ZCZC MIATWSAT TTAA00 KNHC 011440 MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 10 AM EST TUE DEC 01 1998 FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... ...SUMMARY OF THE 1998 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON... THE 1998 SEASON WILL BE REMEMBERED AS BEING ONE OF THE DEADLIEST IN HISTORY...AND FOR HAVING THE STRONGEST OCTOBER HURRICANE ON RECORD. IT WAS A VERY ACTIVE SEASON WITH 14 NAMED TROPICAL STORMS OF WHICH 10 BECAME HURRICANES. THREE OF THESE WERE MAJOR HURRICANES ...CATEGORIES THREE...FOUR...AND FIVE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THE FOUR-YEAR PERIOD OF 1995-1998 HAD A TOTAL OF 33 HURRICANES...AN ALL-TIME RECORD. TROPICAL CYCLONES CLAIMED AN ESTIMATED 11,629 LIVES IN 1998...11,000 DUE TO HURRICANE MITCH IN CENTRAL AMERICA. NOT SINCE 1780 HAS AN ATLANTIC HURRICANE CAUSED SO MANY DEATHS. SEVEN OF THE TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES HIT THE UNITED STATES ...WHICH IS MORE THAN TWICE THE AVERAGE. TOTAL DAMAGES IN THE UNITED STATES STAND AT 6.5 BILLION DOLLARS. THE SEASON STARTED A LITTLE LATE...BUT MORE THAN MADE UP FOR LOST TIME. THERE WERE NO TROPICAL CYCLONES IN JUNE AND THE FIRST STORM OF THE SEASON...TROPICAL STORM ALEX...DEVELOPED ON JULY 27. THEN... IN A HYPER-ACTIVE 35-DAY SPAN...FROM AUGUST 19 TO SEPTEMBER 23... TEN NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMED. TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMED IN OCTOBER...LISA AND POWERFUL HURRICANE MITCH. THE SEASON CONCLUDED WITH HURRICANE NICOLE IN LATE NOVEMBER. ON SEPTEMBER 25...THERE WERE FOUR ATLANTIC HURRICANES IN PROGRESS AT ONCE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SUCH AN EVENT WAS OBSERVED SINCE 1893. SUMMARY TABLE: NAME CLASS DATES MAX. MIN. U.S. DIRECT WIND PRESS. DAMAGE DEATHS (MPH) (MB) ($MIL.) ------------------------------------------------------------------- ALEX TROPICAL STORM JUL 27-AUG 2 60 1000 BONNIE HURRICANE AUG 19-30 115 954 720 3 CHARLEY TROPICAL STORM AUG 21-24 70 1000 50 20 DANIELLE HURRICANE AUG 24-SEP 3 105 960 EARL HURRICANE AUG 31-SEP 3 100 985 79 3 FRANCES TROPICAL STORM SEP 8-13 65 990 500 1 GEORGES HURRICANE SEP 15-OCT 1 155 937 5100 602 HERMINE TROPICAL STORM SEP 17-20 45 999 IVAN HURRICANE SEP 19-27 90 975 JEANNE HURRICANE SEP 21-OCT 1 105 969 KARL HURRICANE SEP 23-28 105 970 LISA HURRICANE OCT 5-9 75 999 MITCH HURRICANE OCT 22-NOV 5 180 905 11,000* NICOLE HURRICANE NOV 24-DEC 1 75 990 * - PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE ALEX FORMED OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS ON JUL 27...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM LATE THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT MOVED GENERALLY WEST- NORTHWESTWARD...REACHING ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 60 MPH LATE ON JUL 30 LOCATED ABOUT 900 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE SYSTEM WEAKENED TO DISSIPATION ABOUT 300 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON AUG 2. BONNIE DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE ATLANTIC ABOUT 900 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON AUG 19 AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM A DAY LATER. IT MOVED ON A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK... SKIRTING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. LATE ON THE 21ST THE STORM STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE LOCATED ABOUT 200 MILES NORTH- NORTHEAST OF EASTERN HISPANIOLA. BONNIE STRENGTHENED TO ITS MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH LATE ON THE 23RD WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 175 MILES EAST OF SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS. THE HURRICANE TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND STAYED EAST OF THE BAHAMAS. BONNIE THEN HEADED TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST...IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE CAROLINAS...GRADUALLY TURNING TOWARD THE NORTH- NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH. AS THE CENTER NEARED THE COAST...ITS FORWARD SPEED SLOWED. THE EYE OF BONNIE PASSED JUST EAST OF CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA LATE ON THE 26TH. BONNIE MADE LANDFALL NEAR WILMINGTON AS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE EARLY ON THE 27TH. IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM WHILE MOVING SLOWLY OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. AS THE STORM MOVED OFF THE COAST IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTER BANKS NEAR KITTY HAWK...IT RE-STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. BONNIE SOON WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM AS MOVED NORTHEASTWARD TO EASTWARD OVER THE ATLANTIC INTO COOLER WATERS...BECOMING EXTRATROPICAL ABOUT 240 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND. THREE DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY BONNIE AND THE DAMAGE TOTAL IS ESTIMATED TO BE $720 MILLION. CHARLEY DEVELOPED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT WAS TRACKED FROM THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE