1960 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1960 Atlantic hurricane season marked the beginning of the satellite era in hurricane tracking with the launch of TIROS-1, the first satellite with the sole purpose of detecting cloud formations, but was the least active season since 1952. The season officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The first system, an unnamed storm, developed in the Bay of Campeche on June 22. It brought severe local flooding to southeastern Texas and was considered the worst disaster in some towns since a Hurricane in 1945. The unnamed storm moved across the United States for almost a week before dissipating on June 29. In July, Hurricane Abby resulted in minor damage in the Leeward Islands, before impacting a few Central American counties — the remnants of the storm would go on to form Hurricane Celeste in the East Pacific. Later that month, Tropical Storm Brenda caused flooding across much of the East Coast of the United States. The next storm, Hurricane Cleo, caused no known impact, despite its close proximity to land.

The most significant storm of the season was Hurricane Donna, which at the time was among the ten costliest United States hurricanes. After the precursor caused a deadly plane crash in Senegal, the storm itself brought severe flooding and wind impacts to the Lesser Antilles and Florida, where Donna made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. It moved northeast and struck North Carolina and Long Island, New York, while still at hurricane intensity. Donna caused at least 428 fatalities and $980 million (1960 USD) in damage. Hurricane Ethel reached Category 3 intensity, but rapidly weakened before making landfall in Mississippi, resulting in only 1 fatality and $1.5 million in losses. The final storm, Florence, developed on September 17. It remained weakened and moved erratically over Cuba and Florida. Only minor flooding was reported. Collectively, the tropical cyclones in 1960 caused at least 454 deaths and about $990.74 million in damage.

Season summary

thumb|Radar imagery of [[Hurricane Donna approaching landfall on Florida's mainland on September 10|235x235px]]

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1960.

left|thumb|[[Surface weather analysis|Weather map showing Hurricane Donna (right) and an unnamed tropical storm (left) on September 2]]

Season activity began on June 23, with the development of an unnamed tropical storm. Tropical cyclogenesis resumed in July with Hurricane Abby between July 10 and July 16, followed by Tropical Storm Brenda from July 28 to July 31. In mid-August, Hurricane Cleo developed and had an uneventful duration. At the end of that month, Hurricane Donna formed and lasted into mid-September; it was the strongest tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane. There was a Category 3 hurricane in September, Ethel, which briefly existed in the Gulf of Mexico. The last storm of the season, Tropical Storm Florence, dissipated on September 25, over a month before the official end of the season on November 15.

The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 73 units, the lowest value since 1956. 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 systems at or exceeding or tropical storm strength.

Systems

June tropical storm

Observations from a reconnaissance flight on June 22 indicated that a large area of showers and thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico was producing winds up to . Because no circulation was reported, it was operationally classified as a tropical low, though radar stations along the Gulf Coast of Mexico indicated a circulation. Thus, the system became a tropical depression at 0600 UTC on June 22, while located in the Bay of Campeche. The depression strengthened and was estimated to have become a tropical storm on June 23. By early on the following day, the storm peaked with winds of . Later that day, it made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas at the same intensity. The storm weakened slowly and moved across the Central United States, before dissipating over Illinois on June 28. Thus considerable flooding occurred in some areas of south and eastern Texas. Throughout the state, more than 150 houses sustained flood damage in several counties. In addition, numerous major highways were closed, including portions of U.S. Routes 59, 87, 90, and 185, and Texas State Highways 35 and 71. In Arkansas, a few buildings in Hot Springs were damaged from high winds. Elsewhere, light to moderate rainfall was recorded in at least 11 other states, though damage was minimal. Offshore islands of Honduras reported winds up to and light rainfall. Damage in British Honduras was light, with about $40,500 in losses, mostly to agriculture.

Tropical Storm Brenda

A weak low-pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico developed on July 26, organizing into Tropical Storm Brenda a day later. The minimal tropical storm moved ashore near Cross City, Florida on July 29, and moved northeastward along the east coast of the United States, gradually intensifying despite being largely over land. Later that day, the storm briefly moved offshore before striking southern North Carolina with peak winds of . After moving through the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, Brenda transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on July 31 over Maine. The remnants of Brenda interacted with another extratropical storm over eastern Canada before absorbing it. For about a week, the remnants of Brenda drifted and executed a large loop over northern Quebec, Labrador, and adjacent waters, eventually dissipating on August 7. It brought wind gusts up to and rainfall amounts reaching at the Tampa International Airport. While no casualties are directly blamed on the storm, at least one traffic-related death took place. At 1800 UTC on August 17, Tropical Storm Cleo developed near Cat Island in The Bahamas. The storm headed northeastward and immediately began to intensify. Operationally, the United States Weather Bureau at the hurricane warning center in Miami did not initiate advisories on Cleo until 1500 UTC on August 18. Sustained winds were already at the time, as recorded by a reconnaissance aircraft flight. By 1800 UTC on August 18, Cleo strengthened into a hurricane.

