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A South American cyclone is a tropical cyclone that affects the continent of South America or its countries. The continent is rarely affected by tropical cyclones, though most storms to hit the area formed in the North Atlantic Ocean. Typically, strong upper level winds and its proximity to the equator prevents North Atlantic impacts. No tropical cyclone has ever affected the Pacific side of South America, while conditions are typically too hostile for many storms to hit the area from the South Atlantic Ocean. Based on climatology, northern Venezuela and Colombia have a 1 to 5% chance of a hurricane strike in any given year, while all locations south of 10º N have less than a 1% chance of a direct hit. A total of 37 tropical cyclones have affected the continent since 1588.

List of tropical cyclones

Pre-1900

• November 4-6, 1588 - Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is affected by a hurricane.
• September, 1672 - A hurricane affects Caracas, Venezuela.
• October 22, 1683 - The island of Curaçao off Venezuela is impacted by a hurricane.
• September, 1773 - A hurricane moves across Venezuela and later Colombia.
• December 13-22, 1822 - A hurricane traverses the southeastern Caribbean Sea and makes landfall on Venezuela.
• October 13, 1847 - Venezuela is affected by a hurricane.
• September 23, 1877 - A 105 mph (170 km/h) Category 2 hurricane makes landfall on northern Venezuela, causing winds of up to 80 mph in Curaçao.
• September 17, 1886 - A Category 2 hurricane parellels the north coast of Venezuela, causing winds of up to 40 mph (65 km/h) in Curaçao.
• December 10, 1887 - A tropical storm passes just north of the Guajira Department of Colombia.
• October 8, 1892 - A Category 2 hurricane hits Northern Venezuela and Colombia, causing rough seas in Curaçao.

1900s

• September 5, 1911 - Curaçao experiences a westward moving tropical storm which passes near the northern coasts of Venezuela and Colombia.
• November 2-5, 1932 - A Category 2 hurricane parallels the north coast of Venezuela and Colombia 75 miles (120 km) offshore, causing some damage. Later, it passes to the northeast of Providencia Island, destroying 36 houses and ruining crops.
• June 27, 1933 - A minimal hurricane moves through northeastern Venezuela. The hurricane destroys several houses, businesses, and fishing boats. Powerful winds cut telephonic and telegraphic communications for several days. The hurricane killed several people, and caused over $200,000 in damage (1933 USD, $2.7 million 2005 USD).
• October 8, 1954 - Hurricane Hazel parallels the north coasts of Venezuela and Colombia around 100 miles (160 km) offshore as a Category 3 hurricane, though effects, if any, are unknown.
• September 25, 1955 - Hurricane Janet parallels the north coasts of Venezuela and Colombia around 100 miles (160 km) offshore as a Category 4 hurricane, though effects, if any, are unknown.
• July 20, 1961 - Hurricane Anna passes 75 miles (120 km) north of the coast of Venezuela, though effects, if any, are unknown.
• October 28, 1961 - Hurricane Hattie moves over San Andrés island with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), causing 1 death, 15 injuries, and $300,000 in damage (1961 USD, $1.9 million 2005 USD).
• October 1, 1963 - Hurricane Flora strikes Tobago and remains just offshore of Venezuela as it moves through the Caribbean Sea as a Category 3 hurricane. Damage in Venezuela, if any, is unknown.
• September 7, 1971 - A tropical depression intensifies into Tropical Storm Edith near the north coast of Venezuela. The southern portion of the depression's circulation moves over the northeastern portion of the country. Effects are unknown.
• September 16, 1971 - A tropical depression that later becomes Hurricane Irene crosses the island of Curaçao. Effects are unknown.
• August 14, 1974 - Tropical Storm Alma makes landfall on northeastern Venezuela and later dissipates over the mountainous country. Intense rain bands cause a passenger plane to crash on Isla Margarita, resulting in 47 indirect deaths. Damage is unknown.
• August 12, 1978 - Tropical Depression Cora dissipates near the island of Curaçao, causing no known impact.
• September 13, 1978 - A tropical depression that later becomes Hurricane Greta forms near the northeastern coast of Venezuela, causing no known damage.
• September 10-12, 1988 - Outflow bands from Hurricane Gilbert produce flash flooding in northern Venezuela. The flooding killed five people.
• October 16-18, 1988 - Tropical Storm Joan strikes northern Venezuela and Colombia. The storm produces flash flooding which kills 11 in Venezuela. In Colombia, rainfall from Joan kills 25, and leaves 27,000 homeless.
• August 14, 1990 - Minimal Tropical Storm Fran dissipates over northeastern Venezuela, with no known impact.
• August 7-9, 1993 - Tropical Storm Bret moves across northern Venezuela and Colombia. In Venezuela, the storm drops at least 13.35 inches (339 mm) in Guanare. The rainfall causes mudslides, particuarly near the city of Caracas, that cover many low-income housing units. Of the 173 deaths caused by Bret in Venezuela, most occur in the low-income areas near Caracas. Lack of preparation, including weather forecasters prematurely stating the worst of the storm is over, is part of the problem. In all, 10,000 were left homeless, and damaged totaled to $25 million (1993 USD, $39 million 2005 USD). In Colombia, Bret causes one death and one injury.
• July 24-27, 1996 - Hurricane Cesar moves westward across the southern Caribbean Sea and crosses over extreme northern Colombia and the San Andres archipelago. Cesar kills 11 people in Colombia due to flooding and mudslides.
• November 13-16, 1999 - Strong waves from Hurricane Lenny effect the Guajira Peninsula of Colombia, flooding 1,200 homes and businesses along the northern coastline. In addition, winds and rains from the hurricane causes severe crop damage in the country. The hurricane kills two in Colombia.

