M a r c h 1965 Gordon E. Dunn and Staff 175 THEHURRICANESEASON OF 1964 GORDON E. DUNN AND STAFF* U.S. Weather Bureau Office, Miami, Fla. 1. GENERALSUMMARY Twelve tropical cyclones, six of hurricane intensity, developed over tropical Atlantic waters during 1964. This is the largest number since 1955 and compares with an average of 10 during the past three decades. The centers of four hurricanes penetrated the mainland of the United States, the largest number to do so since the five in 1933. There have been only four other years with four or more since 1900; four in 1906, 1909, and 1926, and six in 1916. While none of the four renching the mainland in 1964 wits :L major hurricane at the time of landfall, three-Cleo, Dora, and EIi1da"were severe. Florida was struck by three hurricanes in addition t o dying hurricane Hilda and one tropical cyclone of less than hurricane intensity; thus ended an unequalled rela- tively hurricane-free period of 13 years from 1951 through 1963. During this period Florida experienced three hurricanes compared with a norlml expectancy of 11.7, and only one nmjor hurricme (Donna) compared to n normal of 3+. The tropicd Atlantic atmosphere was unstable through- out the sunlnler and fall with numerous disturbances and depressions. One reached tropical storm intensity early in June and another in late Julg, but no storm of hurricane intensity was noted until August 21. There was a tropical cyclone on the chart on all but two days from August 20 through October 4. With the exception of Florence all nloved or recurved west of longitude 60' 17. (fig. 1). The number of huwicane days \vas 46, which in t,he past 11 gears was exceeded by 49 in 1961 and 56 in 1955 (table 1). August 1964 was considered an active month from a tropical standpoint. According to Posey [I] the 700-~nb. mid-latitude winds in the Northern Hemisphere were quite zonal. A negative height arlomaly band a h o s t encircled the globe to the south of a large positive anonlaly over the Atlantic and was associated with a slight south- ward displacement of the westerlies. Major long-wuve troughs were located very close to the west and east coasts of the United States near their usual positions; however, the east coast trough was weak south of latitude 35' N. and during the period August 25-29, when Cleo wt~s ap- proaching and moving northward over Florida, thc long wave had retrograded int,o the Great Plains. The mean 700-mb. height anomalies for August 1964 do not corre- and Arnold L. Sugg. *Paul L. Moore, Gilbert A. Clark, Neil L. Frank, Elbert C . IIi11, Raymond II. Kraft, spond very well with the composite chart for atverage departures from nornml for seasons of maxinlum tropical cyclone incidence in the southeastern United States as developed by Ballenzweig [a ]. September was an even more active month and cor- respondence between Ballenzweig's composite c h r t and the observed values was better, particularly south of latitude 40' W. According to Green [3] the subtropical High was abnornlally strong and displaced slightly northward from normal (favorable for tropical cyclone formation) while the 700-mb. jet was slightly south of normal (unfavorable). The long-wave position fluctuated back and forth from the Rockies and Great Plains east- ward and the tropical cyclones experienced considerable difficulty in penetrating the westerlies. During the major hurricane months in 1964 the long-wave trough failed to remain along the enst coast of the United States for any sustained period, nncl when there its amplitucle was very weak, in strong contrast to the hurricnne seasons of 1962 and 1963. I n October a t 700 mb. the low-latitude trough \vas located in the Gulf of Mexico near longitude 90' W. from the 1st to the 5th, and Hilda recurved just east of its axis [4]. By the middle of October a long-wave position along the east coast of the United States had become established which crtusecl the recurvnture of Isbell over southern Florida. Statistics on casualties and clamage for the 1964 hurricane season are shomn in table 2 . It is interesting to note that as much as $500 million hurricane clamage can occur in the United States in :L single season without any major hurricane. TABLE l.-Hztrricane days Yca1 1954 -.-. .. - ._. 1955 ..". - ..-. 1956." ...____ 1957 ..__._. .-. 1958.". -. - - -. 1959.". __.... 1960 .._....... 1961 1962 1953 1964 Total "". ". - - - v 5 - 31 56 22 15 35 24 19 49 11 41 4G 449 - - 'If two hurricanes are in existcnce on one day, this is counted as two hurricane clays. 1 76 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW Vol. 9 3 , No. 3 Morch 1965 MONTHLYWEATHER REVIEW TABLE 2,"Danaage and cas~~alties, hvrricane season 1964 ~~ 177 Date I Storm United States June 2-11 ................. ....... July 28-Aug. 3 ........... Unnamed (T). ....... Aug. 5-8 ................. Abby (T) ............. Aug. 7-10 ................ Brenda (T) ........... hug. 20-Sept. 5 .......... Cleo (H) .............. Aug. 28-Sept. l G ......... Dora(l1) .............. .. Sept. 4-16 ................ Ethel (1-1) ............. Sept. 6 1 0 ................ Florence (T) .......... Scut. 13-25 ............... Gladvs (11) ........... Sei~t. 28-Oct. 5 ........... Ililda (1.1) ............. Oct. 8-16 ................. Isbell (I{) ............. ~, Nov. 5-9 ................. Unnamed (T). ....... 0 0 0 0 3 5 0 0 38 0 3 0 Total .............. G(T) G(I.1) ........... I 49 Damage $1, 000,000 750,000 0 128,500,000 0 253,000,000 0 0 0 125,000,000 10,000,000 0 6515,250,000 Other areas Deaths Damage _" 0 0 0 0 0 $275,000 0 70,000, 000 214 0 0 0 0 Very minor 0 0 0 1,000,000 0 0 3 10,000,000 0 5,000,000 __- 217 1 $8Ii,275,000 T =T r o p i c a l s t o r m . H=Hurricano. 2. INDIVIDUALTROPICALCYCLONES Unnamed Tropical Storm, June ,%ll.-During June 2 and 3, a weak tropical depression slowly developed over the extreme northwestern Caribbean just to the east of British Honduras and the Yucatan Peninsula. The original disturbance apparently moved out of the Inter- tropical Convergence Zone (ITC). On t h e 4 t h , t h e depression began drifting slowly northward and reached the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico by the 5th. During this period, maximum winds were generally 25 to 30 m.p.h. in scattered squalls. Moving north-northeastward to northeastward at 15 m.p.h., the depression crossed extreme northern Florida the afternoon of June 6 with no significant intensification, but later developed tropia1 storm intensity on the morning of the 7th off the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. It then moved on an east-northeastward course at 15 to 20 m.p.h., and continued to intensify slowly. Reaching n position some 200 mi, north of Bermuda by June 9, the storm changed to an easterly course around 10 m.p.h. under the influence of an intensifying high pressure system to the northeast. h4aximum intensity was reached a t this time with winds of about 60 m.p.h. reported by ships. On June 11 the storm turned northward and was soon absorbed by a large extratropical Low over the Canadian Maritimes. There was local flooding in western Cuba and in a few areas in the Southeastern States. Strong winds and hail associated with thunderstorm activity caused considerable damage in northeastern Florida. Damage in the Jackson- ville area was estimated in excess of $300,000, and there was a local windstorm near Cross City. Unnamed Tropical Storm, July &-August 3.