Royal Air Force C-130 airdropping food during the Ethiopia famine , the deadliest weather event of the year
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]
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]
The Bangladesh cyclone soon before landfall in Bangladesh on 24 May
Typhoon Nelson soon after peak intensity on August 22
Typhoon Cecil soon before landfall in Vietnam on October 15
^ All damage totals are in 1985 USD
^ "Cold & Warm Episodes by Season" . Climate Prediction Center. Retrieved 21 July 2023 .
^ a b Gill, Peter (16 May 2018). "Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia Since Live Aid" (PDF) . SaHistory. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ a b c d "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" . National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ a b c d e f "1985 Annual tropical cyclone report" (PDF) . Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ a b "Storm Data 1985" (PDF) . National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ a b "Delta Crash Toll Hits 137" . SunSentinel. 4 October 1985. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ a b c d e "May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak: 35th Anniversary" . National Weather Service. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ "Disaster Case Report, Fiji - Cyclones" (PDF) . Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. Retrieved 30 July 2023 .
^ "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 .
^ Murray, Bill (1 February 2017). "Today in Weather History: The Terrible 1985 North Alabama Ice Storm" . AlabamaWx. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ Prasad, Rajendra (11 April 1985). Preliminary Report: Tropical Cyclone Gavin (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service .
^ a b c d e f g h i j "Storm Events Database" . National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 14 August 2023 .
^ "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 .
^ a b "European Severe Weather Database" . European Severe Storms Laboratory. Retrieved 14 August 2023 .
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "Late Twentieth Century" . Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ Rowley, Storer; Hirsley, Michael (3 September 1985). "HURRICANE THRASHES GULF STATES" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ "Elena roars ashore" . The Spokane Chronicle . Associated Press. 2 September 1985. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ "Heavy rain in Ark; record heat in east" . The Gainesville Sun . Associated Press. 5 September 1985. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ United Press International (3 September 1985). "Guardsmen patrol in the wake of Hurricane Elena" . The Courier . Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ Barnes, p. 255
^ "30th Anniversary of Hurricane Gloria" . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023 .
^ "One killed in flooding across the state" . Junction City Daily Union . 11 October 1985. Retrieved 1 October 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 by1986