CENTRAL GULF. THE SYSTEM FORMED INTO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON AUG 21 CENTERED ABOUT 275 MILES OFF THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST. THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT SAME DAY. CHARLEY REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 70 MPH SHORTLY BEFORE MOVING INLAND NEAR PORT ARANSAS TEXAS EARLY ON AUG 22. AFTER LANDFALL THE SURFACE CIRCULATION WEAKENED TO NEAR DISSIPATION BUT A SLOW-MOVING CIRCULATION ALOFT PERSISTED IN THE VICINITY OF DEL RIO TEXAS. THIS SYSTEM GENERATED FLOODING RAINS THAT WERE MOST DEVASTATING IN THAT AREA ON AUG 23-24. THE DEATH TOLL CURRENTLY STANDS AT 20 AND TOTAL DAMAGES ARE NEAR $50 MILLION. THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION THAT WAS TO BECOME DANIELLE FORMED EARLY ON AUG 24 ABOUT 700 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. TROPICAL STORM STATUS WAS REACHED LATER THAT DAY. MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ...DANIELLE RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE AND REACHED THE FIRST OF SEVERAL PEAK INTENSITIES NEAR 105 MPH WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 1040 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ...THE HURRICANE CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...GRADUALLY SLOWING IN FORWARD SPEED. DANIELLE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND NORTHWARD ON AUG 30-31...PASSING WELL EAST OF THE BAHAMAS. IT THEN TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AT INCREASING FORWARD SPEED...PASSING ABOUT 230 MILES NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA EARLY ON SEP 2...AND WINDS AT BERMUDA BRIEFLY REACHED TROPICAL STORM FORCE. DANIELLE LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT 260 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE LATE ON SEP 3. EARL DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO ON AUG 31. THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY BUT HAD A POORLY-DEFINED CENTER THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO TRACK. THE GENERAL MOTION WAS NORTH AND THEN NORTHEASTWARD...BECOMING A HURRICANE LOCATED ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. AFTER BRIEFLY REACHING 100 MPH WINDS...EARL MADE LANDFALL OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR PANAMA CITY AS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE EARLY ON SEP 3. IT WEAKENED TO BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH SOON AFTER MAKING LANDFALL AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ON SEP 3 WHILE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH GEORGIA. EARL WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THREE DEATHS AND THE TOTAL DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS $79 MILLION. FRANCES FORMED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ABOUT 160 MILES EAST OF BROWNSVILLE ON SEP 8. THE DEPRESSION DRIFTED SOUTHWARD FOR ABOUT A DAY. THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 10 AND MOVED NORTH TO NORTHWESTWARD...MOVING INLAND ACROSS THE TEXAS COAST JUST NORTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI EARLY ON SEP 11...BY WHICH TIME IT HAD STRENGTHENED TO 65 MPH. FRANCES CENTER MOVED IN A SMALL LOOP OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. WEAKENING TO A DEPRESSION...FRANCES THEN MOVED NORTHWARD TO THE TEXAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER NORTH OF DALLAS WHERE IT DISSIPATED ON SEP 13. A REMNANT LOW PRESSURE AND RAINFALL AREA COULD BE TRACKED NORTHWARD TO IOWA A DAY LATER. FRANCES CAUSED ONE DEATH AND AN ESTIMATED $500 MILLION IN DAMAGE. GEORGES FORMED IN THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC FROM A TROPICAL WAVE EARLY ON THE 15TH...AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE MORNING OF THE 16TH. BY LATE AFTERNOON ON THE 17TH...SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED THAT GEORGES DEVELOPED AN EYE AND HAD BECOME A HURRICANE. GEORGES MOVED ON A GENERAL WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST COURSE AT 15 TO 20 MPH FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. DURING THIS PERIOD...GEORGES IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 155 MPH...CATEGORY 4 ...AND A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 937 MB EARLY ON THE 20TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 420 MILES EAST OF GUADELOUPE IN THE LESSER ANTILLES. GEORGES FIRST OF MANY LANDFALLS OCCURRED AT ANTIGUA IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE ON THE 20TH. AFTER MOVING NEAR OR OVER OTHER ISLANDS OF THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN INCLUDING THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...IT THEN HIT PUERTO RICO ON THE EVENING OF THE 21ST WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH. GEORGES WEAKENED VERY LITTLE WHILE OVER PUERTO RICO AND WAS EVEN STRONGER WHEN IT MADE LANDFALL IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEP 22 WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 120 MPH. GEORGES WEAKENED AFTER CROSSING THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA AND MADE LANDFALL IN EASTERN CUBA ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 23RD WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 75 MPH. THE HURRICANE CONTINUED ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF CUBA FOR MOST OF THE 24TH. THEREAFTER...GEORGES MOVED INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS EARLY ON THE 25TH AND RE-INTENSIFIED MAKING LANDFALL NEAR KEY WEST FLORIDA ON MID-MORNING OF THE 25TH WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 105 MPH. GEORGES CONTINUED ON A GENERAL WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST TRACK ON THE 26TH AND 27TH...TURNING TO A NORTH-NORTHWEST HEADING AND GRADUALLY SLOWING DOWN AS IT APPROACHED THE COAST OF THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. GEORGES MADE ITS FINAL LANDFALL NEAR BILOXI MISSISSIPPI EARLY ON SEP 28 WITH 105 MPH WINDS. GEORGES MEANDERED OVER LAND AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. GEORGES WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY MID-MORNING ON THE 29TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 35 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF MOBILE ALABAMA. THE REMNANT WEAK CIRCULATION CENTER MOVED OFF THE GEORGIA/SOUTH CAROLINA COAST ON THE 1ST OF OCTOBER BECOMING INVOLVED WITH A FRONTAL ZONE AND DISSIPATING. GEORGES CAUSED 1 DEATH AND THE TOTAL U.S. DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS $5.1 BILLION. HERMINE DEVELOPED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN. IT MOVED INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON SEP 17. AFTER MOVING ON A LOOPING TRACK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM WHEN LOCATED ABOUT 180 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS ON SEP 19. AFTER REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 45 MPH...HERMINE MOVED NORTHWARD AND CROSSED THE COAST OF LOUISIANA NEAR COCODRIE AS A 40- MPH STORM. THERE WERE APPARENTLY NO CASUALTIES OR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. IVAN FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED ABOUT 200 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. IT REMAINED OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 20 WHEN LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS...AND A HURRICANE ABOUT 900 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ON SEP 23. AFTER TURNING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...IVAN STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 90 MPH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 300 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES EARLY ON THE 26TH. IVAN TURNED TOWARD THE EAST AND WEAKENED WHILE PASSING OVER COOLER WATERS TO THE NORTH OF THE AZORES. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL EARLY ON THE 27TH. JEANNE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM UNUSUALLY FAR TO THE EAST...CLOSE TO THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA EARLY ON SEP 21 AND INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT BRUSHED THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS WHILE MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 105 MPH ON THE 24TH ABOUT 650 MILES WEST OF THOSE ISLANDS. THE HURRICANE TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH OVER THE EAST- CENTRAL ATLANTIC LATE ON THE 26TH...THEN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND EAST-NORTHEAST. JEANNE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 29... THEN DROPPED BELOW STORM STRENGTH IN THE VICINITY OF THE AZORES AND LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS LATE ON THE 30TH. HURRICANE KARL DEVELOPED FROM A SMALL NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE AREA THAT WAS TRACKED FROM THE COAST OF THE CAROLINAS. IT BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON SEP 23 ABOUT 60 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA. KARL MOVED EASTWARD AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 240 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF BERMUDA. IT MOVED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND STRENGTHENED TO A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF 105 MPH LATE ON SEP 26...WHEN A WELL-DEFINED EYE WAS OBSERVED...CENTERED ABOUT 1000 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF BERMUDA. ACCELERATING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...KARL WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON THE 27TH OVER COOLER WATERS ABOUT 200 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE AZORES. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL WHILE MOVING NORTH OF THE AZORES ON SEP 28. LISA MOVED MOSTLY NORTHWARD OVER THE EASTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. IT FORMED ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND THE LESSER ANTILLES...AND QUICKLY STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM. LISA BRIEFLY BECAME A 75-MPH HURRICANE ON OCT 9 WHEN LOCATED ABOUT 425 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE WESTERNMOST AZORES...AND THEN RAPIDLY LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. HURRICANE MITCH...THE STRONGEST OCTOBER HURRICANE EVER RECORDED... FORMED IN THE SOUTHWEST CARIBBEAN SEA FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ABOUT 360 MILES SOUTH OF KINGSTON JAMAICA LATE ON OCT 21. THE SYSTEM INITIALLY MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD AND INTENSIFIED TO A TROPICAL STORM. MITCH THEN MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWARD...THEN NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD ON THE 23RD AND 24TH WHILE GRADUALLY GAINING STRENGTH. EARLY ON OCT 24... MITCH BECAME A HURRICANE. LATER THAT DAY...AS IT TURNED TOWARD THE WEST...MITCH BEGAN TO INTENSIFY RAPIDLY. IN ABOUT 24 HOURS ITS CENTRAL PRESSURE DROPPED 52 MB...TO 924 MB BY THE AFTERNOON OF OCT 25. FURTHER STRENGTHENING TOOK PLACE AND THE CENTRAL PRESSURE REACHED A MINIMUM OF 905 MB ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SWAN ISLAND ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEP 26. THIS PRESSURE IS THE FOURTH LOWEST EVER RECORDED IN AN ATLANTIC HURRICANE THIS CENTURY...TIED WITH HURRICANE CAMILLE IN 1969. THIS IS ALSO THE LOWEST PRESSURE EVER OBSERVED IN AN OCTOBER HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. AT ITS PEAK...THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 180 MPH...A STRONG CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE. AFTER PASSING OVER SWAN ISLAND...MITCH BEGAN TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN ON SEP 27 WHILE MOVING SLOWLY WEST...THEN SOUTHWEST TOWARD THE BAY ISLANDS OFF THE COAST OF HONDURAS. THE CENTER PASSED VERY NEAR THE ISLAND OF GUANAJA...WREAKING HAVOC THERE. FROM MID-DAY ON THE 27TH TO EARLY ON THE 29TH...THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ROSE 59 MB. THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE MEANDERED NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF HONDURAS FROM LATE ON THE 27TH THROUGH THE 28TH BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL DURING THE MORNING OF THE 29TH ABOUT 70 MILES EAST OF LA CEIBA WITH 100 MPH WINDS. MITCH MOVED SOUTHWARD OVER HONDURAS...WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM...EARLY ON THE 30TH. MITCH MOVED SLOWLY OVER HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA ON SEP 30-31...GRADUALLY WEAKENING TO A DEPRESSION. THE CYCLONE GENERATED TORRENTIAL RAINS OVER PORTIONS OF HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA WHERE THE ASSOCIATED FLOODS WERE DEVASTATING. SOME HEAVY RAINS ALSO OCCURRED IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. ALTHOUGH MITCH ORIGINALLY DISSIPATED NEAR THE GUATEMALA/SOUTHEAST MEXICO BORDER SUNDAY AFTERNOON NOV 1...THE REMNANTS CONTINUED TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND EASTERN MEXICO FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON NOV 3...A LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION BECAME EVIDENT IN THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE AND AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATING THE SYSTEM REPORTED TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS AND A 997 MB CENTRAL PRESSURE. THUS...MITCH HAD REGENERATED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 3RD WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 55 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAMPECHE MEXICO. MITCH WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE 4TH AS IT MOVED INLAND OVER THE NORTHWEST YUCATAN PENINSULA. THE CENTER RE-EMERGED OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO BY MID-MORNING ON THE 4TH REGAINING TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. MITCH BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO THE NORTHEAST AS IT BECAME INVOLVED WITH A FRONTAL ZONE MOVING THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. MITCH MADE LANDFALL ON THE MORNING OF THE 5TH IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NEAR NAPLES WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 60 MPH. BY MID-AFTERNOON OF THE 5TH MITCH MOVED OFFSHORE OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL. THE ESTIMATED DEATH TOLL FROM MITCH COULD BE AS HIGH AS 11,000...BUT THERE IS GREAT UNCERTAINTY IN THIS FIGURE. U.S. DAMAGE FIGURES ARE INCOMPLETE AT THIS TIME. NICOLE FORMED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ABOUT 700 MILES WEST OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. IT MOVED WEST-SOUTHWEST FOR A FEW DAYS...STRENGTHENING TO A 70 MPH STORM BEFORE ENCOUNTERING STRONG UPPER-LEVEL WINDS AND WEAKENING TO A LOW PRESSURE AREA ON NOV 26. HOWEVER...NICOLE WAS TENACIOUS AND IT REGENERATED INTO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. IT TURNED NORTHWARD AND NORTHEASTWARD... STRENGTHENING INTO A HURRICANE LATE ON NOV 29 WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 770 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE WESTERNMOST AZORES. NICOLE STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 MPH AND PASSED A FEW HUNDRED MILES WEST OF THE AZORES TODAY. IT IS CURRENTLY LOSING ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER HAS JUST ISSUED THE LAST ADVISORY. AVILA/GUINEY/LAWRENCE/MAYFIELD/PASCH/RAPPAPORT NNNN