-During the night of July 27-28, ship reports indicated a perturba- tion in the central Atlantic near 20" N., 45" W., which was quite likely related to a cloud vortex viewed by TIROS near 14" N., 24" W. on July 25, and a weak surface circulation observed simultaneously in the Cape Verdes. A reconnaissance plane dispatched to the area of suspicion on the 28th reported no westerly winds although maximum surface easterly winds of 50 1n.p.h. mere observed near 21 " N., 50" W. The lowest sea level pressure was 1011 mb. The next morning reconnaissance found that the pres- sure had dropped to 1006 mb. with a small wind and pressure eye near 22.15" N., 56.4OOW.; maximum surface winds of 50 m.p.h. were observed in the northwest and northeast quadrants. That afternoon a second recon- naissance flight found tha,t no intensification had occurred. The central pressure was 2 mb. higher than in the morning and the wind field remained about the same. On July 30 the system persisted as it turned toward the north-northwest. A squall area oriented north-northwest to south-southeast was located 60 to SO mi. east of a weak wind circulation centered a t 29.0" N., 61.3" W., at 1400 EST. The lowest pressure was 1012 mb. and the wind near the center was less than 10 kt. However, winds up t.o 55 to 65 m.p.h. were reported in the squall band. Rapid movement of the center (20 m.p.h. or more) contributed to the maximum winds observed, but the strong basic current also tended to mask and perhaps to inhibit the development of a well-defined vortical wind field. On the morning of the 31st, the center was located some 300 mi. east of Bermuda moving toward the north- east. There wa,s little organization and central pressure remained a t 1012 mb., with winds of 55 to 65 1n.p.h. east of the center. During the day as the pressure dropped to 1008 mb., a well-defined radar band appeared northeast of the center and winds in the western portion of the circu- lation increased to 25 to 30 m.p.11. It is believed that the cyclone met the specifications of a tropical storm beginning about midday on the 31st. Some further inten- sification and better organization was noted on August 1 with ships reporting winds of 45 n1.p.h. or higher; and one, apparently in a squall, reported 80 m.p.h. A cold front was beginning to enter the inner portion of the circulation but the center was still warm. Data were insufficient to describe the storm's subsequent history completely, but it seems likely that it did not become extratropical until late on August 2 near 47" N. Strong gales persisted around the center as it moved southeast of Greenland on the 3cl. 178 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW Vol. 93, No. 3 Tropical S t o r m A b b y , August 5-8.-Tropical storm Abby developed rapidly about 30 mi. southeast of Free- port, Tex., a little before noon on August 7. Formation occurred in a weak trough which hac1 moved from northern Florida into the nortllenstern Gulf of Mexico on the 5th. It then drifted slowly westwmd across the northern G-ulf, with no indica.tion of development or in te~sification until it approached the central Texas coast. The storm developed under the surveilhnce of coast,al radars at Galveston, Victoria, Lake Charles, t1nd Browns- ville, all of which indicated a sudden development of spiral bands and an eye during the late forenoon of August 7. A reconnaissnnce plane was in the area and reported a center fis a t 11 15 CST. Abby wns an extremely small storm; its complete circulation at the surface was considerably less tlmn 100 mi. in clia,meter. It moved westward, averaging about 10 m.p.h., ancl crossed tlle Texas coast just northetrst of Matagorda about 1600 CST. Over land, Abby gradunlly dissipated ns i t moved west- ward and lost its identity during the mornit~g of the 8th southwest of San Antonio. Reconnaissance aircraft estimated the highest winds about 85 m.p.11. (probably an overestimate), in squalls, m c l reported a centrnl pressure of 1000 mb. (29.53 in.). The highest sustained wind reported along the coast was 45 tn.p.h., with gusts to 65 m.p.h., and the lowest pres- sure wtts 1004 mb. (29.66 in.). These were observed by the Corps of Engineers a t MatagordtL. Highest tides were 2 to 4 ft,. m.s.1. from Matagorda to Freeport. Heavy rains occurred in a. narrow belt along the storm track. Some of the heavy a,mounts reported were: Victoria 6.14, Palacios 3.81, Pettus 5.00, Falls City 5.09, and Pearsall 5.00 in. The rainfall \VIIS very beneficial and only minor flooding occurred. The predomjl1antly agricultural coastd area between h4atagor.h and Freeport felt the main effects of Abby. Damage was light, nnd no deaths or injuries were reported. Tropical Storm Brenda, August 7-10.-0bser~atio~~~ fronl Bermuda first indicated the existence of tropical storm Brenda.. During the morning of August 8, the pressure began t80 fall, dropping from 1018 mb. a.t 0100 EST to 1008 mb. at 0800 EST. Winds increased briefly to 45 m.p.h., with gusts to 65 1n.p.h. as the center passed over the island. No casualties were reported. A small tornado or waterspout sptwned by the storm clamaged a commercial airliner and several privately-o\vned aircraft and was app:trently responsible for winds of 92 m.p.11. merbsured atop a 100-ft. NASA tower. Spiral bands were observed on the US. Air Force raclar at Bermuda after passage of the center. After passing over Bermuda, the storm drifted slowly east-southeast,war~l before recurving and accelerating northeastwarcl ahead of a cold front on the 9th. The circulation could not be tracked north of 35' N. where reconnaissance aircraft reported it had dissipated on August 10. Brenda mas of minimal tropical storm intensity. Highest winds mere those associated wit,h small-scale circulations near the center as i t passed over Berrnucla. Lowest central pressure was 1006 mb: on tshe 9th. Post analysis of tlle storm indicates t111~t it probably began its development i n a minor trough of low pressure some 400 mi. west of Bernlucla on August 7. An airline cremmember recalled observing a lorn-level circular cloud formation in the vicinity of 3 2 O N., 69' w . a t 1300 EST on Augnst 7 , though the pattern did not then appear significantly different from many cloud formations frequently observed. Prior t o the storm's passage over Bennucln, there was no evidence from avtdnble sparse ship reports or other data of the development of the storm. Not until August 8 wts sufficient information avdable to substantiate that a tropical storm and not a frontal wave or local disturbance was responsible for the conditions observed at Bermuda. FIurricane Cleo, August 20-September 5.