Hurricane Erika was the strongest and longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed from a tropical wave on September 3 and moved west-northwestward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Passing just north of the Lesser Antilles, it carried a cloud of volcanic ash to Antigua from the eruption of the Soufrière Hills Volcano on Montserrat. Strong waves from the hurricane produced beach erosion and coastal flooding in northern Puerto Rico, and caused the death of two surfers. Moderate wind gusts in the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico left thousands of residents without power, and did $10 million in damage in the U.S. Caribbean territories. The hurricane was pushed to the north by an approaching trough, then quickly strengthened to become the only major hurricane of the season, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h). It weakened as it passed over cooler waters, and finally became an extratropical cyclone after passing near the Azores archipelago. The months of August and September produced only this one Atlantic tropical cyclone; that had not happened since 1929. (Full article...)
Part of the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season featured topic.
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