1955 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1955 Atlantic hurricane season was, at the time, the costliest season ever recorded, just ahead of the previous year. The hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1955, and ended on November 15, 1955. It was an extremely active season in terms of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), but only slightly above average in terms of storm formation, with 13 recorded tropical cyclones.

The first reported system of the year, January's Hurricane Alice, was later found to have formed on December 30, during the 1954 season. Alice caused relatively minor impact as it tracked through the Lesser Antilles and eastern Caribbean Sea. The first tropical cyclone to form in 1955, Tropical Storm Brenda, caused two deaths and minor damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States in early August. The quick succession of Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused significant flooding in the Northeastern United States, with nearly $1 billion (1955 USD, $11.05 billion in 2022 USD) in losses and at least 232 fatalities. The next three storms, Hurricanes Edith and Flora, along with Tropical Storm Five, caused very minor or no impact. In early September, Hurricane Gladys caused severe localized flooding in Mexico, primarily in Mexico City. Additionally, an offshoot of Gladys inflicted minor impact in Texas.

Hurricane Hilda struck the Greater Antilles and then Mexico. It was attributed to at least 304 deaths and $120 million in losses. In mid-September, Hurricane Ione struck eastern North Carolina and contributed the flooding from Connie and Diane, resulting in seven fatalities and $88 million in damage. Later that month, Hurricane Janet, which peaked as a Category 5 hurricane, lashed several countries adjacent to the Caribbean Sea, as well as Mexico and British Honduras. Janet resulted in $53.8 million in damage and at least 716 deaths. An unnamed tropical storm in the month of October did not impact land. Hurricane Katie, the final storm, caused minor damage in a sparsely populated area of Hispaniola, totaling to at least $200,000; 7 fatalities were also reported.

Collectively, the storms this year caused 1,601 deaths and $1.11 billion in losses, making it the costliest season at the time. Afterward, a thenrecord four storm names were retired.

thumb|Weather map of [[Hurricane Connie making landfall in North Carolina with Hurricane Diane to the southeast on August 12, 1955.]]

Season summary

On April 11, 1955, which was prior to the start of the season, Gordon Dunn was promoted to the chief meteorologist of the Miami Hurricane Warning Office. Dunn was replacing Grady Norton, who died from a stroke while forecasting Hurricane Hazel of the previous season. In early June, the Hurricane Hunters received new reconnaissance aircraft, which contained the latest radar and electronic equipment, at the time. Later that month, shortly before the start of the 1955 season, a bill was proposed in the United States Senate to provide funding for 55 new radar stations along the East Coast of the United States. After the United States House of Representatives passed a bill allotting $5 million, the Senate disputed about possibly increasing the funding two-fold to $10 million. Eventually, the radars were installed, starting in July 1955.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1955. It was an above average season in which 13 tropical cyclones formed. In a typical season, about nine tropical storms develop, of which five strengthen to hurricane strength. All thirteen depressions attained tropical storm status, and eleven of these attained hurricane status. Hurricane Alice was named in January 1955 but was operationally analysed to have developed in late December 1954. Within the official hurricane season bounds, tropical cyclogenesis did not occur until July 31, with the development of Tropical Storm Brenda. However, during the month of August, four tropical cyclones formed – including Connie, Diane, Edith, and an unnamed tropical storm. Five additional tropical cyclones – Flora, Gladys, Hilda, Ione, and Janet – all developed in September. Tropical cyclogenesis briefly halted until an unnamed tropical storm formed on October 10. which was well above the 1950-2000 average of 96.1. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical cyclones with winds exceeding , which is tropical storm strength.

Systems

Tropical Storm Brenda

The first tropical depression of the season formed in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico early on July 31. Six hours later, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Brenda. During the next 24 hours, the storm strengthened and attained its peak intensity of early on August 1 before making landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana, at a slightly weaker intensity of . The storm steadily weakened inland and at 0600 UTC on August 2, it was downgraded to a tropical depression. About 24 hours later, Brenda dissipated while located over northeastern Texas.

