Hurricane Sam

Hurricane Sam

Hurricane Sam was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that threatened Bermuda, lasting from late September through early October. It was the fifth longest-lasting intense Atlantic hurricane, as measured by accumulated cyclone energy, since reliable records (for intense hurricanes) began in 1966. The eighteenth named storm, seventh hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Sam originated from a tropical wave that departed from the western coast of Africa on September 19. The system developed into a tropical depression on September 22, as upper-level winds gradually became more favorable. Intensification was initially slow, with the depression strengthening into Tropical Storm Sam a day later. Soon afterward, the structure of the cyclone quickly improved and rapid intensification began. Sam strengthened into a hurricane on September 24, and reached Category 4 status late on September 25. Sam peaked on September 26 as a high-end Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (249 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 927 mbar (27.4 inHg). The storm turned towards the northwest early on September 27, as it began to weaken due to an eyewall replacement cycle. The hurricane weakened to Category 3 intensity later that day, as its structure decayed. Sam regained Category 4 status early on September 28. Another eyewall replacement cycle on September 29 disrupted the storm once more. A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda on September 30, due to the potential for tropical storm conditions. The watch was upgraded to a tropical storm warning later that day. Sam began to strengthen again on September 30, as the eyewall replacement cycle concluded. Sam reached a secondary peak on October 1, with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a pressure of 934 mbar (27.6 inHg). Around that time, the storm began a northward track. The hurricane began to weaken on October 2, as a result of increasing vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. Sam finally dropped below major hurricane status on October 3, after nearly eight days. It had remained a major hurricane longer than any Atlantic system since Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The storm moved east-northeastward to northeastward, and then northward, with increasing forward speed while gradually losing strength, weakening to Category 1 status the following day. Sam completed its transition into an extratropical cyclone on October 5, after which its remnants meandered over the northern Atlantic, near Iceland and Greenland, before being absorbed by another extratropical system on October 7.

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