&sq=&lang=&file=File:Gabrielle_2001-09-18_1525Z.jpg) Gabrielle at peak intensity on September 18 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 11, 2001 |
| Dissipated | September 19, 2001 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 975 mbar (hPa); 28.79 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Damage | >$230 million (2001 USD) |
| Areas affected | Florida, Newfoundland |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Gabrielle was a North Atlantic hurricane that caused flooding in both Florida and Newfoundland in September 2001. It developed in the Gulf of Mexico on the same day as the September 11 attacks; after the attacks, flights were canceled nationwide for two days, and when Gabrielle struck Florida on September 14, it caused a day of additional cancellations. The storm moved ashore with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) near Venice, a city located south of the Tampa Bay area. The combination of the winds and heavy rainfall, which peaked at 15.1 in (380 mm) in Parrish, left 570,000 customers without power along the west coast and 126,000 customers without power on the east coast. The storm caused about $230 million (2001 USD) in damage in Florida. In the Gulf of Mexico, high waves contributed to two deaths, one of which was indirect; there was also a death due to flooding in Winter Haven.
After crossing the state, Gabrielle had the appearance of an occluded frontal low or subtropical cyclone; this was after the convection decreased near the center. However, Gabrielle gradually re-intensified and became a hurricane on September 17 as it passed northwest of Bermuda. The hurricane reached peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), but weakened subsequently due to wind shear. Gabrielle transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 19, and later that day it passed just southeast of Newfoundland. The storm produced record rainfall that caused what was described the "worst flooding in 100 years" in St. John's. Several roads and houses were flooded in the region. The extratropical remnants of Gabrielle continued to the northeast and dissipated on September 21.