1979 Atlantic hurricane season (SDTWFC What Might Have Been)
First storm formed
Ana - June 11
Last storm dissipated
Epsilon - November 16
Strongest storm
Kyle
155 mph
920 mBar
Total depressions
27
Total storms
26
Hurricanes
13
Major hurricanes
4
Total damages
$107.813 billion (2018 USD )
Total fatalities
742 total (679 direct, 63 indirect)
The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season (SDTWFC What Might Have Been) features what the SDTWFC thought storms would do upon formation. The season was hyperactive, with 27 tropical depressions and 26 tropical storms, making 1979 one of the most active seasons on record. However, there is little track information available for multiple storms, thus causing said storms to have inaccurate tracks. The season also featured the first name to be retired that didn't reach hurricane strength: Diane, which caused catastrophic flooding in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Storms [ ]
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
June 9 – June 10
Peak intensity
65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min) 1006 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Ana [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression One)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
June 11 – June 14
Peak intensity
110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min) 994 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Bethany [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Two)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
June 19 – June 26
Peak intensity
140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min) 986 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Coryn [ ]
(Previously Tropical Storm Ana)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
July 8 – July 13
Peak intensity
95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min) 996 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Diane [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Four)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
July 9 – July 17
Peak intensity
165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min) 973 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Ernie [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Five)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
July 9 – July 12
Peak intensity
175 km/h (110 mph) (1-min) 978 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Flora [ ]
(Previously Hurricane Bob)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
July 10 – July 12
Peak intensity
85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min) 999 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Garry [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Seven)
Category 5 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
July 16 – July 27
Peak intensity
260 km/h (160 mph) (1-min) 924 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Hannah [ ]
(Previously Tropical Storm Claudette)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
July 20 – July 22
Peak intensity
85 km/h (55 mph) (1-min) 991 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Igor [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Nine)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
July 28 – August 1
Peak intensity
120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min) 990 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Jasmine [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Ten)
Category 4 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
August 25 – September 5
Peak intensity
250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min) 920 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Kyle [ ]
(Previously Hurricane David)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
August 25 – August 27
Peak intensity
100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min) 993 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Lars [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twelve)
Category 4 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
August 29 – September 16
Peak intensity
240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min) 929 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Melissa [ ]
(Previously Hurricane Frederic)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
August 29 – August 31
Peak intensity
75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min) 1003 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Nelly [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Fourteen)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
August 30 – September 1
Peak intensity
120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min) 992 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Orion [ ]
(Previously Tropical Storm Elena)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
September 1 – September 4
Peak intensity
95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min) 987 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Peggy [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Sixteen)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
September 4 – September 9
Peak intensity
160 km/h (100 mph) (1-min) 981 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Rosa [ ]
(Previously Hurricane Gloria)
Tropical depression (NHC )
Duration
September 15 – September 16
Peak intensity
45 km/h (30 mph) (1-min) 1010 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Depression Eighteen [ ]
(Previously Hurricane Henri)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
September 16 – September 20
Peak intensity
130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min) 984 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Serena [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Nineteen)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
September 19 – September 21
Peak intensity
75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min) 998 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Trudy [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
September 21 – September 24
Peak intensity
85 km/h (55 mph) (1-min) 996 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Vina [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-One)
Category 3 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
October 12 – October 16
Peak intensity
185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min) 969 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Winona [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-Two)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
October 22 – October 26
Peak intensity
120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min) 980 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Alpha [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-Three)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
October 23 – October 24
Peak intensity
65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min) 999 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Beta [ ]
(Previously Subtropical Storm One)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (NHC )
Duration
October 24 – October 28 (Exited Basin)
Peak intensity
120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min) 986 hPa (mbar )
Hurricane Gamma [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-Five)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
November 6 – November 8
Peak intensity
85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min) 997 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Delta [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-Six)
Tropical storm (NHC )
Duration
November 13 – November 16
Peak intensity
110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min) 993 hPa (mbar )
Tropical Storm Epsilon [ ]
(Previously Tropical Depression Twenty-Seven)
Storm Names [ ] This was the same list used in the 1973 season, with exceptions of Lars, Melissa, Orion, and Vina, which replaced Linda, McKenna, Omar, and Verna. Names not retired will be used again in the 1985 season. This was the first season to use the name Epsilon.
