Arlene (2005)

A tropical depression formed just north of northeastern Honduras at 1800 UTC on 8 June 2005 and became Tropical Storm Arlene at 0600 UTC on 9 June about 150 nautical miles west-southwest of Grand Cayman. Arlene moved slowly northward, crossed western Cuba near Cabo Corrientes early on 10 June, entered the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, strengthened to its peak over the Gulf, then turned north and made landfall on the northern Gulf Coast. The system weakened overland, turned northeast, became extratropical near Flint, Michigan at 1800 UTC on 13 June, and was absorbed by a frontal system on 14 June.

Arlene made at least two notable coast crossings. Its center crossed western Cuba near Cabo Corrientes on 10 June with estimated winds of about 45 knots (about 50 mph). The U.S. landfall occurred just west of Pensacola, Florida about 1900 UTC on 11 June as a 50‑kt (about 60 mph) tropical storm.

The storm reached its maximum intensity at 0100 UTC on 11 June over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico with 1‑minute sustained winds of 60 knots (about 70 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 989 mb. At peak it was a strong tropical storm (below hurricane strength).

Storm surge and rainfall were modest for a Gulf storm but measurable in many locations. Reported storm surge values included about 3.90 ft at Pensacola USCG, 3.56 ft at Gulf Breeze, 3.33 ft at Destin, 3.73 ft at Dauphin Island, and 4.52 ft at Mobile. Rainfall totals of several inches were widespread: Pinar del Río province in Cuba reported up to about 6.81 inches, Punta del Este (Isle of Youth, Cuba) about 5.63 inches, Miami area sites around 4.08 inches, and numerous inland U.S. locations received 3–7 inches across the central and eastern United States after landfall.

One direct fatality was attributed to Arlene: a Russian exchange student drowned in a rip current at Miami Beach on 10 June. Overall damage was reported as little or minimal by National Weather Service offices, with the greatest impacts limited to coastal flooding, beach erosion, and localized wind and rain effects across western Cuba, the Florida Keys and peninsula, the Florida Panhandle (near Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Destin), southern Alabama (Mobile area), and parts of Georgia and the interior Southeast.

Noteworthy aspects included Arlene’s large, asymmetric circulation with strongest winds confined to rain bands north and east of the center and the lack of a well‑defined inner core for much of its life. Forecast track performance was better than the 1995–2004 average, with several global models (notably the UKMET) performing well, while intensity forecasts retained notable uncertainty.