Tropical Storm Ana (1991)

Tropical Storm Ana was a tropical cyclone that affected a minor portion of Alabama in early August 1991.

Meteorological history
The origions of Tropical Storm Ana began when a tropical wave exited the coast of Cuba on July 30. Warm sea surface tempratures (SST)'s led to significant thunderstorm activity over the center of the wave. After two days of gradual intensification, at 0600 UTC on August 1, a Hurricane Hunters flight confirmed gale force winds and a closed circulation, promting the upgrade to Tropical Storm Ana. Once becoming named, Ana displayed spectacular apperance on satellite imagery, and at approximately 0300 UTC August 2, an eye feature was apparent. Shortly after the eye appeared, a truckload of wind shear entered Ana, and it began to struggle. Despite this, at 1500 UTC on August 3, the storm reached its peak intensity of 45 miles per hour (mph) and 996 millibars (mb) approximately 400 miles (mi) south of Mobile, Alabama. But by 0000 UTC August 4, the center of Ana was getting hard to locate, and the eye feature dissipated on satellite imagery. Around this time, Ana absorbed the much weaker Tropical Storm Bob. After the merger, Ana weakened to a tropical depression at 1200 UTC 200 mi south of Mobile. The organization of the depression began to get less and less organized, until it was debatable Ana was still a tropical cyclone. Twelve hours later, at 0030 UTC August 5, Ana made a landfall over Dauphin Island, Alabamaand dissipated three hours later (at 0300 UTC).

Preparations, impact, and records
A tropical storm warning was issued for the entire Alabama at 0000 UTC on August 4. It was cancelled twelve hours later after Ana made landfall.

Because the storm was not expected to be a strong one, only a few preparations were made. Some people boarded up their windows, but almost all of the coastal residents decided not to. Very little, if any, preparations occured elsewhere (Gas stations didn't report tremendous amounts of people, and fooditems stayed at the same price).

Impact was nowhere close to being memorable. Just a few waves were reported, and no known damage occured. However, Dauphin Island reported three inches (in) of rain, and a minor storm surge of one foot (ft) caused slight flooding in Mobile, sweeping a 6 year old boy out to sea. Elsewhere, no impacts were reported.

Ana's naming on August 1 gave 1991 the fourth latest start to an Atlantic cyclone season since 1954. Only 1967, 1977, and 1988 started later than 1991.

Due to the lack of any real damage, the name Ana would not be not retired in the spring of 1992 (when retired names are announced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and it was put on the list of names for the 1997 season.