The 1991 Halloween Storm was made famous in the movie "The Perfect Storm."The storm occurred when a powerful upper-air disturbance coming out of Quebecbecame energized even more by the warmth of the Gulf Stream. At the same timethe storm was intensifying, a huge amount of moisture from the remains ofHurricane Grace fed into the system from the south. The storm became renown foran extended period of high winds and monstrous waves throughout the northwestAtlantic.The waves seen in the movie were no exaggeration. A ship buoy south of NovaScotia recorded a wave over 70 feet high, though the average was 30 to 50 feet.
High winds and very rough seas pounded the New England coastline for three fulldays.
On Nov. 1, the storm gave every appearance that it was a full-fledged hurricanewith winds over 70 mph. This was possible since it had moved over the warmerwaters of the Gulf Stream. Nevertheless, it was not named by the hurricanecenter.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
