1988 Atlantic hurricane season facts for kids
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| Season summary map | |
| First storm formed | May 30, 1988 |
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| Last storm dissipated | November 24, 1988 |
| Strongest storm | Gilbert – 888 mbar (hPa) (26.23 inHg), 185 mph (295 km/h) |
| Total depressions | 19 |
| Total storms | 12 |
| Hurricanes | 5 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 3 |
| Total fatalities | 550 |
| Total damage | $7 billion (1988 USD) |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 |
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The 1988 Atlantic hurricane season was a period when tropical storms and hurricanes formed in the Atlantic Ocean. This season officially started on June 1, 1988, and ended on November 30, 1988. However, storms can sometimes form outside these dates. For example, Tropical Depression One began on May 30, 1988.
This season was quite busy, with 19 different weather systems that could have become tropical storms. It was also a season that caused a lot of damage. The strongest storm of the year, and one of the strongest ever recorded at that time, was Hurricane Gilbert.
Contents
What is a Hurricane Season?
A hurricane season is a specific time of year when hurricanes and other tropical storms are most likely to form. In the Atlantic Ocean, this period usually runs from June 1 to November 30. During these months, the ocean waters are warm enough to create the energy needed for these powerful storms.
How Storms Form
Tropical storms start as areas of low pressure over warm ocean waters. As the warm, moist air rises, it creates clouds and thunderstorms. If conditions are right, these storms can grow stronger.
- Tropical Depression: This is the first stage. The storm has organized thunderstorms and a clear center of circulation. Wind speeds are less than 39 miles per hour (63 km/h).
- Tropical Storm: If the depression gets stronger, its winds reach between 39 and 73 mph (63–118 km/h). At this point, it gets a name.
- Hurricane: When winds reach 74 mph (119 km/h) or more, it becomes a hurricane. Hurricanes are then ranked by their wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Major Storms of 1988
The 1988 Atlantic hurricane season saw many storms, including tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Here are some of the notable ones:
- Tropical Depression One
- Tropical Storm Alberto
- Tropical Storm Beryl
- Tropical Depression Four
- Tropical Depression Five
- Tropical Depression Six
- Tropical Storm Chris
- Hurricane Debby
- Tropical Storm Ernesto
- Tropical Depression Ten
- Hurricane Florence
- Hurricane Gilbert
- Unnamed Tropical Storm
- Hurricane Helene
- Tropical Depression Fifteen
- Tropical Storm Isaac
- Hurricane Joan
- Tropical Depression Eighteen
- Tropical Storm Keith
Hurricane Gilbert: A Record-Breaker
Hurricane Gilbert was the most powerful storm of the 1988 season. It became one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean at that time. Gilbert caused a lot of damage and affected many people across the Caribbean Sea and Mexico. Its lowest central pressure was 888 millibars, which showed how incredibly strong it was.
Hurricane Joan: A Rare Journey
Hurricane Joan was another very strong storm from this season. What made Joan special was that it crossed Central America and then became a hurricane again in the Pacific Ocean. This is a rare event for a storm to survive crossing land and re-strengthen in a different ocean basin.
Naming Storms
Tropical storms and hurricanes are given names to make it easier to talk about them and track them. These names are chosen from a list that repeats every six years.
How Names Are Chosen
The lists of names are prepared years in advance. They include names that are easy to remember and pronounce. The only time a name is removed from the list is if a storm caused a lot of damage or deaths. This is called "retiring" a name.
Here are the names that were set aside for the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season:
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Retired Names from 1988
After the 1988 season, two names were retired because of the severe impact of the storms: Gilbert and Joan. This means these names will never be used again for Atlantic hurricanes.
- Gilbert was replaced by Gorden.
- Joan was replaced by Joyce.
These new names were first used in the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. However, Joyce was not actually used in 1994 because there weren't enough storms that year to reach that name on the list.
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Tropical cyclones of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season |
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See also
In Spanish: Temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico de 1988 para niños
