Hurricane Hortense was the eighth tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and second Category 4 hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. Lasting from September 3 to September 16, Hortense brought torrential flooding as it moved through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Hitting only one year after Hurricanes Iris, Luis, Marilyn and weeks after Hurricane Bertha, it caused 39 deaths and $158 million (1996 US dollars) in dama...
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Hurricane Hortense was the eighth tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and second Category 4 hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. Lasting from September 3 to September 16, Hortense brought torrential flooding as it moved through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Hitting only one year after Hurricanes Iris, Luis, Marilyn and weeks after Hurricane Bertha, it caused 39 deaths and $158 million (1996 US dollars) in damage.
A strong low-pressure system exited the coast of Senegal on August 30 and moved westward. A well-defined low-level circulation quickly formed, but convection remained minimal due to strong upper level shear. The shear abated enough to allow shower activity to refire, and the system became Tropical Depression Eight on September 3. As it moved westward under the influence of a high pressure system, convection around the depression remained minimal due to persistent shear. As the depression approached the Lesser Antilles, upper level shear...
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