The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 1985. The year began with a La Niña.[1] The most common weather events to have a significant impact are blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest weather event of the year was the Ethiopia famine, which killed at least 400,000.[2] The costliest weather event of the year was Hurricane Juan, which caused around $1.5 billion[a] in damages in the Southern United States.[3] Another significant weather event was the Bangladesh cyclone in May, which killed 11,069 people and damaged nearly 100,000 houses.[4]

Royal Air Force C-130 airdropping food during the Ethiopia famine, the deadliest weather event of the year

Deadliest events

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Deadliest meteorological events during 1985
Rank Event Date(s) Deaths Refs
1 Ethiopian famine Year long >400,000 [2]
2 Bangladesh cyclone May 22–25 11,069 [4]
3 Typhoon Cecil October 11–17 770 [5]
4 Arrow Air Flight 1285R icing December 12 256 [6]
5 Typhoon Jeff July 21 – August 2 245 [5]
6 Typhoon Nelson August 16–25 199–202 [7][5]
7 Puerto Rico floods October 6–7 180 [8]
8 Delta Air Lines Flight 191 microburst August 2 137 [9]
9 United States–Canada tornado outbreak May 31 89 [10]
10 Typhoon Dot October 13–22 83–90 [5][11]

Timeline

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January

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Cyclone Nigel at peak intensity on January 19
  • January 12–22 – Two cyclones, Eric and Nigel, make landfall within a week of each other in Fiji. Between 23 and 28 people were killed and at least $39 million in damages were caused.[12][13]

February

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  • February 1 – A winter storm in Alabama kills four people and builds up 28 cm (11 in) of ice, the largest amount since 1963.[14]

March

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April

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The Bangladesh cyclone soon before landfall in Bangladesh on 24 May

June

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July

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August

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Typhoon Nelson soon after peak intensity on August 22

September

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October

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Typhoon Cecil soon before landfall in Vietnam on October 15

November

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December

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Notes

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  1. ^ All damage totals are in 1985 USD

References

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  1. ^ "Cold & Warm Episodes by Season". Climate Prediction Center. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Gill, Peter (16 May 2018). "Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia Since Live Aid" (PDF). SaHistory. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Khan, Sirajur Rahman; Damen, Michiel. "CYCLONE HAZARD IN BANGLADES" (PDF). ADPC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Meteorological Results 1985" (PDF). Hong Kong Royal Observatory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "AVIATION OCCURRENCE REPORT ARROW AIR INC. DOUGLAS DC-8-63 N950JW GANDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEWFOUNDLAND 12 DECEMBER 1985 REPORT NUMBER 85-H50902" (PDF). Canadian Aviation Safety Board. 28 October 1988. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "1985 Annual tropical cyclone report" (PDF). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Storm Data 1985" (PDF). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Delta Crash Toll Hits 137". SunSentinel. 4 October 1985. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e "May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak: 35th Anniversary". National Weather Service. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d "DESTRUCTIVE TYPHOONS 1970-2003". National Disaster Coordinating Council Office of Civil Defense Operations Center. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Disaster Case Report, Fiji - Cyclones" (PDF). Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  13. ^ "SUMMARY OF MAJOR DISASTER IN FIJI 1985" (PDF). Office of U.S. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  14. ^ Murray, Bill (1 February 2017). "Today in Weather History: The Terrible 1985 North Alabama Ice Storm". AlabamaWx. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  15. ^ Prasad, Rajendra (11 April 1985). Preliminary Report: Tropical Cyclone Gavin (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Storm Events Database". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  17. ^ "1949~1990年中国龙卷风灾害事件表" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  18. ^ a b "European Severe Weather Database". European Severe Storms Laboratory. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Deadly Skies: Canada's Most Destructive Tornadoes". CBC Digital Archives. 3 June 1985. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  20. ^ Miles B. Lawrence (8 August 1985). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Bob 21-26 July 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report). Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Late Twentieth Century". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  22. ^ a b Chapter 8: Civil Works (Report). Department of the Army Historical Summary. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  23. ^ Robert C. Sheets (18 September 1985). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Danny 12-18 August 1985. National Hurricane Center (Report). Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  24. ^ Rowley, Storer; Hirsley, Michael (3 September 1985). "HURRICANE THRASHES GULF STATES". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Elena roars ashore". The Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. 2 September 1985. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Heavy rain in Ark; record heat in east". The Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. 5 September 1985. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  27. ^ United Press International (3 September 1985). "Guardsmen patrol in the wake of Hurricane Elena". The Courier. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  28. ^ Barnes, p. 255
  29. ^ "30th Anniversary of Hurricane Gloria". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  30. ^ "One killed in flooding across the state". Junction City Daily Union. 11 October 1985. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  31. ^ a b Robert A. Case. Annual Summmary: Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1985 (PDF). National Hurricane Center (Report). Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  32. ^ "Tropical Depression Nicole topples Florida homes after making landfall as hurricane". CBS News. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
Global weather by year
Preceded by
1984
Weather of
1985
Succeeded by
1986