-The distmb- ance in which Cleo h t e r formed appears to have moved off the African coast south of Dakar as a 1010-mb. Low accompanied by continuous rain and thunclershowers, on August 15. Later, a TIROS VI11 photograph at 1044 EST August 18 showed a cloud mass covering tlle region from 7 O to 12' N., 32' to 37' W ., centered at 10' N., 34' W . At 1300 EST on the same date, the German ship Lichtenstein reported a light east mind, continuous rain, and pressure of 1008.9 mb. (29.79 in.) a t 12' N., 33.5' W. From this area the clistur*bance moved west-nortkwestward about 16 m.p.11. until located by reconnaissance aircraft on the 20th. At 0100 EST on t2he 20tl1, a ship report' (name unknown) indicated the existence of a circuhtion. A Navy recon- naissance plane that afternoon found a tropical cyclone a t 13.2' N., 44.5' W., in a very early stage of development, with minimum pressure of lOOG mb. (29.71 in.) and a few squalls up to 35 m.p.11. The next day the central pressure hac1 cleepenecl to 993 nib. (29.32 in.) and winds lmd reachecl hurricane force. The hurricane steadily intensified during the next several clays as it moved ~~~est-nortll\\~est~~~ard a t 20 to 25 m.p.h., an unusually rapid motion for low latitudes. Hurricane Cleo reached Gutbdeloupe early in the after- noon of August 22. The center crossed the island of Marie Galnnte at 1137 Es'r and the southern tip of Bnsseterre a t 1240 EST. At Rnizet Airport, about 15 mi. north of the eye, minimum pressure was 1003 mb. (29.62 in.), and the highest wind 44 m.p.h., with gusts to S1. In the French West Indies, Cleo caused 14 deaths and 40 injuries; destruction of the banana crop and 1,000 homes; and extensive damage to roofs, roads, and com- munication lines. The hurricane center passed about 90 mi. south of St. Croix, V.I. at midnight, August 23, and S3 mi. south of Cab0 Rojo on the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico at 1300 Esr the same day. Highest observed winds were 50 m .p.h. a t Ham Bluff, St. Crois, and 52 n1.p.h. at Point Tuna, Puerto Rico, although Cleo had intensified with March 1965 Gordon E. Dunn and Staff 179 central pressure of 950 mb. (2S.05 in.), and winds had increased to 140 m.p.h. The hurricane remained small a.nd concentrated rind destructive winds were confined to a small &,rea near the eye. At flight level the Weather Bureau research aircraft measured 132 kt. (152 m.p.h.) winds. A Navy hurricane hunter plane was badly dam- aged on this date and seven crewmen injured. It was estimated that as the plane left the eye and entered the wall cloud, the recorded wind increased by 90 1n.p.h. within a distance of 1 mi. No penetration was made of this dangerous hurricane on the 24th and its maximum intensity on this date is unknown. Cleo passed south of the Dominican Republic ettrly on the 24th with its closest approach about 30 mi. south of Isla Beata, just off the Barahona Peninsula at 0600 EST. Seven lives were reported lost in the Dominican Republic. As hurricane Cleo passed south of Haiti on August 24 it veered northward momentarily, enough to move onto the southwestern peninsula. The hurricane entered land just east of the city of Les Cayes, still a very small intense hurricane. It came and went within 90 to 115 min. Aerial surveys indicated that severe damage extended only 3.7 mi. west of the center and 13.7 mi. east of the center. At Les Cayes, several miles west of the center, there was no calm and the lowest pressure was 964 mb. From 1500 to 1535 LST the pressure fell 34 mb. and by 1600 LST had risen 37 mb. The lowest barometer reading at Camp Perrin, which is about 12.5 mi. inland along the center track, was 950 mb. Within a short time the hurricane reached the slopes of the Massif de la Hotte. During the next few hours the movement of Cleo was obscure. Mr. Michel A. Frhre, WMO representative in Haiti, believes it cont>inued north- westward and reached the north coast of the peninsula. near Roseaux. Evidence from reconnaissance aircraft would indicate the greatly diffused center turned westward along the southern slopes of the mountain range and even- tually passed out into the Caribbean over the western tip of the peninsula. Damage in Haiti was considerable and 192 persons were killed. The reason for the sharp turn of Cleo toward the southwestern peninsula of Haiti cannot be explained on the basis of available data. A short-wave trough had already passed eastward to the north of the hurricane and it was under rising heights. It ma,y be that previous reconnaissance fixes were in error and that the correct track during the previous 12 to 18 hr. was farther north than reported. However, the south shore of Hispaniola should have been on the radar scope of the plane and the reason for the error, if any, is not obvious. Cleo never regained its former intensity. However, as a minimal hurricane, it passed over a narrow peninsula of Cuba, east of Cab0 Cruz, and thence moved into the Golfo de Guacanayabo. The center remained a short distance off the southern coast of Cuba until it again re-entered the coast near longitude 79" W. Cleo probably was of slightly less than hurricane intensity during the journey across Cuba until emerging from the northern coast east of Caibarien around 0700 EST on the 26th. Winds in J6caro, Majagua, Tamarindo, and Florencia were es- timated about 60 to 70 m.p.h., and in Jatibonico 70 to 75 m.p.11. Damage in Cuba was not serious with apparently only one casualty. Shortly after emerging from the northern coast of Cuba, Cleo regrrined hurricane intensity and then moved on a mildly zigzag course north-northwestward to northward toward the lower east const of Florida. Beginning a t 1030 EST, August 26, hurricane Cleo was under constant radar surveillance by the Miami and Key West radars and later by the Tampa m d Daytona Beach radars. By midday, the hurricane had intensified with maximum winds of 85 m.p.h. and minimum pressure around 984 mb. (29.06 in.). Throughout the afternoon and evening, instrumented Research Flight Facility aircraft repeatedly crisscrossed through the storm, including the center, and a t flight level found no winds of hurricane force in the western semicircle, and the central pressure stable at around 984 mb. At 0200 EST August 27, the edge of the eye moved onto Key Biscayne. Cleo was the first hurricane to strike the greater Miami area with full force since October 17, 1950; and, indeed, the tracks from Cuba to the greater Miami area of the two hurricanes were very similar. The lowest barometer reading in Florida was 967.5 mb. (28.57 in.) in North hhami. It is estimated that maximum sustained winds were in the 100 to 110 m.p.h. range, with gusts to 135 m.p.h. It is certain that Cleo intensified very rapidly in the 3 hr. between the time when the aircraft left the storm and when the eye reached Key Biscayne and several hours later passed through North Miami. I n t h e western semicircle, winds increased from less than hurricane force to 100 m.p.h. or more and the central pressure fell about 16 mb. (0.5 in.). This may be explained by (a) the fact that the temperature of the shallow water between the western edge of the Gulf Stream and the coast is even higher than that of the warm Gulf Stream, 86" to 90" F. vs. 83" F., and (b) as the portion of the hurricane circula- tion over land increased, the inflow toward the center also became greater with resultant increased lift and latent heat from condensation. As the hurricane moved along the lower east coast of Florida, the eye continually expanded and contracted from a minimum diameter of 8 mi. to a maximum of 16 mi. The eye consistently moved north-northwestward for a number of hours and then northward for a number of hours. The longest central calm at any reporting point was 1 hr. 25 min. The major damage from the hurricane was felt in a relatively narrow strip 20 to 35 mi. wide along the eastern Florida coast from Miami to about Melbourne. Although the geometric center of the eye apparently passed over Virginia Key and reached tjhe west side of Biscayne Bay at about the 36th Street Causeway, danmge was minor at nearby Perrine and Homestead and west of Bird Road 1 80 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW Vol. 93, No. 3 TABLE 3.--Tornadoes in Connection with Hurricane Cleo TABLE 4 ,"H ~r r i c a n e Cleo casu,ulty and damage statistics AUK. 37 .... ? .............. Bromard County, Fla..- Aug. 2 i .... 1900 ........... Titusville, Fla Aug. 2 i .... 2010 ........... New Stnyrua Beach, ......... I 1 Fln. Aug. ?9.... Aug.?9.-.. Aug. 29._.. Aug. 29 hug. X... Aug. 29.... Aug. B.." Aug. B.." Aug. 30 .... .... 0106 ........... 