent US$227,000 worth of food and medicine. After Tropical Storm Gert struck in early September, various other countries sent additional money, food, medicine, and other goods.