2000s

• September 25, 2000 - Hurricane Joyce dissipates just north of eastern Venezuela, causing no known damage.
• September 14, 2002 - Hurricane Isidore crosses over northeastern Venezuela as a tropical depression. Effects, if any, are unknown.
• December 4, 2003 - Tropical Storm Odette produces heavy rainfall of up to 8 inches (200 mm) in Colombia.
• January 20, 2004 - A possible tropical storm in the South Atlantic Ocean hits eastern Brazil, dropping heavy rainfall in the area.
• March 28, 2004 - A cyclone, unofficially named Cyclone Catarina, strikes southeastern Brazil with maximum recorded winds of 90 mph (145 km/h). The possible hurricane damaged more than 30,000 homes and left 1,900 people homeless. The storm also damaged 1,373 businesses and destroyed 50, including a hospital. The storm killed 3, injured 38, and caused up to $330 million in damage (2004 USD).
• September 7-9, 2004 - Hurricane Ivan parallels the north coast of Venezuela as a Category 4 hurricane. Ivan's strong winds forced the closure of several airports. The hurricane also produced heavy rainfall and strong waves. Ivan killed three in the country, though overall damage was minor.
• July 14, 2005 - Hurricane Emily passes just north of Venezuela as a strengthening hurricane, causing heavy rains and flooding in the northeastern portion of the country. 64 families were forced to leave their homes when rivers in eastern Monagas state overflowed their banks, but waters quickly receded. Ships were forced to remain at port while the hurricane passed to the country's north, though restrictions quickly lifted.
• October 29, 2005 - Hurricane Beta hits the Colombian island of Providencia, and tears the roofs off of thousands of homes. High winds also shut down all airports and communications.

Listed by month

37 tropical cyclones have affected South America in most months of the year.

Month Number of recorded storms affecting South America January 1 February 0 March 1 April 0 May 0 June 1 July 3 August 4 September 13 October 8 November 3 December 3

Deadliest storms

Data from South American tropical cyclones is sparse and incomplete, though most tropical cyclones that struck the continent caused multiple deaths. Bret, Joan, Cesar, Gilbert, Catarina, and Ivan all caused their deaths through rainfall or flash flooding.

Tropical cyclone warnings and watches

In the event an Atlantic hurricane threatens the northern coast of South America, the National Hurricane Center defines nine locations as tropical cyclone warning breakpoints. The westernmost is the border between Panama and Colombia, and the easternmost is Georgetown, Guyana, located at 6.82° N. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, tropical cyclone warning breakpoints extend eastward to the border of Panama and Colombia at 7.23° N. No Atlantic hurricane has existed south of 6.82° N, and no Pacific hurricane has existed east of 80° W, though in the event a tropical cyclone threatens a region of South America without warnings, additional warning sites can be selected. In addition to warnings on the mainland of South America, the National Hurricane Center defines the entire island of San Andres as a tropical cyclone warning breakpoint.

Intense Hurricane Flora in 1963 prompted officials to declare gale warnings for two islands off the north coast of Venezuela. In 1974, the passage of Tropical Storm Alma warranted the issuance of Gale Warnings for the Paria and Paraguaná Peninsulas. Hurricane Joan in 1988, Tropical Storm Bret in 1993, and Hurricane Cesar-Douglas resulted in tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for several locations in South America. The threat of Hurricane Ivan prompted a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning for the northern coast of Venezuela.

See also

Template:Tcportal

• List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
• List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
• Tropical cyclone

References

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44. NHC (1993). "Tropical Storm Bret Tropical Cyclone Report Page 10". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Accessdate= ignored (|accessdate= suggested) (help)
45. Avila (1996). "Hurricane Cesar Tropical Cyclone Report". NHC. Retrieved 2006-11-18.

• Atlantic hurricanes
• Lists of tropical cyclones
• Cyclones in South America