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Hurricane Francelia brought significant flooding to Central America, especially Belize and Guatemala. The sixth named storm and fourth hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season, Francelia developed from a tropical wave in the southeastern Caribbean Sea on August 29. It moved west-northwestward and strengthened into a tropical storm on the following day. On September 1, Francelia reached hurricane status, shortly before re-curving west-southwest. While approaching Central America, the storm intensified and peaked as a 115 mph (185 km/h) Category 3 hurricane on September 2. Francelia weakened slightly before making landfall near Punta Gorda, Belize (then British Honduras) late on September 3. The storm quickly weakened inland and dissipated by the following day. During its early stages, Francelia brought gusty winds and light rainfall to several islands in the Caribbean Sea. While remaining nearly stationary offshore Central America, heavy precipitation fell in some countries, especially Guatemala where severe flooding killed 269 people and caused $15 million in damage. In neighboring Honduras, the hurricane struck after the undeclared Football War, causing additional damage in the northern portions of the country. Damage in Honduras was heaviest on the offshore Bay Islands, and the hurricane damaged or destroyed the majority of two towns there. In El Salvador, flooding isolated towns for several days and caused crop damage. Several rivers in the region flooded, with the Belize River reaching above normal. Coastal areas of Belize lost electricity and telephone service, and high winds resulted in extensive damage to banana crops. Francelia ranked as the deadliest tropical cyclone in Guatemala, until Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Overall damage was estimated at $35.6 million, and there were 271 deaths. ==Meteorological history== The origins of Hurricane Francelia were from a tropical wave – an elongated low pressure area – that exited the western coast of Africa on August 19. It moved westward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and the annual summary of 1969 tropical cyclone activity indicated there may have been a tropical depression – a cyclone with sustained winds of less 40 mph (75 km/h) – briefly located within the system. On August 26, an area of convection, or thunderstorms, developed along the wave, about 800 miles (1300 km) east of Barbados. A Hurricane Hunters flight two days later reported no low-level circulation. As the system moved through the southern Lesser Antilles, ship and land observations suggested a circulation had developed, signalling the formation of a tropical depression in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea early on August 29.〔 The new tropical cyclone moved quickly west-northwestward away from South America, and on August 30 reconnaissance aircraft recorded winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Based on the observation, the depression was upgraded to tropical storm status and given the name Francelia. Strengthening continued to near hurricane-force, but the fast-moving circulation outran the convection, causing brief weakening as it passed south of Jamaica. Although initially forecast to continue to the west-northwest, Francelia slowed and turned to the west-southwest on September 1 due to a ridge to its north. Concurrently, the storm intensified into hurricane status after its winds reached 75 mph (120 km/h), and late on September 1 Francelia passed over Swan Island. During its passage, an atmospheric sounding occurred in its eye; a sounding is a measurement of the physical properties of the atmosphere, and the process had only occurred four times previously. Hurricane Francelia continued west-southwestward toward the northern coast of Central America, strengthening significantly despite its proximity to land. A Hurricane Hunters flight on September 2 reported winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of as the hurricane crossed over the Bay Islands, only 30 miles (50 km) off the coast of Honduras. Francelia weakened slightly as its forward movement slowed, but it remained a hurricane as it approached land, based on confirmation from ship reports.〔 Late on September 3, the hurricane made landfall with winds estimated at 110 mph (180 km/h), just north of Punta Gorda in southern Belize, then known as British Honduras. Tropical storm force winds spread across the country, although hurricane force winds occurred only in a small area near where the hurricane made landfall. Francelia weakened quickly over land, dissipating late on September 4 over Guatemala. The system continued slowly across Central America, crossing into the eastern Pacific Ocean three days after it moved ashore.〔 On September 8, the remnants of Francelia redeveloped into Tropical Storm Glenda off the coast of Mexico, which moved parallel to the southwest Mexican coast before dissipating on September 12.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hurricane Francelia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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