Hurricane Luis - Definition and Overview

Hurricane Luis was the twelfth named tropical cyclone and one of the most powerful storms during the very busy 1995 season.

Luis formed off the coast of Africa and quickly intesified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 Cape Verde-type hurricane in a two day span. Luis hit the British Virgin Islands, causing exceptional damage in the islands of Barbuda and St. Martin. After hitting the islands, Luis turned north and headed out to sea.

During a trip between Southampton, England and New York City, the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, in an attempt to avoid the storm, sailed into the outskirts of Hurricane Luis. High winds caused the ship to list to one side by seven degrees and a 29 metre (87 feet) freak wave crashed over the bow of the ocean liner.

See Also

• List of notable tropical cyclones