Ophelia (2011)

Ophelia formed from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone that merged with a tropical wave. A surface low developed about 750 nautical miles west‑southwest of the Cape Verde Islands and a tropical depression formed about 1300 nmi east of the Lesser Antilles on 20 September 2011. The system became a tropical storm by 21 September, weakened to a remnant low near the northern Leeward Islands on 25–26 September, then reformed into a tropical depression on 27 September and regained tropical storm status on 28 September. It turned north, became a hurricane on 29 September, intensified rapidly, passed east of Bermuda, then moved north‑northeast and became extratropical after making landfall in southern Newfoundland on 3 October; the remnant low was absorbed by a larger system on 4 October.

Ophelia did not make any U.S. coastal landfalls. Its only landfall as a tropical system was over southern Newfoundland, Canada, on 3 October 2011, by which time it had lost its purely tropical characteristics and was classified as an extratropical cyclone at landfall. Earlier weakening, dissipation, and later regeneration meant no other direct landfalls occurred while Ophelia was a tropical hurricane.

The hurricane reached a peak intensity of 120 knots (about 138 mph) at 0000 UTC 2 October 2011, with a minimum central pressure of 940 mb. At that peak it was a major hurricane (Category 4 on the Saffir‑Simpson scale). The strongest measured sustained winds over water included an 84‑kt (1‑minute) report from NOAA buoy 41049 and gusts to 101 kt as Ophelia’s eye passed the buoy.

Storm surge and rainfall impacts were limited and localized. The NOAA buoy 41049 recorded passage of the eye with a minimum pressure of 952.8 mb; buoys 41982 and 41972 reported minimum pressures of 959.7 mb and 962.6 mb, respectively. Ophelia produced about 25‑kt winds and roughly 4 inches of rain over Antigua, Barbuda, and Martinique. Parts of Dominica received over 10 inches of rain during Ophelia’s slow motion and regeneration. No specific coastal surge heights on land were reported in the record of impacts.

There were no reported deaths and no reports of damage or casualties associated with Ophelia. The storm’s impacts to populated areas were minimal, in part because its strongest winds remained over open water and its wind field was compact; Bermuda did not experience tropical‑storm‑force winds despite Ophelia passing to its east. Forecasting notes: the initial formation and later regeneration were anticipated reasonably well, official track forecasts were better than average at 12–48 hours but had larger errors at 96–120 hours due to the unexpected dissipation and reformation, and official intensity forecasts were notably skillful compared with guidance.