0125 ........... 0440. IF00 ........... late nftert!oon. 2130 ........... 0030 13 midnight ". ........... 144n .......... ........... James Island, S.C Lawtoll Bluff, S.C """ Laurinburr, N.C ........ i d - ". ................ Bctherea, S.C .................... Lake Murray I4 mi. NM' ......... Cassat, S.C Timmousville. S.C Darlington, S.C 2 Sansbury Crossroads, ......... of Columbia, S.C. ....................... ......... ................ c r Aug. 30 .... 0400 (approx.). Lauriuburg, N.C Aug. 31 .... 1600 (approa.). Bethel, Stokes, Bear- I 1 ~~~~s , N.C. 1)anlage Considerable tree and citrus damage. $5,000. $250,000 Miuor. $25,000. $3,000. $5,000. P90,oon. and 90th Avenue. Storm intensity north of Melbourne was such tht1.t only minor damnge resulted. There were only isolated reports of local flooding anywhere in the State. The tide did n'ot reach 4 ft. above normal in the Miami area, but was 5 ft. above normal in Fort Ihuder- dale, and 5 to 6 ft. above normal at Pompano Beach. There was no serious tidal damage reported anywhere in the State. Even in Dade and Broward Counties, lit.tle structural damage to buildings resulted. In these counties the principal damage was glass breakage in unprot,ect)ed store fronts, beach hotels and motels, and other unprotected glass. h4any beach hot,els and motels suffered water damage after the windows gave way. I'rincipal dimages in Florida, in addition were uprooted trees, disrupted communications and power fdures in the southern sections, sand blasted buildings and auto- mobiles; overturned parked Irircraft, and trgriculturd losses. Ewrly estimates indicate about 10 percent of t'he oranges aud 20 tlo 30 percent of the grapefruit were lost in Lhe Indian River citrus producing area, with the greatest loss in the southern sections. Total citrus damage is estimated at $9 million. Total dsm:Lge from hurricane Cleo in Florida to property is estimated a t $112.5 million. Apparently these figures do not include other direct or indirect losses suc.11 as cleanup of debris, which would amount to several million dollars. It is believed that direct and indirect costs would total about $125 million. There was no loss of life or serious injury in Florida and damage to small craft was minimal. Mter leaving Florida between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, the center remained a t s e a a short time and then re-entered the coastline near Sa.vannah without, much increase in intensity. Cleo continued as n weaken- ing tropical cyclone through the interior of the Carolinas, passing out to sea aga.in near Norfolk, T7a., where it gave record-breakillg precipitation. Very heavy rainfall de- veloped from the' Hampton Roads area southward over extreme southeastern Virginia during the night of August 31-September 1 as Cleo moved offshore and a cold front approached the region. Rainfall amounts a t several points exceeded previous all-time 24-hr. records. The largest 'reportecl storm 'total was 14.09.in. at' Back Bay Locatioll Injuries I)eaths __~______ -___ F r e ~c h West Iudies ................................... Dominican Republic '4 Georgia South Caroliua ? 0 Florida ............................................... 1 Cuba ................................................. 35: 192 Haiti 40 1 North Carolina..."- ................................. 0 17 Virginia .............................................. 3 (9 Total ........................................... 217 (+) ................................. .......... I ................................................. ................................................................... ................................................. -___-__ I):ln~age $50, 000, 000 3,000,000 15,000,000 125, OCO, 000 3,000,000 100, 000 50.000 345.000 3, 000. 000 198,495,000 'SOIIIC but number unknown. Wildlife Refuge. At Norfolk WBAS, 10.40 in. of rain fell .between li00 EST August 31 and 1100 EST September 1, shattering the previous 24-hr. record of 6.78 in. on June 2-3, 1963. Considerable flooding occurred in the Hanlpton Roads area with many streets blocked and roads washed out. Hundreds of homes were flooded and several aretas were evacuated. The storm again a,ttained hurricane intensity nt sea, but ns i t passed east of Newfoundlrtnd on September 4 it lost its tropical features [I]. Nine or more tornadoes and several probable tornadoes were reported in connection with Cleo in Florida and the Cnroliuas (table 3). There was evidence of a tornado in the Davie area of Browrtrd County, Fla., with a path % mi. wide and X mi. long. In one 100-acre grove, 2,400 of 6,000 trees were uprooted. In this small area tree loss mnged from 5 to 40 percent., grapefruit 85 percent, navel ornnges 65 percent, and Valencia and other oranges 35 percent. There were other reports of twisters in Florida but none could be substnntiated. Ctxsunlties and estimn- ted damages resulting from Cleo are given in table 4. Me- teorological data are summarized in table 5. It has now become well established that lightning is rather common in the hurricane eye wall cloud whenever this is present. During duylight hours lightning is usuklly not noticed by observers because flashes are cloud-to-cloud rather than cloud-to-ground and thunder is not audible over the hiph noise level of the wind. Tn -Cleo lightning was noted in the wdl cloud by numerous observers. There were some reports of "greenish" .and "pink" lightning. Whether these were actual lightning or dis- charges from high tension lines or transformers is not known. During the lull at the Nationd Hurricane Center, when the edge of the wall cloud was less than 1 mi. away, and perhaps direct137 overhead several thousand feet aloft, flashes were observed directly above but no thunder was heard, although it was almost normally quiet. Some observations were made on the morning of August 27 by an experienced meteorologist in the extreme north- ern part of Dade County (Miami) as follows: "01 16 Esl-Occasional dim lightning apparently from edge northern portion wall cloud beginning at this time. "0147 EST-Phenomenal rain. &lostof time rain ap- peared as great billows of dense black smoke, reducing visibility to 25 ft. or less, using as reference a street light March 1965 Gordon E. Dunn and Staff TABLE 5,"Htcrricane Cleo, meleorological data, A u g . 20-Sepl. 5, 1964 181 Station -_ LOW F L O R I D A Key west. ........................................................ 27 29. 72 Plantation Key .......................................................................... K e y l ~i s c a y n e ..................................................... 27 28.73 Key Largo Miami N II C - ..................................................... 27 28.74 Miami W BAS ..................................................... 37 28.71 North hliami. .................................................... 27 28.57 Fort Laudcrdalo. ................................................. 27 ........... l'onlpano I3each.. ................................................ 27 ............ Iiillshoro Inlet Light .............................................. 27 28.96 J u p i t e r 27 West I W n l I~each 27 29.14 ................................................ '29.43 F o r t M y e r s .. ..................................................... 27 29.73 Sanibel Island ............................................................................. Clewiston ................................................................................ East side Lake Okeechobee.. ............................................................ Tampa WRAS. ................................................... 28 Lakeland WI50 ................................................... 28 29.66 29.73 Orlando ........................................................... 28 29.43 Vero Heaclr.. ..................................................... 27 I'once de L e o n I n l e t ............................................... 28 29.46 29.37 Jacksonville W BAS.. ............................................. 28 Daytona Heach WHAS. .......................................... 28 29.43 29.58 St, Simons Island ................................................. 38 ........... Savannah ......................................................... 29 29.61 \'ernonVie w ............................................................................. ............................................................................... ................................................. GEORGIA SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston WRAS ................................................ Charleston WRO 29.78 Colotnl)ia ......................................................... 29.78 .................................................. ........... VIR 0 INIA sept. Norfolk. .......................................................... Norfolk Navy ............................................................................ 29.66 1 LangleyAF8.- ........................................................................ ........... 1 NAS Oceana ...................................................... (EST) Time 0258 .......... """"" 0215 0300 0308 .......... .......... .......... 0500 0842 0430 1030 .......... .......... .......... 0255 0100 0130 . . -. - -. . - 0430 1730 0430 ........... 0356 ........... 0449 1705 . - -. - - -. - -. 0340 ........... "" ~ """ ........... 'Estinrated. **Or 1 Minntc close by my house. During this period wind had a consttmt 'freight-train-like' roar amplification as extreme gusts approached. These extreme gusts occasionally sounded like the mid-range of a pipe organ. These con- ditions continued until about 0330. "0250 EsT-st. Elmo's fire was apparently observed and thunder heard. Some evidence of ball lightning seen. Looking south-southeastward from my house the sequence of events would be: St. Elmo's fire, then ball of light, then discllarge, then thunder. This was observed about four times. In addition, frequent lightning was observed. Occtwionnl thunder WRS hetbrd-at least 10 peals. "0332 EST-Entering north edge of eye. Between 0332 and 0334 air temperature increased 3O to 4' F., and wet-bulb temperature increased 1 .5 O F. (76.0' to 77.5'). "0354 mT-Flat calm to light airs. Frequent lightning in wdl cloud north-northwest through southeast. Four peds of thunder were heard from lightning associated with one cell in wall to east-northeast of my house. "0445 EsT-Wind southwest fresh to stror~g-from radnr picture, the location of my house (plus or minus a, couple of blocks) was in geometric center of eye. (The wind nt the time would indicate the wind center was slightly northeast of radar center.) 0550 EST-Large m d small trees were observed t.o estend out nearly parallel to the ground in estimated 140 11 m.p.11. gusts." Fastest mile'* N E 22 .......... .......... .......... N 110' .......... .......... .......... .......... N E 68 ESE 86 WNW 23 sw 74 .......... .......... .......... N N E 28 N 32 NE26 N N E 62 ESE 97 N E 4 3 E 40 .......... N E 3 4 .......... SE 42 E 57 N N E 21 ._" ~..~~. .......... .......... .......... Wind (miles per hour) 1236 (26) ........... 0235 0840 0850 1446 ........... ........... i+$=-(jfy-. 0055 1342 (27) 1515 2035 (27) 0359 0805 ............ 2120 (28) ............ 0109 1635 0700 -1 - " OllStS N E 28 40 50' N 135- 100 .......... .......... .......... .......... ESE 104 WNW 32 52 80 50 NW 33 N E 40 NNE 46 .......... .......... .......... ENE 44 E 60 N E 39 N E 44 ......... .......... NNE 28 E 40 ........... ESE 42 (EST) I-"" 1236 (26) ............ 0. 15 .................................... .................................... ........... ............ 0230* '3.6 '3.6 ............ 0311 ............ 6.80 .................................... ............ *5.0 ............ ............ '5.5 ............ 0840 Unk. 3.99 1415 ............ T 0830 ........................ .................................... .................................... .................................... .05 1930 (27) ............ .. .................................... .................................... 0818 3 -4 2 .7 1 """""" 1 .0 3 .8 2 1400 ............ 5. 26 2047 (''8) ............ 6.26 ............ 2.3 8. fl3 ........................ 5. 84 ............ 2.6 0700 4. 46 ............ 4. 51 0035 1 11.40 0003 13. 32 ............ 13.70 ........................ 6.59 ........................ HjtLrricane Dora, August 28-September lB.--Hurricane Dora was the first hurricane of record to move inland from the east over extreme northeastern Florida. The eye pnssed over St. Augustine, and Jacksonville recorded sustained winds of hurricane force (S2 m.p.11.) for the first time in nearly SO years of record. A large envelope of low pressure moved through the Cape Verde area on August 28. On the 31st a TIROS picture located a cloud mass 1lea.r 11" N., 41" W. The following day reconnaissance aircraft located a tropicd storm with a central pressure of 998 mb. The storm was enclosed in an envelope of low pressure rlpprosimfitely the same size as that which had moved through tlleVerdes. The 100s-mb. isobar was about 300 mi. in diameter in both locations. Dora moved west-northwestward and renched hurricane force on the 2d. It continued to intensify while gradually expanding. When over 300 mi. south of Bermuda, it turned on a course only slightly north of due west. It had nlissxl the trough associated with the redeveloped hurri- cme Cl.eo. At this time Dora was large severe hurricane with a central pressure of 942 mb. (27.S2 in.). During this intensification there was low-level inflow. Following its turn, the inflow stopped and a gradud decrease in in- tensity occurred for about 24 hr., centrtL1 pressure rising about 22 mb. Hurricane Dora slowed considerably before reaching 182 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW TABLE 6,"Hurricane Dora, meteorological data, Aug. 28-Sept. 16, 1964 VOl. 93, No. 3 Wind (miles per hour) Pressurc (in.) Station Sept. Date mean sea levcl (in.) (I t .) Storm Tidc above rainfall Low (EST) Time Fastest mile ** Timc (EST) Gusts FLORIDA Apalachicola .............................................. Daytona Beach ........................................... Fernandina Beach ........................................ Jacksonville Beach Gainesville Jacksonville WRAS ....................................... Jacksonville, Navy- ...................................... .Jacksonville, Cecil Field .................................. Lakeland. ................................................ Marineland ............................................... Mayport .................................................. Orlando.. ................................................ Anastasia Island. St.Augustine Tallahassee. .............................................. Tampa. .................................................. ................................................ ........................................ ............................................. ......................................... 11 9 10 9 10 10 IO 10 10 10 9 10 10 11 lo IO 10 12 13 10 9 13 9 13 12-13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 29.44 29.04 29.28 29.08 29.05 28.87 28.91 29.56 28.80 29.03 29.41 28.52 29.29 29.5i .......... ........... 