The 1981 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1st, 1981 and ended November 30th, 1981.
Seasonal forecasts[]
Source | Date | Named
storms |
Hurricanes | Major
hurricanes | |
NOAA | May 2, 1981 | 11 | 6 | 2 | |
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | |||||
Actual activity | 7 | 5 | 2 |
Season Summary[]
Storms[]
|
Hurricane Arlene[]
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | June 2 – June 7 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min) 981 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Bret[]
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | June 30 – July 4 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min) 987 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Storm Cindy[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | July 17 – July 21 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min) 996 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Dennis[]
Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 1 – August 12 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min) 943 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Emily[]
Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 6 – August 13 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min) 970 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Storm Floyd[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 9 – August 12 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min) 1000 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Depression Seven[]
Tropical depression (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 14 – August 16 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 35 mph (55 km/h) (1-min) 1002 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Gert[]
Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 20 – September 4 |
---|---|
Peak intensity | 165 mph (270 km/h) (1-min) 911 mbar (hPa) |
Timeline[]
Storm names[]
The following names will be used to name tropical and subtropical cyclones in the 1981 season.
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Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating[]
ACE (104 kt2) – Storm: Source | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0.00 | Storm | 12 | 0.00 | Storm |
2 | 0.00 | Storm | 13 | 0.00 | Storm |
3 | 0.00 | Storm | 14 | 0.00 | Storm |
4 | 0.00 | Storm | 15 | 0.00 | Storm |
5 | 0.00 | Storm | 16 | 0.00 | Storm |
6 | 0.00 | Storm | 17 | 0.00 | Storm |
7 | 0.00 | Storm | 18 | 0.00 | Storm |
8 | 0.00 | Storm | 19 | 0.00 | Storm |
9 | 0.00 | Storm | 20 | 0.00 | Storm |
10 | 0.00 | Storm | 21 | 0.00 | Storm |
11 | 0.00 | Storm | 22 | 0.00 | Storm |
Total=0.0 |
ACE is the result of a storm's winds multiplied by how long it lasted for, so storms or subtropical storms (Originally not included up until 2012) that at lasted a long time , as well as particularly strong hurricanes , have higher ACE totals. Tropical Depressions are not included in season total.
Season effects[]
This is a table of the storms and their effects in the 1981 Atlantic hurricane season. This table includes the storm's names, duration, peak intensity, Areas affected (bold indicates made landfall in that region at least once), damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but are still storm-related. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave or a low. All of the damage figures are in 2015 USD (the listed damage figure is in millions).
Storm name |
Dates active | Storm category at peak intensity |
Max 1-min wind mph (km/h) |
Min. press. (mbar) |
Areas affected | Damage (USD) |
Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arlene | June 2 – June 7 | Category 1 hurricane | 80 (130) | 981 | The Bahamas, Hispaniola | 20 | 4 |
Bret | June 30 – July 4 | Category 1 hurricane | 75 (120) | 987 | None | 0 | 0 |
Cindy | July 17 – July 21 | Tropical storm | 50 (85) | 996 | None | 0 | 0 |
Dennis | August 1 – August 12 | Category 3 hurricane | 125 (205) | 943 | US Gulf Coast (Texas), Cuba, Jamaica | 1,000 | 98 |
Emily | August 6 – August 13 | Category 2 hurricane | 100 (155) | 970 | None | 0 | 0 |
Floyd | August 9 – August 12 | Tropical storm | 40 (65) | 1000 | None | 0 | 0 |
Seven | August 14 – August 16 | Tropical depression | 35 (55) | 1002 | US Gulf Coast (Texas) | 5 | 3 |
Gert | August 20 – September 4 | Category 5 hurricane | 165 (270) | 911 | US Gulf Coast (Alabama), US East Coast (Florida) | 23,100 | 500 |