&sq=&lang=&file=File:AlmaMay201970SatImage.png) Alma on May 20 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 18, 1970 |
| Dissipated | May 27, 1970 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 993 mbar (hPa); 29.32 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 8 total |
| Areas affected | Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Southeast United States |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1970 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Alma was one of only four Atlantic tropical cyclones to reach hurricane status in the month of May. It developed on May 18, 1970 north of Panama, and rapidly intensified on May 20 to peak winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. It stalled south of Cuba and deteriorated due to wind shear, and by May 22 it weakened to tropical depression status. After progressing northwestward and crossing western Cuba, Alma reorganized in the Gulf of Mexico, although continued shear prevented strengthening. It moved across Florida on May 25, and on May 27 it dissipated off the coast of Virginia.
The storm first brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. While it was weakening, Alma produced flooding in central and eastern Cuba, causing seven deaths and forcing 3,000 people to evacuate. Moderate precipitation spread across Florida, while thunderstorms from the storm caused light damage, killing one. Moisture from the storm spread up the Atlantic coast.