Ana
Bethany
Coryn
Diane
Ernie
Flora
Garry
Hannah
Igor
Jasmine
Kyle
Linda
McKenna
Nelly
Omar
Peggy
Rosa
Serena
Trudy
Verna
Winona
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Delta
Epsilon
Retirement [ ] The SDTWFC retired the names Diane , Hannah , Kyle , Melissa , and Winona due to the deaths and damage they caused. They will be replaced with Donovan , Hamilton , Karen , Monica , and Winter for the 1985 season.
Season Effects [ ]
1979 North Atlantic Ocean statistics
Storm name
Dates active
Storm category
at peak intensity
Max 1-min wind
mph (km/h)
Min.press.(mbar )
Areas affected
Damage (millions USD )
Deaths
Ana
June 9 - June 10
Tropical storm
40 (65)
1006
none
none
0
Bethany
June 11 - June 14
Tropical storm
70 (110)
994
Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Southern Florida
50 (2018 USD)
13 (2)
Coryn
June 19 - June 26
Category 1 hurricane
85 (140)
986
Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba
2 (2018 USD)
1
Diane
July 8 - July 13
Tropical storm
60 (95)
996
North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey
13,400 (2018 USD)
278 (6)
Ernie
July 9 - July 17
Category 2 hurricane
105 (165)
973
none
none
0
Flora
July 9 - July 12
Category 2 hurricane
110 (175)
978
Florida Panhandle
none
0
Garry
July 10 - Jul 12
Tropical storm
50 (85)
999
none
none
0
Hannah
July 16 - July 27
Category 5 hurricane
160 (260)
924
Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Texas
9,900 (2018 USD)
73 (7)
Igor
July 20 - July 22
Tropical storm
55 (85)
991
Cape Verde
Minimal
(3)
Jasmine
July 28 - August 1
Category 1 hurricane
75 (120)
990
none
none
0
Kyle
August 25 - September 5
Category 4 hurricane
155 (250)
920
Northern Lesser Antilles, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Bermuda
7,800 (2018 USD)
52 (8)
Lars
August 25 - August 27
Tropical storm
65 (100)
993
Mexico
1 (2018 USD)
0
Melissa
August 29 - September 16
Category 4 hurricane
150 (240)
929
Bahamas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, United States Midwest
76,500 (2018 USD)
177 (12)
Nelly
August 29 - August 31
Tropical storm
45 (75)
1003
none
none
0
Orion
August 30 - September 1
Category 1 hurricane
75 (120)
992
Southern Louisiana
none
0
Peggy
September 1 - September 4
Tropical storm
60 (95)
987
none
none
0
Rosa
September 4 - September 9
Category 2 hurricane
100 (160)
981
none
none
0
Eighteen
September 15 - September 16
Tropical depression
30 (45)
1010
Yucatan Peninsula
3 (2018 USD)
2 (1)
Serena
September 16 - September 20
Category 1 hurricane
80 (130)
984
none
none
0
Trudy
September 19 - September 21
Tropical storm
40 (75)
998
Texas
7 (2018 USD)
0
Vina
September 21 - September 24
Tropical storm
55 (85)
996
none
none
0
Winona
October 12 - October 16
Category 3 hurricane
115 (185)
969
Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas
5,200 (2018 USD)
36 (17)
Alpha
October 22 - October 26
Category 1 hurricane
75 (120)
980
Cape Verde
none
0
Beta
October 23 - October 24
Tropical storm
40 (65)
999
Bermuda
none
0
Gamma
October 24 - October 28 (Exited Basin)
Category 1 hurricane
75 (120)
986
Panama, Costa Rica
150 (2018 USD)
47 (8)
Delta
November 6 - November 8
Tropical storm
50 (85)
997
none
none
0
Epsilon
November 13 - November 16
Tropical storm
70 (110)
993
none
none
0
Season Aggregates
27
June 9 - November 16
160 (260)
920
North Atlantic Ocean
57,813
979 (63)