29.40 29.47 0140 0145 0700 2015 1416 (IO) 1424 2200(9) 2 MLW 0 7. n 4.95 10.0 9.32 ................ 10.74 """""" ............... \v 71 ............... ............... 84 = N 81 N E 85' NNW 71 IV 42* N N E 101 ............... ............ 1715 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ . . - - . - . ........... ............ . - - - - - - . - . - . 2030 (I O ) ............ . -. - - - - - - . - . ............ ............ 2000-0000 Oi48 li20 2345 (9) ............ ............ 2100 (12) 1445 0012-14 1356 ........... ........... 1545 1617 1420 .......... N 82 N 53 w 27 NE44 NW 60' N N E 74 WSW 40 STV 125' N 35 msm 44 -~ """" ........... 1832 (9) 1948 (9) 0555 1039 1700 (9) .___""". 1955 0130 2120 (12) 1335 (10) ........... "". "". ............................ 7. o* 8. 67 ............................ ........................... ............... 5.85 ............... 1.50 ............... 5.99 ............... 7. 10 12d 2.39 ............... 6. 11 ............... ............ ........................... ............... 5. a1 ............... a. IO ............... ............ 13-14 MLTV 0 6.23 2.4 (9) 3. a1 ........................... ........................... ............... 2.6 (9) 2.53 1.35 ............... 2.65 ............... 3.00 2. 5 3.0 2.52 2. 75 3.41 ............... 3. 5 4.80 """"""". 2.63 ........................... I . 3 2.53 ............... N 44 W S W 52 (12) N E 90* SSW 50* E 50* N E 53 s 59 NNE 64 ............... """ 0230 0358 0030 1iOO GEORGIA Brunswick ................................................ Rrunswick ................................................ I-Iomerville.. ............................................. .......... .......... ........... 29.6G 29.60 29.51 29.51 29.52 29.54 ........... 29.50 29.75 29.54 - - - - - - - - - - . 29.74 29.62 ."" """ 0014 0335 I600 .......... E 37 ._."""" 0327 ........... ........... 2018(12) li04 (12) 1430 . - -. . - - - 0018 (14) 0858 1653 1231 Jesup- .................................................... Savannah Airport ........................................ Savannah Airport ......................................... Savannah Beach .......................................... SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston WBAS ........................................ Charleston WBO ......................................... Georpetoun ............................................... McClellansville ........................................... NORTII CAROLINA Hatteras .................................................. Raleigh ................................................... Wilmington ............................................... VIRGINIA Norfolk, Navy Cape Henry.. Norfolk WBAS. .......................................... Nantucket ................................................ ............................................ ............................................ MASSACHUSETTS .......... 0542 S E 46 SSrn 45 S 4 i """"" NNE 35 WNW 25 N 28 NE 66 """"" """"" N E 4 2 ."" """ oaoo OiOO 55 sw 55 NNE 41 N 35 .............. .............. NE 61 N E 69 N50 "". ."" """ 1510 *Estimated. **Or one minute. Anemometer failed. b 115 m.p.h. beach. 0 Mean low water. d Datum plane unknown. land, and consequently the winds and tides increased slowly. This was fortunate, for many residents who had felt that this section of the coast was immune to hurri- canes and might have remained if the hurricane had moved a t an average forward speed, were persuaded to evacuate the area. Winds exceeded hurricane force along the coast from extreme southeastern Georgia southward to Flagler County, Fla. Highest sustained winds, estimated a t 125 m.p.h. from the southwest, occurred a t S t . Augustine, immediately following the passage of the center. The lowest pressure on land also occurred a t S t . Augustine, 966 mb. (28.52 in.), at 0100 EST on the 10th. The station was in the eye from 0015 to 0130. Sustained winds near 100 m.p.h. were reported along the coastline north of St. Augustine. The strong, long-duration, onshore winds produced unusually high tides, from 5 to 8 ft. or more above normal, along the entire coast from the Daytona Beach area northward into Georgia. Tides estimated a t 12 ft.2 (4 ft. higher than any previously known) swept across Anastasia Island off St. Augustine, and the water level reached 10 ft. above normal at Mayport. The storm surge caused extensive beach erosion, inundated many coastal com- munities, washed out beach roads, and swept several residences into the sea. Along the Gulf Coast between St. Marks and Tampa, tides ran from 2 to locally 6 ft. above normal (at Yankeetown) as gale force southwesterly winds were sustained from the 10th through most of the 12th. Flooding was increased by runoff from heavy rains on September 11 and 12. Winds gradually diminished as Dora moved inland on its unusual westward course, but very heavy rainfall spread over interior sections of northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. This rainfall continued in ma.ny areas during both the westward and eastward passages of the storm center. Storm totals in excess of 10 in. fell over an estimated lO,OOO-sq.-mi. area, and totals more than 6 in. were general from near Brunswick and Waycross, Ga. to near Tallahassee and Orhndo, Fla. The most intense rains fell in Lafayette and Suwannee Counties, Fla. on the 12th. Mayo recorded 23.73 in. (lOth-l3th), with 14.62in. during the 24-hr. period ending a t 1800 on the 12th; Live Oak had 18.62 in. during the 4-day storm period. (See table 6.) Wind damage was extensive in coastal areas north of Daytona Beach wit,h the greatest destruction from St. Augustine to the Georgia border. High winds in Duval 2 Datum plane unknown. March 1965 Gordon E. D u n n a n d Staff 183 County, including Jacksonville metropolitan area, caused massive utility failures. Structural damage to buildings was limited to the coastd meas and to older frame buildings a short distance inland. Numerous trees were uprooted throughout the coastal counties, adding to damage as they fell on buildings or across utility lines. Extensive wind-induced river flooding occurred in Jackson- ville along the banks of the St. Johns River. I n addition to flooding along lakes and streams, many poorly-drained areas were completely inundated in northern Florida. Damage to roads and bridges was extensive and severd communities were isolated for several days by high waters. Considerable agricultural damage was sustained by flooding of unharvested corn, cotton, and peanuts in both Florida and Georgia. Damage was severe in many low- lying fields. Final storm darnage estimates me $200 mil- lion to $230 million for Florida; $9 million has been reported for Georgia. Only one direct storm fatality-a drowning at Live Oak, F1tt.-has been reported. Two Navy personnel died near Sanford, Fla., on September 9 when an aircraft being evacuated crashed on takeoff. Two men succumbed while securing boats-one near Brunswick, Ga., and another near Norfolk, Vn. Damage resulting from Dora in South Carolina was minor but rains in the eastern part of the State ranged from 3 to over 8 in. Several waterspouts were reported between 1300 and 1400 EST September 12 near Ga.rden City Beach. The only significant structural damage in North Caro- lina was caused by local stonns-a waterspout at Carolina Beach, south of Wilmington, a t 0725 EST September 10, and R tornado at Howell's Point, southwest of Wilmington, about 2100 EST September 12. Heavy rainfall and tides of 2 to 3 ft. above normal were reported along the coasta.1 sections. DO~R'S effects in Virginia were confined to heavy rainfall over the southeastern section, tides up to about 3.5 ft. above normal, and downed tree limbs and awnings. In i\/laryland, Delaware, and New Jersey tides reached only 1.5 to locally 4 ft. above normal and rainfall totaled 1.00 to 2.50 in. No reports of injury or damage have been received. Only the fringes of Dora were experienced in southeastern Nhsachusetts. The principal effect was timely, badly-needed rainfall. Amounts were near 1.00 in. on Cape Cod and 2.50 in. at Nantucket. No signifi- cant darnage was reported. Hturricane Ethel, September 4-16.