Tropical Storm Rina (2017)
Generated by GPT-5-miniExpansion Funnel Raw 38 → Dedup 0 → NER 0 → Enqueued 0
| Tropical Storm Rina (2017) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tropical Storm Rina (2017) |
| Basin | Atlantic |
| Formed | October 24, 2017 |
| Dissipation | October 26, 2017 |
| Winds | 50 |
| Pressure | 998 |
| Areas | Yucatán Peninsula, Cuba, Florida, Gulf of Mexico |
| Season | 2017 Atlantic hurricane season |
Tropical Storm Rina (2017) was a short-lived tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean that formed during the late 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Developing from a broad area of low pressure near the Yucatán Channel, Rina reached peak intensity with sustained winds of 50 mph before moving northeast and degenerating over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm prompted warnings and preparations across parts of the Caribbean Sea, Mexico, and the United States, producing heavy rains and local flooding.
Meteorological history
A disturbance associated with a tropical wave moved westward from near the coast of Haiti and intensified while interacting with a mid-level trough east of the Yucatán Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center identified a well-defined circulation on October 24, 2017, and classified the system as a tropical storm later that day. Rina's center tracked northward between the Isle of Youth and western Cuba while embedded within a flow influenced by a subtropical ridge over the western Atlantic Ocean and a mid-latitude trough approaching from the north. Vertical wind shear and dry air entrainment limited convective organization, resulting in fluctuating intensity; Rina attained maximum sustained winds near 50 mph and a minimum central pressure around 998 mbar before weakening. By October 26, increasing shear and interaction with cooler waters caused the storm to degenerate into a remnant low that moved northeast toward the Florida Peninsula and dissipated over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Preparations and warnings
Forecast uncertainty prompted the issuance of tropical storm watches and warnings by meteorological agencies for portions of the Yucatán Peninsula, western Cuba, and coastal counties of Florida. Authorities in Campeche and Yucatán coordinated shelter advisories and port closures, while officials in Cienfuegos, Pinar del Río, and other Cuban provinces activated civil defense protocols modeled after responses to prior storms like Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Matthew. In Florida, county emergency management offices in Monroe County, Miami-Dade County, and Broward County monitored coastal conditions and readied municipal services, citing guidance from the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Impact and casualties
Rina's most significant impacts were heavy rainfall, coastal swells, and localized flooding across the Yucatán Peninsula and southwestern Cuba. Rainbands produced accumulations that affected communities in Campeche, Mérida, and coastal fishing villages, disrupting transportation and prompting temporary evacuations in low-lying areas. In western Cuba, municipalities including Isla de la Juventud and port towns reported flooded streets and damaged small craft; provincial authorities in Pinar del Río and Artemisa documented localized infrastructure impacts consistent with tropical-storm-force conditions. Rina generated large swells along the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Atlantic coast causing beach erosion and prompting the closure of some recreational facilities. There were limited reports of injuries and no confirmed storm-related fatalities directly attributed to Rina, though indirect effects such as traffic incidents and secondary flooding posed risks in affected jurisdictions.
Aftermath and recovery
Following dissipation, municipal and provincial agencies in Campeche, Yucatán, and Cuban provinces conducted damage assessments and coordinated debris removal, relying on logistical frameworks established after Hurricane Irma (2017) and ongoing inter-agency cooperation. Humanitarian responses in Cuba involved the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and local councils providing temporary assistance to residents affected by flooding, while Mexican state emergency services distributed relief supplies to isolated communities. In the United States, coastal municipalities in Florida managed shoreline stabilization projects and public works repairs to boardwalks and beach access, with technical advisories from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration guiding recovery actions.
Records and naming
Rina was one of multiple named storms during the active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which included notable systems such as Hurricane Harvey (2017), Hurricane Irma (2017), and Hurricane Maria (2017). The name Rina was part of the World Meteorological Organization's rotating list for the Eastern North Pacific and Atlantic basin naming conventions, assigned for 2017 prior to the season. Although Rina did not produce the extensive destruction associated with several contemporaneous storms, its rapid development and proximity to land underscored forecasting challenges related to short-term intensification, shear interaction, and storm track predictability in the western Caribbean Sea.
See also
- 2017 Atlantic hurricane season - List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present) - Hurricane Nina (1992) - Tropical Storm Alma (2008) - National Hurricane Center - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - World Meteorological Organization - Hurricane Irma (2017) - Hurricane Harvey (2017) - Hurricane Maria (2017)