During this week, Hurricane Preparedness Week, I am going to be writing articles for storm2k, family, and friends for each special day leading up to Hurricane Season. Today, the first day of Hurricane Preparedness Week, reserved for discovering the history of Tropical Cyclones around the United States. Today I would like to look at a hurricane that impacted each state or region over the years. I am going to start at Maine and move down the coast and towards Texas.
Although the state of Maine is not regularly hit by hurricanes, in 1954, Maine was hit by two separate hurricanes. Those two hurricanes are often mentioned as a pair, and they are Hurricane Carol and Hurricane Edna. The pair affected Maine only 10 days apart, both as category one hurricanes making the transition to extratropical status. According to the NHC, the pair caused $501 Million and 80 deaths in the US. Upwards of $25 Million damage occurred in Maine alone. 11 deaths occurred in Maine from the two storms.
One of the most destructive storms to come to New England came in 1991 when Hurricane Bob came to town. Hurricane Bob brought hurricane force winds to most of Rhode Island and SE Massachusetts with tropical storm force winds spreading throughout New England. Wind gusts hit 100mph on Cape Cod and were sustained there in a few spots. Martha’s Vineyard lost 50’ of beach due to surge. 5+ inches of rain fell in many areas from Long Island to SW Maine as well as on the outer banks of North Carolina. Before leaving the US, Bob left 18 people dead and $1.5 Billion (1991 USD) in damage. The name Bob was retired and replaced in 1992 with Bill.
In 1938, the Long Island Express blasted into New England at 70mph with winds of at least 95mph. It became a category 5 east of Florida, but luckily weakened in cool water before making land fall and causing two-story high waves that battered Long Island surprising many. 5-10” of rain fell from North Carolina to New Hampshire with most of Long Island, Rhode Island, and Connecticut getting 7”. The New England Hurricane of 1938, as it is scientifically called, killed 682 and caused $4.5 Billion in 2007 USD.
The latest hurricane to make landfall on New Jersey shores happened more than a century ago. That hurricane is the Vagabond Hurricane of 1903. No hurricane has made direct landfall in New Jersey since this hurricane. Although it was headed for North Carolina, a slight turn allowed this hurricane to make landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey as a minimal hurricane. $8 million in damage was done, which equates to $183 million in today’s dollars. Even President Theodore Roosevelt, who was vacationing on a yacht near Long Island, was affected by this storm. 36 people were left dead from the Vagabond Hurricane of 1903. Just showing how bad tracking was in 1903, this map shows 1903 #4 going northeast over NYC, when it actually continued northwest, north of Philadelphia and becoming extratropical over Syracuse, NY.
The very active Hurricane Season of 1933 brought two of this article’s hurricanes. The first of which is the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane on 1933. This was the 8th storm, and 3rd hurricane of the season. It was a Major Hurricane just before making landfall on the Virginia/North Carolina border as a category 1 hurricane. It crossed directly over Norfolk, VA and continued northward. This hurricane brought $27.2 Million in 1993 USD or $433 M in 2007 USD and 30 fatalities. This hurricane brought 6-12’ of storm surge and up to 6” of rain across the area.
The second storm featured here from the 1933 Hurricane Season is the 1933 Outer Banks Hurricane. The 1933 Outer Banks Hurricane was the 13th storm, 6th hurricane and 4th major hurricane of the season. This hurricane came just a month after the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane. After coming down from a Category 3, this hurricane grazed the outer banks of North Carolina as a maximal Tropical Storm with Hurricane force gusts. Up to 39 deaths occurred in the impacted area which expended from North Carolina all the way to New England and Newfoundland. Rainfall of over a foot in some spots fell with surge of over 8 feet in Virginia. All in all, $1 Million in 1933 USD occurred ($16M 2007 USD).
As one of the most difficult to forecast, Major Hurricane Gracie turned and nearly looped ever closer to the South Carolina coastline. Gracie made landfall as a category 3 hurricane on Edisto Island, South Carolina. Although Surge was reduced due to landfall at low tide, rain fell in amounts up to 7” in most of the state, with up to 3” falling as far north as New York. Gracie also spawned a recorded 7 tornadoes. Edisto Beach was forever changed as much of its land was swept out to sea. Numerous species were also lost from the area. In all, 22 people died and $90 Million (1959 USD, $665 Million 2008 USD) damage was done.
As one of the most known on this list, Hurricane David carried damage to most of the Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, and most of the East Coast of the US. This Cape Verde system easily became a category 5 hurricane while entering the Caribbean. On Dominica, 75% of most crops and the population were affected. Much of the Lesser Antilles had up to 15” of rain. Fatalities numbering 2,000 occurred in the Dominican Republic. Much weaker than in the Caribbean, David then grazed the east coast of Florida with tropical storm force winds, 10 tornadoes, and up to 10” in very localized areas. It then proceeded to make its final landfall in Georgia as a minimal hurricane. Surge and surf were the major culprits in Georgia. A 174mph wind gust was recorded on the top of Mount Washington. Light damage was widespread all the way up into New England. Overall, 2068 deaths occurred, and $1.54B (1979 USD, 4.6B 2008 USD) in damage was done.