Between Pensacola, Florida, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, rainfall totals were generally about ; flooding, if any, was insignificant. Tropical storm force winds were reported, peaking at at Shell Beach, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Borgne. At the same location, tides between above normal were measured. Additionally, two fatalities occurred in the vicinity of Mobile, Alabama. In the United States Virgin Islands, three people died due to the hurricane, and a few homes were destroyed. In Puerto Rico, Connie destroyed 60 homes and caused crop damage. After affecting Puerto Rico, Connie turned to the northwest, reaching peak winds of . The hurricane weakened while slowing and turning to the north, and struck North Carolina on August 12 as a Category 2 hurricane. Connie made a second landfall in Virginia, In the Chesapeake Bay, Connie capsized a boat, killing 14 people and prompting a change in Coast Guard regulation. There were six deaths each in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and eleven deaths in New York, where record rainfall flooded homes and subways. At least 225,000 people lost power during the storm. Damage in the United States totaled around $86 million, although the rains from Connie was a prelude to flooding by Hurricane Diane.

Hurricane Diane

A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde on August 7. and 813 houses overall were destroyed. The floods severely damaged homes, highways, power lines, and railroads, and affected several summer camps. Overall utility damage was estimated at $79 million. Flooding in mountainous areas caused landslides and destroyed crop fields; agriculture losses was estimated at $7 million. Hundreds of miles of roads and bridges were also destroyed, accounting for $82 million in damage.

Hurricane Edith

An easterly tropical wave developed into a tropical depression on August 21 in the tropical Atlantic. Afterwards, Edith began to curve towards the northwest as it gradually intensified, attaining hurricane strength on August 26, but weakened back to a tropical storm early the next day. The storm re-intensified as it northeastward and accelerated, re-attaining hurricane status early on August 29. Edith became a Category 2 hurricane on August 30 and soon peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of . The hurricane began to gradually weaken after it passed east of the island, before becoming extratropical on August 31. The extratropical cyclone would later make a clockwise loop before dissipating completely early on September 5. Although Edith remained at sea, it was suspected that the hurricane may have caused the loss of the pleasure yacht Connemara IV, after it separated from its moorings.

August tropical storm

A weak disturbance was first observed near Grand Cayman on August 23. The storm produced squalls further inland, causing heavy rains. Very minor damage occurred as a result of this cyclone. In Texas, the highest sustained wind speed was in the Corpus Christi–Port O'Connor area, with gusts between offshore. Flooding in the area forced "scores" of people to evacuate their homes. Damage estimates reached $500,000. Overall, damage was slightly more than $88 million, mostly to crops and agriculture. Storm surge in North Carolina peaked at in Wrightsville Beach. As a result, several coastal roadways were flooded, including a portion of Highway 94 and Route 264. Seven deaths were reported in North Carolina.

Hurricane Hilda

A tropical wave spawned Tropical Storm Hilda north of Puerto Rico early on September 12. In the eastern Cuban city of Baracoa, Hilda severely damaged the oldest church in the country. Damage totaled $2 million in Cuba, and there were four deaths. Although Hilda quickly weakened to a tropical storm over the Yucatán Peninsula, the cyclone re-strengthened to again reach winds of early on September 19. Before the hurricane moved ashore, there was residual flooding in Tampico from earlier Hurricane Gladys. Hilda struck the city early on September 19 and then rapidly weakened inland, dissipating on September 20. The storm is estimated to have generated gusts up to and dropped heavy rainfall that flooded 90% of Tampico, while its strong winds damaged half of the homes, Throughout Mexico, 11,432 people were directly affected by Hilda. Overall, the storm killed 300 people and caused over $120 million in damages.

