A small tropical cyclone formed from a decaying frontal trough east of Bermuda. Satellite imagery first showed a concentrated disturbance late on 17 July, and a well-defined center developed early on 20 July 2011, when the system became a tropical depression about 265 nautical miles east of Bermuda. It moved quickly east-northeast to northeast over the central North Atlantic and remained on that heading until it lost its tropical characteristics late on 22 July. The circulation opened into a trough by 1200 UTC 22 July and the remnant low dissipated thereafter over the far North Atlantic.
Cindy did not make landfall. Its precursor produced gusty winds and light rain over Bermuda on 19 July (peak gust 29 kt and 1.16 inches of rain at L.F. Wade International Airport), but the organized tropical cyclone stayed well to the east and northeast of any coast throughout its life. No coastal watches or warnings were required.
The storm’s peak intensity was estimated at 60 knots (about 69 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 994 mb, reached at 1800 UTC on 21 July. Satellite microwave and infrared imagery showed a ring of deep convection around the center and a short-lived eye-like feature near the time of maximum strength. After 0000 UTC 22 July Cindy moved over cooler waters and gradually weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with winds near 40 kt before the circulation dissipated.
Storm surge impacts were negligible because Cindy remained over the open Atlantic; the only reported coastal effects were from the precursor disturbance at Bermuda (no surge reports). Rainfall was light and localized; the most specific observing site report was 1.16 inches at Bermuda’s airport on 19 July. There were no reports of damage or casualties associated with Cindy.
Noteworthy aspects include that Cindy developed rapidly with little advance warning: the disturbance was first mentioned in the Tropical Weather Outlook only six hours before tropical cyclone formation, and the development was not anticipated. NHC track forecast errors were comparable to recent averages while intensity forecasts performed better than typical guidance, and no watches or warnings were required.
Paid members can generate summaries tailored to the counties of their choice. The Cindy TCR covers impacts across many counties and states — a Pinellas County resident doesn't need the Asheville detail, and a Buncombe County resident doesn't need the Tampa surge data.
Upgrade for county-specific summariesSummary above produced from the National Hurricane Center's official post-storm Tropical Cyclone Report. Read the full report for casualty lists, damage estimates by area, forecast critique, and detailed meteorological discussion:
📄 Read NHC's full report on Cindy → (opens at nhc.noaa.gov)| Time (UTC) | Status | Lat | Lon | Winds (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-20 06:00 | TD | 33.00 | -59.50 | 30 | 1010 | |
| 2011-07-20 12:00 | TS | 33.40 | -57.00 | 35 | 1008 | |
| 2011-07-20 18:00 | TS | 34.50 | -54.70 | 40 | 1006 | |
| 2011-07-21 00:00 | TS | 35.80 | -52.50 | 45 | 1003 | |
| 2011-07-21 06:00 | TS | 37.40 | -50.50 | 50 | 999 | |
| 2011-07-21 12:00 | TS | 39.40 | -48.40 | 55 | 996 | |
| 2011-07-21 18:00 | TS | 41.30 | -46.10 | 60 | 994 | |
| 2011-07-22 00:00 | TS | 42.60 | -43.70 | 55 | 995 | |
| 2011-07-22 06:00 | TS | 43.80 | -41.20 | 50 | 997 | |
| 2011-07-22 12:00 | TS | 45.10 | -38.60 | 45 | 999 | |
| 2011-07-22 18:00 | TS | 46.70 | -35.60 | 40 | 1001 | |
| 2011-07-23 00:00 | LO | 48.40 | -32.10 | 40 | 1003 | |
| 2011-07-23 06:00 | LO | 50.00 | -27.80 | 35 | 1005 |
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best-track database (nhc.noaa.gov/data). Data is in the public domain. Best-track positions and intensities are post-storm reanalysis estimates and may differ from real-time advisories.