PART II: METEOROLOGICAL DISCUSSION 



3. Elena was first identified on satellite imagery as a well-organized 

 cloud pattern near the Cape Verde Islands on 23 August 1985*. The system 

 moved rapidly across the tropical Atlantic with no significant development un- 

 til 28 August when it deepened to a tropical depression while located just to 

 the east of Cuba. As it moved over Cuba, it strengthened rapidly to a tropi- 

 cal storm and was named Elena. Movement across the island of Cuba did not ap- 

 pear to significantly affect intensification, as the central pressure of Elena 

 decreased by 9 mb** during this time. After moving into the Gulf of Mexico on 

 29 August, Elena quickly strengthened to a hurricane and appeared to be headed 

 toward the Alabama/Mississippi coastline. 



4. At about noon Greenwich mean time (Gmt) on 30 August, Elena began to 

 turn toward the east and during the next 36 hr moved toward the west coast of 

 Florida before becoming almost stationary at 0000 Gmt 31 August near latitude 

 29 deg north and longitude 84 deg west. During the next 24 hr, there was lit- 

 tle translational movement of the hurricane, but intensification continued so 

 that by early morning of 1 September the central pressure had dropped from 

 977 to 965 mb. At this time, Elena began to move slowly back toward the west 

 on a track roughly paralleling the coastline of the Florida panhandle. Elena 

 continued to intensify as it moved westward and at 0000 Gmt 2 September 

 reached Its greatest Intensity with maximum sustained winds of approximately 

 126 mph and a central pressure of 951 mb. Between midnight and noon Gmt 



2 September, there was an increase in Elena's forward speed which was accompa- 

 nied by a slight decrease in intensity. Elena made landfall in the vicinity 

 of Biloxl, Miss., at approximately 1330 Gmt 2 September. Maximum sustained 

 winds at landfall were approximately 115 mph, and the central pressure was 

 959 mb. Elena quickly lost strength as it moved Inland and was downgraded to 

 a tropical depression by the morning of 3 September. Figure 1 shows the 

 approximate track of Elena. Table 1 contains the preliminary best track 

 information. 



* This meteorological discussion and information contained In Table 1 are 

 taken from the "Preliminary Report on Hurricane Elena" provided by The 

 National Hurricane Center. 

 ** A table of factors for converting non-SI units of measurement to SI 

 (metric) units is presented on page 3. 



