 Marilyn near peak intensity just north of Puerto Rico on September 16 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 12, 1995 |
| Extratropical | September 22, 1995 |
| Dissipated | September 30, 1995 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 125 mph (205 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 949 mbar (hPa); 28.02 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 13 total |
| Damage | $2.5 billion (1995 USD) |
| Areas affected | Leeward Islands, Barbados, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Bermuda |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989, and the third such tropical cyclone in roughly a two-week time span to strike or impact the Leeward Islands, the others being Hurricane Iris and the much more powerful and destructive Hurricane Luis. The thirteenth named storm, seventh hurricane and third major hurricane of the extremely active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, Marilyn formed on September 12 as a tropical depression from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on September 7. After formation, the storm quickly became a tropical storm, and steadily intensified into a hurricane by the time it struck the Lesser Antilles on September 14 at Category 1 strength. Entering the northeastern Caribbean Sea, rapid intensification ensued and it peaked on September 16 north of Puerto Rico as a Category 3 hurricane shortly after it had impacted the U.S. Virgin Islands. A Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight reported hail, which is unusual for tropical cyclones. After heading north past Bermuda, Marilyn weakened and became extratropical on September 22. The remnant circulation wandered the Atlantic Ocean from September 23 – October 1, just south of Nova Scotia.
Marilyn is responsible for a total of thirteen deaths,[1] most due to drowning on boats or offshore. Eleven thousand people were left homeless on the island of St. Thomas, and estimated damages were set at $2 billion (1995 USD)[1] in the USVI. The same area would be struck by Hurricane Bertha the next year, while still repairing from Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn,[2] then successively hit by Hortense, Erika, Georges, Jose, Lenny and Debby.
- ^ a b NOAA (2007). "Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disaster" (PDF). NOAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
- ^ Hurricane Bertha Update Archived 2006-12-21 at the Wayback Machine