Hurricane Janet

Hurricane Janet was the most powerful tropical cyclone of the season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. The hurricane formed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21. Moving toward the west across the Caribbean Sea, Janet fluctuated in intensity, but generally strengthened before reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale with winds of . The intense hurricane made landfall at that intensity near Chetumal, Mexico on September 28. Janet's landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the Yucatán Peninsula marked the first recorded instance that a storm of such intensity in the Atlantic basin made on a continental mainland, with all previous storms making landfall as Category 5 hurricanes on islands. After weakening to a Category 2 over the Yucatán Peninsula, it moved into the Bay of Campeche and remained mostly unchanged in intensity before making its final landfall near Veracruz on September 29. Janet quickly weakened over Mexico's mountainous terrain before dissipating on September 30.

In its developmental stages near the Lesser Antilles, Janet caused significant damage to the island chain, resulting in 189 deaths and $7.8 million in damages in the Grenadines and Barbados. While Janet was in the central Caribbean Sea, a reconnaissance aircraft flew into the storm and was lost, with all eleven crew members believed perished. This was the only such loss which has occurred in association with an Atlantic hurricane. A Category 5 upon landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula, Janet caused severe devastation in areas on Quintana Roo and British Honduras. Only five buildings in Chetumal, Mexico remained intact after the storm. An estimated 500 deaths occurred in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. At Janet's second landfall near Veracruz, significant river flooding ensued, worsening effects caused by Hurricanes Gladys and Hilda earlier in the month. At least 1,023 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Janet, as well as $65.8 million in damages.

September tropical storm

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 18 and continued west-northwestward. It is possible that the system developed into a tropical depression the next day, although lack of data prevented such classification until September 23, when a nearby ship reported winds of . An approaching cold front turned the system to the north on September 24. The structure gradually became better organized, and after turning to the northeast on September 26, the depression intensified into a tropical storm. This was based on a ship report of winds, which was also estimated as the system's peak intensity. On September 27, the system became extratropical and accelerated its forward motion, dissipating within a larger extratropical storm south of Iceland on the next day.

October tropical storm

A tropical wave was reported to have passed through Cape Verde on October 4. The system slowly developed a vortex as it curved in a generally northward direction. By early on October 10, two ships reported that a tropical depression formed almost halfway between the Azores and the Leeward Islands. After six hours, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm. While re-curving to the northeast, the storm attained its maximum sustained winds of ; the lowest atmospheric pressure recorded in relation to the storm was , but the time of measurement is unknown. Although no significant weakening occurred, it eventually merged with an extratropical cyclone on October 14, while still well southwest of the Azores. During its extratropical stage, a ship in the area reported an atmospheric pressure as low as . Later that day, Hurricane Hunters observed a rapidly intensifying hurricane, encountering winds of and a pressure of several hours before the peak intensity. Early on October 17, Katie made landfall in extreme eastern Sud-Est, Haiti, as a strong Category 2 hurricane (although it may have been stronger). About half of homes in the town of Anse-à-Pitres were destroyed. Across the border in Pedernales, Dominican Republic, 68 houses were damaged. Overall losses were at least $200,000 and 7 fatalities were reported.

Storm names

The following list of names were used for tropical cyclones that reached at least tropical storm intensity in the North Atlantic in 1955. This was a completely new set of names, thus every name used this season was used for the first (and only, in cases of Connie, Diane, Ione and Janet) time.

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Alice (see below)
Brenda
Connie
Diane
Edith
Flora
Gladys

Hilda
Ione
Janet
Katie

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Additionally, Alicewhich formed in December 1954persisted into 1955, lowering the actual number of tropical storms in the 1955 season from 14 to 13.

Retirement

After the season, the names Connie, Diane, Ione, and Janet were retired from future use within the North Atlantic basin because of their severity. As of , the 1955 season is one of four seasons to have four storm names retired, along with: 1995, 2004, and 2017; only the 2005 season has had morewith five names retired.

Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their name, duration, peak classification and intensities, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1955 USD.

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Notes

References

External links

Monthly Weather Review