The 1994 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average Atlantic hurricane season that produced seven named tropical cyclones. The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally limit the period of each year when tropical cyclones tend to form in the Atlantic. The first named storm, Tropical Storm Alberto, formed on June 30. The last storm of the season, Hurricane Gordon, dissipated on November 21. This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation during the season. The timeline also includes information which was not operationally released, such as post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center.
This season produced seven named storms; three attained hurricane status, though none became a major hurricane, a storm that ranks as a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Tropical Storm Alberto produced significant rainfall and flooding in the Southeastern United States, damaging or destroying over 18,000 homes, and inflicting $750 million (1994 USD) in damages. In August, Tropical Storm Beryl produced heavy rainfall in areas of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, with moderate to heavy rainfall throughout several other states. Beryl caused numerous injuries, many of which occurred from a tornado associated with the tropical storm. Tropical Storm Debby killed nine people throughout its path in September. Hurricane Gordon in November caused damages from Costa Rica to North Carolina in its six landfalls; extreme flooding and mudslides from the storm caused about 1,122 fatalities in Haiti.
Timeline
June
June 1
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.
June 30
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression One forms 45 miles (75 km) southeast of Guane, Cuba.
July
July 1
8 p.m. EDT (0000 UTC July 2) – Tropical Depression One strengthens into Tropical Storm Alberto.
July 3
11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) – Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall near Destin, Florida with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). 8 p.m. EDT (0000 UTC July 4) – Tropical Storm Alberto weakens to a tropical depression.
July 7
8 p.m. EDT (0000 UTC July 8) – Tropical Depression Alberto dissipates over central Alabama.
July 20
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression Two forms 75 mi (120 km) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. 10 a.m. EDT (1400 UTC) – Tropical Depression Two makes landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h).
July 21
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Two dissipates over southern North Carolina.
August
August 14
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Three forms 165 mi (265 km) southwest of Tallahassee, Florida.
August 15
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Three strengthens into Tropical Storm Beryl. 8 p.m. EDT (0000 UTC August 16) – Tropical Storm Beryl makes landfall near Panama City, Florida with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h).
August 16
8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Storm Beryl weakens to a tropical depression. 8 a.m. AST (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Four forms 1,020 mi (1,640 km) south-southwest of Brava, Cape Verde. 8 p.m. AST (0000 UTC August 17) – Tropical Depression Four strengthens into Tropical Storm Chris.
August 18
2 a.m. AST (0600 UTC) – Tropical Storm Chris strengthens into a hurricane.
August 19
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression Beryl dissipates over Connecticut as it is absorbed by a frontal trough. 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) – Hurricane Chris reaches its peak intensity with winds of 80 mph (140 km/h) while located 570 mi (920 km) west-northwest of Barbuda.
August 20
2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC) – Hurricane Chris weakens to a tropical storm.
August 23
8 p.m. EDT (0000 UTC August 24) – Tropical Storm Chris dissipates as it is merges with an extratropical cyclone southeast of Newfoundland.
August 29
7 a.m. CDT (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Five forms 220 mi (355 km) northeast of Veracruz, Mexico.
August 31
1 a.m. CDT (0600 UTC) – Tropical Depression Five makes landfall near Tampico, Mexico with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). 1 p.m. CDT (1800 UTC) – Tropical Depression Five dissipates over the mountains of Mexico.
September
September 9
8 a.m. AST (1200 UTC) – Tropical Depression Six forms 175 mi (285 km) west of Barbados. 8 p.m. AST (0000 UTC) – Tropical Depression Six strengthens into Tropical Storm Debby. 11 p.m. AST (0300 UTC) – Tropical Storm Debby passes over the island of St. Lucia with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h).