Just short of 2004, Florida was affected by 3 tropical cyclones in 1950. The three were Easy, King, and Love. Hurricane Easy, aka the Cedar Keys Hurricane, developed in the Western Caribbean, crossed Cuba, and rapidly intensified (and slowed) off the west coast of Florida. As a Category 3 Major Hurricane, Easy looped west of Cedar Key, and eventually made landfall. Because of the intensity and slow speed of Easy, areas close to landfall received up to 40”, with most of the area in North Central Florida and southeast Georgia getting 7-10”. 90% of houses were destroyed in Cedar Key as hurricane force winds covered most of the landfall area. Easy caused only 2 deaths, and $3.3M 1950 USD or $30M 2008 USD because of the scarcity of the landfall area at the time.
Just a month later, The 8th Major Hurricane of the 1950 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Hurricane King, crossed the state of Florida. Developing in the same area as Easy, King made landfall farther east in Miami. King was a small hurricane, and only a few recording stations were hit, but those that were hit recorded up to 120 mph sustained winds in Miami. King brought a 19.3 foot storm surge into the city of Miami. Hurricane force winds were felt all the way up in Jacksonville. Flooding from King extended all the way up to St. Petersburg, which was still trying to recover from Easy. In all, 11 died from King and $30M 1950 USD ($269 2008 USD) in damage was done.
The third, much weaker, tropical cyclone to hit Florida was Hurricane Love. Coincidently, Love originated from a trough given off by King. Love reached the Florida Coast north of Cedar Key as a minimal tropical storm, doing minimal damage.
In all, Easy, King, and Love caused 13 fatalities and 33.4M in 1950 USD, or 300M in 2008 USD.
One of the most costly hurricanes until Katrina that hit the Gulf Coast was Major Hurricane Frederic. It started as a tropical storm and continued (mostly) as a tropical storm as it danced around the Caribbean islands. As it entered the Gulf of Mexico from the coast of Cuba it intensified over warm waters and low shear. When it finished intensifying it became a category 4 major hurricane. Before making landfall on Dauphin Island, Alabama, Frederic weakened to a category 3 with winds of 125mph. Just an hour or so later, Frederic crossed into Mississippi. There it turned north, and later extratropical. Storm surge was reported from Florida to Mississippi. 80% of property in Alabama’s coastline including the Dauphin Island Causeway was destroyed. Hurricane force winds were experienced over much of southern Alabama and Mississippi. 1-3” of rain fell as far away as Florida and Vermont. A wide band of 5-7” of rain fell from landfall all the way to western New York. 11” fell in Pascagoula, MS. All in all 11 people died and $2.3B in damage was done in 1979 USD or $6.8B 2008 USD.
Just off the southern coast of Cuba, Hurricane Hilda began its move to the northwest, gaining strength. Hilda slowed in the Gulf of Mexico, but intensified into a maximal category 4 Major Hurricane. Making a turn to the almost due north, Hilda slowly weakened, but not before it made landfall in Louisiana as a category 3. Along with a cold front, Hilda made a 90° turn to the east and died just west of Jacksonville, Florida. Rain from Hilda was widespread and heavy. 5-7” fell in blotches from Louisiana to North Carolina, with the heaviest of almost 18” near the landfall area. In all, because of good evacuation, only 38 people perished, but $138M 1964 USD in damage was done (or $875M 2008 USD).
One of the most powerful hurricanes to have ever struck Texas was that of Hurricane Carla. Carla developed in the western Caribbean and pushed throughout its life to the northwest, going right around the Yucatan Peninsula as if it was a curve in the road. In the Gulf of Mexico, Carla became a strong Category 5 Major Hurricane with winds of 175mph. Just before landfall in Port O’ Connor, Carla weakened into a category 4. Storm surge measured 22 feet, pushing 10 miles inland in some spots. Carla was a very large hurricane; therefore it covered the entire coastline of Texas with its wrath. Hurricane force winds were widespread, being felt as far away as Galveston. The first live weather newscast from a hurricane was done from the Galveston Seawall by none other than Dan Rather. 26 tornadoes, including a F4, were spawned during Carla. Carla dropped 15” of rain near its landfall point, and dropped 5-7” as far north as Michigan. Because of an enormous evacuation, only 43 people died. $325M in damage was done across the south (1961 USD….or $2.34B 2008 USD).
I hope you enjoyed these articles, and I hope that no one forgets that everyone can be hit, no matter where they live.