The name “Philippe” currently identifies three historic storms — Hurricane Philippe (2005), Hurricane Philippe (2011), and Tropical Storm Philippe (2017).
If you’ve noticed the consistent six-year rotation, it’s for a good reason. Six rotating lists of named Atlantic storms are maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.
Tropical Storm Philippe will be the 16th tropical storm of this season if enough storms develop in 2023 to move that far through the list.
Once the national weather services begin tracking Philippe, communities in its path can access needed information on how serious an impact the storm might have in their area and what precautions they should take.
All named storms are a form of tropical cyclone, a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. For Philippe to be named as a hurricane this year will depend on its wind speed.
- • An early cyclone stage, a tropical depression, has sustained wind speeds of less than 39 mph. Tropical depressions are not given names, but weather services track them to determine if they are growing into tropical storms or hurricanes.
- • When Philippe’s sustained wind speed reaches 39 mph, its name will be released as Tropical Storm Philippe.
- • If that speed reaches 74 mph, the name will change to Hurricane Philippe.
Even if Philippe never achieves hurricane status, it could pose a threat to lives and property.
When Was Hurricane Philippe?
Perhaps, as you’ve looked at hurricane names online, you’ve asked yourself, “When did Hurricane Philippe hit?” or “What year was Hurricane Philippe?”
The Philippe storms of 2005 and 2011 grew to become hurricanes. Let’s look at some more details about those storms.
Where Did Hurricane Philippe Hit?
In 2005, Hurricane Philippe didn’t “hit” anywhere, since it spent its entire life cycle moving over the Atlantic Ocean.
Similarly, 2011’s Hurricane Philippe never reached land but took a long, meandering journey from near West Africa across the Atlantic and into the northern ocean expanse.
What Category Was Hurricane Philippe?
- • Hurricane Philippe reached Category 1 strength in 2005 with a peak intensity of 80 mph.
- • In 2011, Hurricane Philippe again was measured as a Category 1 storm, this time with 90 mph sustained winds.
What Time Will Hurricane Philippe Make Landfall?
There is no correlation between similarly named hurricanes in history. If you’re asking, “What time did Hurricane Philippe make landfall?” in previous years, it won’t help you prepare if another Philippe develops this year.
Any named storm predicted to reach your region deserves your attention and precautions. If an estimated landfall is on the horizon, don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to reach a safe area.
This article will be updated as more details about 2023’s Philippe become available.
How Many People Died in Hurricane Philippe?
Besides the extent of property damage caused by a tropical storm or hurricane, you might naturally ask, “Did anyone die in Hurricane Philippe?”
- • Because Hurricane Philippe developed and dissipated entirely over the ocean in 2005, there was no loss of life.
- • No lives were lost in 2011 to Hurricane Philippe, again because of its ocean-bound path.
What Was the Path of Hurricane Philippe?
In 2005, Tropical Storm Philippe developed quickly into a Category 1 hurricane within just a couple days of a tropical wave forming east of Barbados.
It accelerated north and weakened before being absorbed by a non-tropical cyclone. At the time, Philippe had the distinction of being the earliest 16th named storm on record.
It started forming on September 17. That record held until 2020 when Hurricane Paulette formed on September 7.
On September 23, 2011, a tropical wave connected with abundant showers and thunderstorms emerged into the Atlantic off the coast of Africa.
It shifted to a tropical depression the next day and within hours became Tropical Storm Philippe. The storm weakened, but then regained strength on October 1.
It shifted to hurricane status for only a few hours on October 4, again reached hurricane status on October 6, and was ending its life cycle on October 8.
Its path during these repeated transitions first moved it steadily northwest from Africa before curving northeast and dissipating long before it could reach Europe.
Convoy of Hope & Hurricanes
Convoy of Hope has been helping people recover after natural disasters since 1998. That year, Convoy responded to flooding in Del Rio, Texas, after Tropical Storm Charley. Hurricane response continues to be a priority focus for Convoy.
Convoy’s Disaster Services team studies regular updates released by the national weather services after a hurricane is named.
The team pays close attention to any predicted landfall and begins to plan a response at Convoy’s World Distribution Center.
Trucks and other response vehicles head to the affected area with plans to set up one or more distribution points once the danger has passed and a community’s needs become clear.
Local volunteers are a big part of Convoy of Hope. The Convoy team relies heavily on volunteers at a distribution point, usually a local church, to help them prepare to help the community.
Year to year, Convoy has helped many U.S. and Caribbean communities hit by devastating Atlantic and Gulf storms. Hurricane Ian slammed Florida on September 28, 2022, with sustained winds of 155 mph. By October 6, Convoy of Hope team members and about 500 volunteers had served more than 17,000 survivors.
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, women’s empowerment, community outreach, and disaster response.
