| Category 3 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Bertha at peak intensity |
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| Formed | July 5, 1996 | |
| Dissipated | July 14, 1996 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 960 mbar (hPa; 28.36 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 12 total | |
| Damage | $270 million (1996 USD) $355 million (2007 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic States, New England | |
| Part of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Bertha was a tropical cyclone that formed in July of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. This Cape Verde-type hurricane caused some damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands before making landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina as a Category 2 storm, where it is best remembered as a forerunner of the much more destructive Hurricane Fran which struck just two months later.
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Storm history
Bertha developed from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on July 3. It moved westward, becoming a tropical depression on July 5. Later that day, it became Tropical Storm Bertha, one of the earliest formations ever for a storm so far east in the Atlantic. The storm continued to move briskly westward, reaching favorable enough conditions near the Lesser Antilles to become a hurricane on the 7th. Next Bertha moved through the Leeward Islands. As the storm passed north of Puerto Rico, it rapidly strengthened to a Category 3 major hurricane, becoming one of only twelve major hurricanes to form before August and one of only six July major hurricanes (as of 2005). Bertha's intensity would not last, as unfavorable conditions weakened the storm back to a minimal hurricane.
As Bertha passed east of the Bahamas, it turned northward. Just prior to landfall, Bertha re-intensified to a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The storm made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on the afternoon of July 12, and soon after weakened to a tropical storm while over land. It continued up the coast, generating heavy rainfall and light damage to the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England regions. Bertha became extratropical over New Brunswick on July 14.
Impact
Damage throughout Bertha's path was minimized because the hurricane moved quickly through. The U.S. Virgin Islands, which had been devastated by Hurricane Marilyn only 10 months earlier, suffered significant damage and was declared a federal disaster area. In Saint Thomas and Saint Martin, an estimated 2,500 homes were destroyed. Damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands totaled about $7.5 million (1996 USD).[1] In Puerto Rico, damage totaled about $6.4 million (1996 USD).[2] The Bahamas and the north coast of the Dominican Republic likely suffered light damage, though no damage figures are available for either. 750,000 people evacuated from the coastal areas of North and South Carolina in preparation for Bertha. In North Carolina, Bertha caused light damage, mostly along the beaches. Nearly 6,000 homes were damaged, with 900 of them being rendered uninhabitable. $135 million in insured damages were reported, with an estimated $270 million (1996 US dollars) in total damages in the United States. Bertha also killed 12 people. The name Bertha was not retired and was re-used in the 2002 season. It will next be used during the 2008 season.
See also
| Tropical cyclones Portal |
