When three large weather systems collided in late October 1991 in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of New England, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, the result was nearly apocalyptic. To me, this was the ultimate ‘hybrid’ storm” (Ostro 2006). A Nor'easter is named for the direction from which the winds blow — from the northeast, on the back side of an intense weather system circulating in a counterclockwise manner. NCEP Weather Analyses for "The Perfect Storm" October 27 - November 2, 1991 The images above show the Sea Level Pressure and 500 millibar (mb) analyses every 6 hours from 0000 UTC October 27, 1991 through 1800 UTC November 2, 1991. According to The Weather Channel’s senior meteorologist Stu Ostro, “a non-tropical system absorbing a tropical one is not unprecedented, nor is a tropical cyclone developing from a non-tropical system. The title of Sebastian Junger's powerful book, "The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea," is not meant to be celebratory. 30 October 1991: United States Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk, 88-26110, call sign “Jolly 110,” assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing, New York Air National Guard, headed out into a hurricane that would become known as “The Perfect Storm.” Aboard were Major C. David Ruvola, pilot; Captain Graham Buschor, co-pilot; Staff Sergeant James R. … Real Perfect Storm. Arctic high-pressure system — (clockwise winds). They are known for dumping huge amounts of rain and snow as far inland as the Appalachians, producing hurricane-force winds, and generating beach-eating waves and coastal flooding. Also known as the Halloween Storm, “The Perfect Storm” of literary and Hollywood fame wracked the Atlantic seaboard in late October 1991 and sunk the Andrea Gail. President's Day of 1979, when a storm shut down the nation's capital. Last modified September 16, 2019, Your email address will not be published. These tempests, called “nor’easters” in the Atlantic states, have sunk many ocean vessels (Mcgahee 2008), and indeed, The Perfect Storm lived up to this reputation with the Andrea Gail. Meteorologist Quincy Vagell © 2018. Nor'easters, powerful weather systems that can span more than 1,000 miles, can occur along the eastern seaboard of the United States between October and April, when moisture and cold air are abundant. In addition to this storm’s legacy in popular culture, however, the storm’s evolution is noteworthy. Yet, coastal areas from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico experienced flooding and high winds, and beach erosion was severe and widespread. Those men were the focal point of a best-selling novel, The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger. The perfect storm with Winds upwards of 70 mph “tossed boats like beach toys in the surf,” The Boston Globe reported on October 31, 1991. The storm claimed 12 lives, including all six hands aboard the MV Andrea Gail, a commercial swordfishing boat based out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, caught out at sea 500 miles from port. In late October and November the eastern United States experiences rapid changes in weather. Your email address will not be published. Most memorably in the public psyche may be the damage suffered to then-President George H. W. Bush’s house in Kennebunkport, Maine, where windows were blown out, water flooded the building, and some structural damage occurred. The “perfect storm” of October 1991 is a true story of a rare weather scenario. Rather, it was “an extraordinary confluence of atmospheric ingredients” and “unique in its evolution” (Ostro 2006). Required fields are marked *. The real Perfect Storm The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the NWS Disaster Survey Report officially called the storm "The Halloween Nor'easter of 1991." Setting the stage Some extremely weather patterns were coming together to create the ideal conditions for a massive nor’easter. NOAA image. When three large weather systems collided in late October 1991 in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of New England, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, the result was nearly apocalyptic. Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. Strong northeasterly winds at the leading edge of the storm draw it up the east coast. As the strong northeasterly winds pull the storm up the east coast, it meets with cold Arctic air blowing down from Canada. Locals just call it the "Halloween Storm," or the "No-Name Storm." But for both processes to occur with the same system, not to mention one of this magnitude, is what made the cyclone so amazing. The Perfect Storm makes landfall along the North Atlantic seaboard, October 30, 1991. 2006). To the east, the Atlantic Ocean loses its stored summer heat more slowly than the continent, and hurricanes sometimes form over the warm waters. Rather, Junger, a freelance journalist, intends the phrase "perfect storm" to be read "in the meteorological sense: a storm that could not possibly have been worse." Also known as the Halloween Storm, “The Perfect Storm” of literary and Hollywood fame wracked the Atlantic seaboard in late October 1991 and sunk the Andrea Gail. The most extensive damage occurred in New England where federal disaster areas were declared for seven counties in Massachusetts, five in Maine, and one in New Hampshire. Need help with Gloucester, Mass., 1991 in Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm? Meanwhile, as the men on the Andrea Gail were cursing their luck, a storm was brewing off the coast. All Rights Reserved. The storm is fed by the Gulf Stream current, a band of warm water that lies off the Atlantic coast. The Perfect Storm began as an extratropical system, absorbed a tropical system (i.e., Hurricane Grace), and ended somewhat uneventfully as an unnamed hurricane. There are two main components to a Nor'easter: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A non-tropical storm literally eats a hurricane and becomes a monster low pressure system, just off of the Northeast coast. The perfect storm left a trail of destruction from Nova Scotia to Florida, killing 13 people and causing close to $500 million in damage as it lashed the coast from Oct. 26 through Nov. 1 of that year. Robert Case, deputy meteorologist of the NWS Boston office, coined the phrase "The Perfect Storm" while he was being interviewed by Junger. What made this storm especially severe is that it spun around and meandered along the coast for several days. To the west, cold Canadian air masses regularly envelope the Midwest. The National Park Service’s weather and climate inventory for the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network recognizes The Perfect Storm as an example of an extreme storm event that introduced large-scale disturbances into National Park System units such as Assateague (Maryland), Cape Cod (Massachusetts), Fire Island (New York) national seashores, and Gateway National Recreation Area (New York) (Davey et al. A state by state damage summary reveals the widespread impacts caused by the storm. Gulf Stream low-pressure system — (counter-clockwise winds). The “Perfect Storm” Brews. These systems generate off the coast of Florida as the air above the Gulf Stream warms and spawns a low-pressure system. Sea walls, boardwalks, bulkheads, and piers were reduced to rubble. When the two systems collide, the moisture and cold air produce a mix of precipitation. The "Blizzard of '93," when tornadoes, flooding, and snow damaged homes and businesses from Maine to Alabama, to the tune of more than $1 billion. Coined as "The Perfect Storm" by the National Weather Service (NWS), the bizarre extratropical low might be described as the meteorological equivalent to the "Big Bang." On 30 October 1991, this nor’easter reached peak intensity when it was 340 miles (547 km) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, but the storm had been building since 28 October 1991 when it killed the six crew members of the Andrea Gail. From mid-October to mid-November, New England annually undergoes swift and dramatic changes in the weather, as it transitions from Fall to Winter. Published in 1997, the novel was followed by a movie in 2000, starring George Clooney. Ash Wednesday of 1962, when the northeastern coast was continuously mauled for five days. The contrast between two very dissimilar air masses (i.e., cold to the west and warm to the east) often results in massive storms just offshore North America.