-The first evidence of the incipient stage of Ethel was a cloud mass observed by TTROS near 18' N., 37' W. on September 4. A reconnaissance aircraft dispatched to the suspicious area on the 5th found evidence of storm development but was unable to completely reconnoiter the area because of the extreme range from the operating base. A poorly-defined eye was located near 20° N., 45' W., with a central pressure of 1005 mb. A4mimum observed winds were 25 1n.p.h. south of the center but sea return and other radar echoes indicated much higher winds to the north. Ethel moved on course toward the west-northwest with little development during the next two days. Sparse data in the area indicate that the storm was passing be- neath a cold upper-tropospheric trough during this period, a situation unfavorable for intensification. During this period hurricane Dora was located ap- proximately 575 mi. to the west and Ethel was moving ftlster than Dora; therefore forecasters considered i t possible that Ethel might be absorbed in the circulation of the much larger snd more intense Dortx, and lose its identity. However, on September 7, a period of intensi- fication began, establishing Ethel as a hurricane and eliminating the probability of absorption by Dora. The deepening persistecl through the 10th when a central pressure of 977 mb. and maximum observed winds of 100 m.p.h. were reported by reconnaissance aircraft. The hurricane moved very slowly westward on the loth, then turned northward, and began to accelentte, with the center passing 100 mi. west of Bermucla on the afternoon of September 12. Gusts of about 70 m.p.h. mere reported in the islands during the afternoon and evening and gales continued during the night. Ethel moved rapidly northeastward after passing Bermuda and maintained hurricane force during the conversion to an extratropical cyclone near 45' N., 40' W., on September 15. Tropical Storm Florence, September 6-IO.-Weather conditions reported in the Cape Verdes a n c l by nearby ships indicated that a strong perturbation on t h e I T C was moving westward oft' French West Africa on the 4th and 5th of September. On the morning of the 6th there was a low pressure area, estimated a t 1002 mb. (29.59 in.), just north of the Cape Verdes. Although data were sparse, there was some evidence of cold air aloft over the surface Low. It appeared to be a very wet system but with highest winds probably no more than 25 m.p.11. at this time. The Low was moving northwestward at about 10 m.p.11. Some intensification occurred later dthough indica- tions are that highest winds were never greater than about 50 m.p.h. Florence headed in a northerly direc- tion toward the Azores but weakened on the night of September 9-10. An Air Force tanker found only an area of squalls south of the islands during the early morning hours of September 10. Hurricane Gladys, September l ~?4 .-A weak low pres- sure system that was first observed ofl the west coast of Africa on September 9 may have been the first indica- tion of the distnrba.nce that later developed into hnrri- cane Gladys. On the morning of September 13, a report of 63 n1.p.h. winds and heavy rain was received from the SS Gerwi, confirming the existence of a tropical storm near 15.5O N., 46' W. A reconnaissance aircraft reached the area during the afternoon but was unable to measure maxi- 1 84 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW Vol. 93, No. 3 mum winds because o f darkness. Early on September 14 reconnttissmce aircraft found Gladys had intensified to hurricane force and was moving on a west-north- westward course a t a b o u t 18 m.p.h. Gladys continued to intensify and follow the same course, reaching maxi- mum intensity of 945 mb., with 140 m.p.11. winds, on September 17. On September 19 Gladys turned northward in response to a weak t,rough in the westerlies. A slow northward drift continued for dmost 48 hr., until rising pressures to the north turned the hurricane's track back to tbe northwest. This course continued until the 23dwhen Gladys reached its closest point to the United States, some 140 mi. east of Cape Hatteras. Slow filling per- sisted through this period and the highest winds decreased to 85 m.p.h. As a low pressure system deepened in the Gretit Lakes area Gladys turned northeastward during September 23. The storm moved rapidly on this course gradually assum- ing extratropical characteristics. During the afternoon of September 24, remnants of the storm passed through Newfoundland with no unusually strong winds. Damage from Gladys was mainly confined to the outer ba.nks of North Carolina where high tides and wave action produced considerable erosion. Hurricane Hilda, September 28-October 5."Hilda de- veloped in an easterly wave which was moving slowly westward through the western Caribbean Sea. On the morning of September 28, a weak cyclonic circulation formed just off the southern coast of central Cuba. The circulation became orgmized ancl grndually intensified as i t moved slowly westward. It reached storm intensity as it crossed the western tip of Cuba near Cape Sun An ton io. Hilda moved west-nortllwestw~~.rd a t a11 average speed of 9 m.p.11. for 48 hr., and intensified steadily while in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The storm reachecl hurricane force early on September 30 and reached maximum intensity about 350 mi. south of New Orletlns on October 1. The minimum computed sea. level pressure from reconnaissance aircraft tit that time was 941 rnb. (27.79 in.), nnd winds were estimated at 150 1n.p.h. A severe hurricwe by this time, Hilda turned gradually llorthward on October 1. I t moved northward a t an average speed of 6 111.p.h. for the nest two days ancl crossed the central Louisiana. const about dark on October 3. Some decrease in intensity had occurred on October 2 but Hilda was still a severe hurri- cane when it reached the coast. As pre-hurricane squall lines moved into southeastern Louisiana during the morning of the 3d, several tornadoes occurred. .In one a t Lnrose, La., 22 persons were killed and 200 injured. Three tornadoes in the New Orleans metropolitan area caused much damage but no deaths. After the eye moved inland the storm gradually weak- ened and moved rlorth-northeastwwd toward Baton Rouge. When the center appromhed the Baton Rouge mea, the storm was forced eastward as cold air and associ- ated strong pressure rises moved into the circulation from the northwest. Soon after the emtward turn, the winds decreased to less than hurricane force. Hildn continued to weaken as cold air moved rapidly illto its circulation, and the storm became extratropical over extreme southern Mississippi. The Low continued eastward and moved into the Atlnntic Ocean near Jacksonville, Fla. The rapid TABLE 7,"Hz~rrican.e Hilda, ?neteorological data, Sept. 2Z-Oct. 5, 1964 Station Datc LOUISIAX'A Baton Rouge ........................ Bogalosa ............................. Buras ................................ Clinton .............................. Franklin ............................. Jeanercttc ........................... Jcnnings ............................. Lafayctte FAA ...................... Melville.. ........................... X e w Orleans \ITBAS ................. X e w Orleans \VHO .................. Oaknolia ............................. Plaquemine .......................... Reserve .............................. Thibodaux ........................... TEXAS Port Arthur C. of E .. ............... Port Arthur \\'BAS.. ............... Sabine, C.G ......................... AT,ABAMA Ihlohile.. ............................ FLORIDA .4palac!1icola \\'Bo .................. Pensacola \\'BAS..-.- ............... Tallahassce \\'BAS- ................. OCt. 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 28. 97 29.25 29. 60 29.18 28.40 29.34 29.10 28.98 29.29 29.34 28.96 29.12 29.18 ......... ......... 29.57 29.64 29.54 29.41 29.54 29.50 29.56 __ (CSV Time __ O"0 1030 Oi45 0425 1810 2135 1958 0330 1530 0400 0215 0330 ........ ........ ........ 1500 1525 1500 I630 0345 2050 0500 ~ Faste: mile' NE 48 X\V GO* S i 5 62+ NNE 13 N E 67 N 75+' N G9 xl? 95* S 40 \V 5? x 60' i540* NE 100 E 58 x ?9 N 37 N 35 S 30 NE 36 x \I' 44 SS\V 27 __ it " 5* (CS'I') 'I'ime \\'inti (miles per hour) Tide above MSL (It.) I Gusts I Time (CST) 2358 (3) 1330 1040 I800 2130 1900 1858 01% I600 0900 1400 0300 0200 2200 . -. - - - -. . -. 1400 1203 0809 0720 8 2146 0858 0 (4) 69 0624 .......... 80 1040 .......... ............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. 92 183s .......... ............................. :; I p:, 1 .......... .......... so* 0900 .......... ......... ... i o ............................. ................... 1 1 2 .2 N E 50 ;;I* .......... 54 3. 1 ......... 1 ..........1.......... Time rainfall Storm (i n .) ......... 8.88 ......... 2.11 3. G i ......... 10.65 ......... .................. "" ~~.~. 1 7 .7 1 ......... 2.78 ......... 8.04 ......... 7.82 ......... 3.26 ......... 3.58 ......... 8.98 ......... 4.42 ......... 7.50 .................. 0600 ......... ......... T 0900 .". ." - - 1500 I . 65 ......... 7.90 !20o".-l 3.87 5.03 Anemometer blo\vu down. Tides ahove normal. *Estimated. **Or one minutc Eastern Standard Time. March 1965 Gordon E. D advance of cold air into the storm was mmifested by abrupt wind shifts to the north and increased speeds. This shnrp increase in northerly winds across Lake Pontchartrain caused large waves to break and spill over the seitwall dong the New Orleans lake front. Flooding occurred between the seawttll and the back levee. The high waves on the lake caused considernble damrtge to fishing camps and some business establishments which were built out over the water and on the lake shore. TO the eitst of New Orleans, the strongest winds in most areas occurred after the cold front httd passed rather thittl in the southerly flow ahead of the .Idow. Data :we scarce from the hwd-hit areas of south-central Louisiana. The highest wind reported was an estinlnted 135 m.p.11. at Franklin, Ln. The lowest pressure a t Franltlin was 962 mb. (28.40 in.) as the eye of the storm passed over. About 100 mi. south of Morgan City, winds of 120 n1.p.h. were recorded on the “Oil Driller’’ a t 2300 CST October 2. This was the peak that the instrument could record. During the night “substantially higher winds” were apparent. The eye of the hurricane passed during the morning of October 3, when the winds dropped to 30 m.p.h., but after the eye moved toward shore the winds again exceeded 120 n1.p.h. Huge waves, 50 ft. or higher, litstled the rig for hours. The highest tide reported WBS an unofficial estimate of 10 ft.3 near Point-au-Fer. Tides were 2 to G ft. above m.s.1. from the mouth of the Mississippi River eastwitrd to Apalachicola, Fla., and 2 to 5 ft. rbbove m.s.1. on the extreme western Louisittns and upper Texits coasts. Rainfall was excessive over most of southeastern Louisittna and southern Mississippi. Amounts in excess of 10 in. occurred over much of that area and considerable flooding resulted. The greatest rainfall accumulation in Louisima was 17.71 in. nt Jeanerette Experiment Farm, with 16.01 in. in the 25% hr. ending at 0900 CST October 4. :In Mississippi the largest storm total reported was 12.57 in. iLt hilcCornb FAA. On the 4th, 10.98 in. fell there, an dl-time AiIississippi October 24-hr. rainfall. (See table 7.) In IAuisiana 37 lives were lost, primarily in tornadoes. Excluding the tornadoes, the hurricane death toll was less t h n 10 persons. Most of the non-tornado deaths occurred a t E r a t h , La., when I I large water tower fell on the City Hall where Civil Defense activities were being directed. Almost conlplete evttcuation of the entire Louisimn coastal area accounts for this low de:tth toll. Civil Defense records indicrLte that lnore th;m 150,000 persons evncuated the low-lying coastal areas and moved to higher ground. Damages to property, crops, and industries were ex- tremely heavy. A preliminary estimate of damage is about $100 million, with the greater part of the monetary loss borne by the oil companies and sugar cane producers. Hilda httd little direct effect on North Carolina. How- ever, the extremely heavy r i n s and severe local storms which occurred in A 24- to 36-hr. period centered nround lunn and Staff 185 October 4 nttty be attributed, at least in part, to Hilcln, which moved into the mainstreant of upper-level winds which had been flowing from the Gulf of Mexico up over the Atlantic Seaboard States for several days. The situation was brought to a climax when a cold front approaching the Appalachians from the northwest was drawn into the circulation of the dying tropical cyclone. Rains of 5 to 15 in. fell in the southern 111oul~t:iil~s of North Carolina in 24 to 30 hr., very nearly duplichng rains that had fallen there 5 days before. Flooding on rivers and streams of the area was nmong the most severe in history and damage wits heavy. Rainfall wrts dso heavy in eastern North CttrolintL, where an estimated 4,000 persons had to leave their homes because of floodwaters. There was one death in the State from the storm. Tornado activity occurred in two msas in eastern North Carolina between 1600 and 2000 EST October 4. One path ran from near Williamston, Martin County, Itbout 1600 EST, to Cherry, and ended new Sandy Point, rl’yrrell County. The second began near Fair Bluff, Columbus County at 1815 EST, continued to near Clsrkton, rmd ended near Penderlea, Pender County. The trncks were not continuqus, damage indicating it skipping torniLdo or tornadoes. Hurricane Isbell, Octobels &16.-Evidence of n new tropical disturbance appeared over the western Cuibbean just south of an old diffuse frontal trough on October 7. However, it remained quite wetilt itnd poorly o1.g;tnized for several days and the first bulletin wits not issued until October 10. I t was named tropical storm Jsbell a t 2300 EST October 12. From its inception on the 7tt1, the disturbance was underneath a basically divergent pattern a t 200 lnb., 2% situation which continued until after i t crossed Florida. During the storm’s early stages over the Caribbeitn, the upper ttnticyclone was alnlost directly above the surfilce disturbance; but, when it beci~rne a hurricane, and d t e r - wards, i t moved underneath tt southwesterly 200-1nb. flow pattern with the upper anticyclone continuing to the south. However, i t was still under an area of ma,rl