Throughout its duration, Cleo remained a relatively small tropical cyclone. Because the storm posed a significant threat to New England, a "hurricane watch" was issued for southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island on August 19. Various gale warnings were also put into effect from Block Island, Rhode Island, to Portland, Maine. However, this was unnecessary because Cleo remained well offshore. developed into a tropical depression south of Cape Verde late on August 29. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Donna by the following day. Donna moved west-northwestward at roughly and by August 31, it reached hurricane status. Significant deepening occurred during the next 30 hours, with Donna being a moderate Category 4 hurricane by late on September 2. Thereafter, it weakened some and brushed the Lesser Antilles later that day. On Saint Maarten, the storm left a quarter of the island homeless and killed 7 people. An additional 5 deaths were reported in Anguilla and there were 7 other deaths throughout the Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, severe flash flooding led to 107 fatalities, 85 of them in Humacao alone. Crop losses were also extensive. A total of 50% of grapefruit crop was lost, 10% of the orange and tangerine crop was lost, and the avocado crop was almost completely destroyed. In the state of Florida alone, there were 13 deaths and $300 million in losses. Later on September 12, Donna reemerged into the Atlantic Ocean and continued to move northeastward. The storm struck Long Island, New York late on September 12 and rapidly weakened inland. On the following day, Donna became extratropical over Maine.

September tropical storm

For several days, a weak low pressure area moved across the tropical Atlantic, which organized into a tropical storm on September 1 to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. That day, peak winds were estimated at , based on reports from ships and the Hurricane Hunters. The storm moved northward and weakened. On September 3, the system was absorbed by an approaching cold front. The storm was added to the Atlantic hurricane database in 2016.

Hurricane Ethel

A trough was located over the Gulf of Mexico on September 8, which interacted with a weakening cold front to produce a low pressure area, and eventually a tropical depression on September 12. On the next day, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Ethel, which began a period of rapid intensification a day later. By late on September 14, Ethel reached peak winds of 115 mph (185 km), presenting a well-defined eye. Operationally, the Hurricane Hunters estimated winds of , making Ethel a Category 5 hurricane, although a reanalysis in 2016 downgraded Ethel to a Category 3. Cooler air caused a period of rapid weakening, and Ethel moved ashore near Pascagoula, Mississippi with sustained winds of . The storm gradually weakened after moving inland, before eventually dissipating over southern Kentucky on September 17. Offshore Mississippi, rough seas inundated Horn Island and split Ship Island. Tropical storm force winds in the southern portion of the state littered broken glass, trees, and signs across streets in Pascagoula, as well as down power lines, which caused some residents to lose power. In Alabama, winds damaged beach cottages along the Gulf Coast, and damaged crops in the southern portion of the state. The storm spawned four tornadoes in Florida, Outside the Gulf Coast of the United States, rain fell in eight others states, but no damage is known to have occurred. Overall, Ethel caused one fatality and $1.5 million in losses.

Tropical Storm Florence

A westward moving tropical wave developed into a tropical depression while located north of Puerto Rico on September 17. By the following day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Florence. Later on September 18, Florence peaked as a tropical storm as it approached The Bahamas. However, unfavorable conditions weakened the storm back to a tropical depression on September 19. On September 21, Florence lost its surface circulation, and the disturbance executed a small cyclonic loop over Cuba. On September 23, the system redeveloped its surface center, and it became a tropical depression again, moving ashore Monroe County, Florida that day. The storm drifted northeastward across the state, re-intensifying into a tropical storm and reaching winds of . The storm turned back to the west-northwest and weakened again to a tropical depression. Florence moved across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, moving ashore again near the Alabama-Florida border on September 26, and dissipating soon after. The storm dropped rainfall across Florida, though the heavier amounts were mainly on the Atlantic coast. Precipitation peaked at near Fellsmere, while rainfall reached in some areas of the Miami metropolitan area. Although Florence was a depression at landfall, while a gust as high as was reported in Vero Beach. Storms were named Abby and Donna for the first (and in the case of Donna, only) time in 1960.

{| style="width:80%;"

Abby
Brenda
Cleo
Donna
Ethel
Florence

Retirement

Following the 1960 season, the U.S. Weather Bureau retired the name Donna from its rotating Atlantic naming lists due to the damage and deaths it caused, and it will not be used again in the basin. Donna was replaced with Dora for the 1964 season.

Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1960 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 1960 USD.