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The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 , 1985 , and lasted until November 30 , 1985 . These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most Tropical Cyclone s form in the Atlantic Basin . The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season was the first time since the 1916 Season to have such an unusually high number of U.S. landfalls (6 hurricanes and 2 tropical storms) with Hurricanes Danny , Juan , Kate , and Elena landfalling along the northern Gulf Coast, and Hurricanes Gloria and Bob striking the East Coast. At least $4 billion ($5.74 billion in 2005 US Dollars ) in damage was reported. STORMS Tropical Storm Ana Tropical Depression One formed south of Bermuda on 15 July , curved around the island, strengthened to a tropical storm, and headed north. The storm swerved away from Nova Scotia and headed for Newfoundland . However, Ana dissipated before she reached the island. Hurricane Bob Tropical Depression Two formed off the southwest coast of Florida on July 21. The depression hovered for two days without moving much. Two finally strengthened into Tropical Storm Bob and made landfall near North Naples, Florida . Heavy rainfall fell on south Florida but there was little or no damage. The storm moved off the Peninsula and curved north. Bob strengthened into a hurricane off the Georgia coast and made landfall near Hilton Head, South Carolina . One person was killed in North Carolina ; damage in the Hilton Head area was reported to be minor. Bob, then reduced to a tropical depression, was also an unwelcome visitor to the 1985 National Scout Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill , Virginia . It hit the tent city of 30,000 Boy Scouts during the middle of the week-long event; the high winds knocking down most of the scouts' tents, and the storm dumped large amounts of rain on the area. The U.S. Army responded by providing thousands of blankets for the scouts' use. There were many minor injuries caused by falling tents, but no major injuries due to Bob. Hurricane Claudette A long-lived hurricane, Claudette had its origins from a low pressure area that deveped over the eastern United States . Upon emerging into the Atlantic Ocean on August 9 , it quickly developed into a tropical depression, and intensified into Tropical Storm Claudette a day and a half later. Claudette embarked on a transatlantic journey east. The storm became a hurricane in the central Atlantic and continued east. The hurricane reached a point just west of the Azores and weakened to a tropical storm. The storm turned northeast, grazed the Azores, and dissipated just north of the islands. Hurricane Danny The fourth named storm of the season formed in the western Caribbean , south of Cuba on August 12 . Danny spent two full days as a depression before becoming a tropical storm in the southern Gulf Of Mexico . The storm continued to strengthen as it turned northward toward Louisiana . By the time it reached the coast off Lake Charles , Danny was a Category 1 hurricane. It made landfall with sustained winds of 80 mph. There was widespread coastal flooding and dozens of homes were destroyed. Danny caused between $50-100 million in damage and 2 direct casualties. Hurricane Elena Elena formed off the southern coast of Cuba in late August and quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm traveled the length of the north-Cuban coast and moved into the Gulf Of Mexico , where the storm soon became a hurricane. Elena made a curve toward the northwest Florida coast, steadily strengthening. The hurricane stalled of the coast, strengthened into a major hurricane and switched back west. Elena made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). The erratic path Elena followed through the eastern Gulf Of Mexico caused some areas to undergo ''two'' Evacuation s. The storm caused zero fatalities and four indirect deaths, a low number likely due to the massive evacuations prior to landfall. Elena caused $1.25 billion (1985 USD ) in damage. Tropical Storm Fabian Tropical Depression Seven formed from the remains of Tropical Depression Six east of the Bahamas on September 15 and headed northeast. This depression became Tropical Storm Fabian late the next day. Fabian continued to head northeast and reached a peak intensity of 65 mph (100 km/h) sustained winds and 994 Mbar of pressure and thrived there for nearly three days. However, a strong Low Pressure System was forming to the north, and Fabian was absorbed by this low on September 19 . Hurricane Gloria Gloria was one of the most destructive storms of the season, as well as the strongest. Gloria was a Cape Verde-type Hurricane that formed from a Tropical Wave near the Cape Verde Islands on September 16 . Tropical Depression Eight quickly became Tropical Storm Gloria but did not strengthen further. Gloria weakened back into a depression on the 18th. It soon regained storm strength, however, and continued to strengthen. Gloria reached hurricane strength east of the Leeward Islands and turned northwest. The hurricane strenthened further into a Category 4 Hurricane and reached peak intensity east of the Bahamas. The winds then dropped to Category 2 strength as Gloria headed up the coast, sending hurricane-force winds barreling across the shoreline. In some cases, Gloria’s Eyewall was less than 12 miles off the coast. The hurricane stayed a Category 2 until landfall on western Long Island . The storm moved inland and became Extratropical over Maine . Gloria killed eleven and caused $900 million ($1.63 billion in 2005 dollars) in damage. Tropical Storm Henri Tropical Depression Nine formed from a trough of low pressure on September 21 and headed north. Nine was upgraded to Tropical Storm Henri early on the 23rd and continued to head north. High Wind Shear began to take its toll on Henri as it reached Long Island , which also minimized its rainfall impact across New England. The storm weakened into a depression, crossed the eastern end of the island and dissipated near Block Island, Rhode Island . Tropical Storm Isabel Isabel formed off the coast of Hispaniola and strengthened rapidly, reaching tropical storm strength practically in Santo Domingo harbor. Isabel maintained intensity as it crossed the island and actually continued to strengthen. Isabel moved northeast of the Bahamas and curved toward north Florida. It hit near Fernandina Beach but then weakened into a depression and headed out to sea. The storm followed the coast northeast, dissipating near Cape Hatteras . While crossing Puerto Rico, Isabel dropped torrential rainfall, causing mudslides, flash flooding, and 180 casualties. Total damage amounted to $815 million (2005 USD), most of it in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Juan Juan was a weak hurricane but was the most destructive of the season by virtue of the erratic track it took at landfall. Juan formed from a Tropical Wave in the central Gulf Of Mexico . The depression quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm moved erratically for the first day and then headed toward Louisiana. Juan became a hurricane as it neared the coast, turning sharply west and making a full, cyclonic (counterclockwise) loop. The storm made landfall at last near Morgan City , then made another cyclonic loop, moving off shore and weakening to a tropical storm. Juan then returned to the coast a third time, coming ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama . The storm dissipated inland. Juan caused $1.5 billion dollars ($2.71 billion in 2005 dollars) in damage and killed 12 people, becoming one of Louisiana's worst hurricanes of the 20th century. Most of the deaths were due to an inability to evacuate offshore Oil Rig s, several of which collapsed during the storm. The storm's unusual track at landfall is similar to Hurricane Easy of the . Hurricane Kate Kate was a late-season major hurricane that made a direct hit on Panama City, Florida . The storm skipped the depression stage and formed as a tropical storm east of the Bahamas, quickly strengthening into a hurricane. Kate grazed Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane and gently curved north-northeast toward Florida. It briefly became a major hurricane a little less than 200 miles west of Tampa , making it the latest major hurricane on record in the Atlantic. The hurricane continued its graceful curve northeast. Kate made landfall just north of Port St. Joe near Mexico Beach, Florida . The storm caused $210 million dollars in damage, and killed six people in the United States ; deaths and damage in Cuba are unknown. The storm disrupted the Oyster industry in Apalachicola, Florida and the tourist industry in Panama City was deeply affected as well. RECORDS AND NOTABLE EVENTS During the 1985 season, eight tropical storms and hurricanes made landfall on the United States mainland, the second highest amount of U.S. landfalls on record (the ranks first). The U.S. Gulf Coast experienced four hurricanes, the most hurricanes to ever strike the area in a single season since the 1886 Season . It was also one of only five hurricane seasons to have a major hurricane form in November, and the latest known occurrence of a major hurricane in the Atlantic Basin since record-keeping began. 1985 STORM NAMES The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1985. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1991 Season . This is the same list used for the 1979 Season except for Danny and Fabian, which replaced David and Frederic . Storms were named Danny, Fabian, Isabel, Juan, and Kate for the first time in 1985. Names that were not assigned are marked in . Retirement See Also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes The by Erika and Grace. Despite the devastation, Juan remained on the list, but it would later be retired after Hurricane Juan of 2003. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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