Hurricane Carla was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Striking the middle Texas coast in September 1961, Carla was the second most intense hurricane on record in Texas, only behind the 1886 Indianola hurricane. The third named storm of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, Carla developed from an area of squally weather in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on September 3. As a tropical depression, it strengthened while heading northwest. The system was upgraded to a tropical storm on September 5 and reached hurricane intensity on September 6. On September 7, Carla entered the Gulf of Mexico, passing northeast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Early on September 10, Carla became a Category 4 hurricane and peaked in intensity a day later with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of . The hurricane made landfall in the afternoon of September 11 near Port O'Connor, Texas with the same wind speed and a slightly higher pressure. Traveling inland, Carla weakened to a tropical storm on September 12 and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 13 while centered over southern Oklahoma. Carla's remnants reached the Labrador Sea, Canada and dissipated on September 18, 1961.
While crossing the Yucatán Channel, the outer bands of Carla brought high winds and local flooding in western Cuba and the Yucatán Peninsula. In Texas, sustained winds as high as and a storm surge of were observed in Port Lavaca. Carla also spawned several tornadoes in the state, including an F4 tornado near Galveston which killed eight people.
Throughout Texas, Carla damaged or destroyed over 60,000 buildings and killed 34 people. Several tornadoes also touched down in Louisiana, killing six people and causing additional damage. Heavy rainfall from Carla impacted other states, especially Kansas and Missouri, where flash flooding severely damaged crops and killed six people. Overall, Carla resulted in over $470 million in losses and 46 fatalities. The name Carla was retired following the season.
Meteorological history
As early as September 1, a tropical disturbance – an area of convective activity – was observed tracking westward across the Caribbean Sea within the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Around that time, an anticyclone was situated over the western Caribbean Sea at the upper-tropospheric levels. Surface analysis indicated that a low-level circulation was developing early on September 3. Thus, it is estimated that a tropical depression – a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of less than – developed about northwest of Barranquilla, Colombia at 1200 UTC. At San Andrés, winds shifted west at about , while the barometric pressure dropped to . The Weather Bureau Office in Miami, Florida issued its first bulletin at 1600 UTC on September 4, while the depression was centered about east-southeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua. Aircraft reconnaissance that day found that the storm had deepened substantially, with the barometric pressure falling to , and Carla is estimated to have reached hurricane intensity earlier in the day.
thumb|right|Radar image of Carla from WSR-57 in Galveston, Texas
Carla continued to strengthen, and by midday on September 8 the storm had strengthened into a Category 3 major hurricane. Carla was a large hurricane, with a radius of maximum winds wide. The storm strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on the morning of September 10, while approaching the Gulf Coast of the United States, and reached its peak intensity early on the 11th, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of . Operationally, Carla was considered to have had peak winds of , making it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the highest classification. However, a reanalysis of the storm published in 2018 concluded that Carla never reached Category 5 intensity.
Late on September 11, Carla made landfall on the northeastern tip of Matagorda Island, Texas with winds of and a minimum pressure of . The winds were estimated using the pressure-wind relationship for a storm of its size and latitude as well as two reports of sustained winds near along the coast. Carla rapidly weakened inland, and fell below hurricane strength by noon on September 12. After reaching Oklahoma on September 13, Carla transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while located over east-central Oklahoma. The extratropical remnants of Carla moved rapidly northeastward and brought heavy rainfall to some areas of the Great Plains and Midwestern United States. By September 14, the remnants moved over Lake Huron as an extratropical depression. On September 16, Carla's remnants briefly regained gale-force winds before dissipating shortly after midnight on September 18. On September 8, a hurricane watch was issued along the southwest coast of the state from Vermilion Bay westward. It was later extended westward to include the entire coast of Texas, and eastward to Apalachicola, Florida. A portion of the hurricane watch from Aransas Pass, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana was upgraded to a hurricane warning at 1600 UTC on September 9.
An estimated 500,000 people fled the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, making it the largest evacuation in the history of the United States at the time. In Louisiana, the number of evacuees was estimated to be at least 50,000 by state civil defense officials, and as high as 80,000 by the Red Cross. Coastal parishes in the state, "galvanized... by the memory of [hurricane] Audrey," began ordering evacuations as early as Friday, September 8. Evacuation orders were given out over radio, television, loudspeaker, and by police going door-to-door to warn residents. Officials estimated that communities in Cameron Parish had evacuation rates between 99 and 100%, and the parish government relocated to Lake Charles. In small towns along the coast of Texas, 90–100% of their populations evacuated, while 20% of people left the larger cities. Many in Galveston stayed due to protection from the Galveston Seawall. Public shelters in both states were administered by the American Red Cross, which opened shelters as far inland as Dallas and Fort Worth. Most official shelters were schools, though other public buildings such as churches and theaters were also used. Many people also sought refuge in "unauthorized shelters." In Galveston, about 1200 people sought shelter at the courthouse, and some were injured when the building was struck by a tornado. Many shelters, mainly schools, were racially segregated.
Impact
Throughout its path, 46 fatalities and about $470 million in damage were attributed to Carla. Most of the impact occurred in Texas, where the storm made landfall as a large and strong Category 4 hurricane. Making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Carla produced powerful winds along its path. The strongest sustained wind observations during the storm were two reports of winds at Matagorda and Port Lavaca. Gusts in Matagorda reached . The anemometer in Port Lavaca blew away after a gust to and wind gusts afterwards were visually estimated to have reached over . An Alcoa plant in Point Comfort reported a wind gust over before the instrument failed, and an industrial plant in Victoria recorded a maximum gust of . Further inland, the Weather Bureau offices in Houston, Austin, and Dallas reported maximum gusts of , , and , respectively. Carla also produced heavy rainfall in Texas, peaking at in Bay City, while Galveston, Wharton, Liberty, and Dickinson all reported rainfall totals over .thumb|left|Tidal flooding caused by Hurricane Carla
Throughout Texas, Carla destroyed 1,915 homes and 983 other buildings, and caused damage to another 50,723 homes and 16,107 other buildings. About 166,000 customers lost telephone service. Flooding caused $2 million in damage at two Dow Chemical plants near Freeport. High water and wave action washed away highway 87 between Sabine and High Island. Most of the Bolivar peninsula flooded, as well as areas of Galveston below in elevation. Galveston was also struck by multiple tornadoes, including an F4 that damaged over 200 buildings, destroying at least 60, and killed 8 people. Despite being partially protected by levees, most of Texas City was inundated. The storm was costliest in Galveston county, where damage was estimated to be nearly $84.5 million. Further down the coast, storm surge flooded most of Port Aransas as well as the North Beach area of Corpus Christi. Flooding in the Brownsville area was mainly limited to beach fronts. In Edna, winds blew away the roof of a school sheltering 200 people. Further inland, the storm caused $5000 in damage to the grounds of the Texas State Capitol. Four buildings were unroofed in San Marcos. The storm brought strong winds and high waves to Lewisville Lake, damaging a barge and causing a boathouse to collapse. A church in Denton suffered severe roof and wall damage. Several tornadoes also touched down as the storm moved inland, including significant tornadoes in Fulbright, Jacksonville, and Hardin. The highest reported wind in the state was a gust to in Cameron. In Lake Charles, sustained winds peaked at and gusts reached . The winds caused minor damage, limited to roofs, glass, and downed tree limbs. Winds caused a local river to reach above flood stage. Rainfall was heavy, peaking at in Many.
Central US
Oklahoma
thumb|right|250px|Rainfall from Carla in the United States
Carla's remnants brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to portions of eastern Oklahoma. About of rain fell in Grant, Tillman, Washita Counties. Heavier amounts of at least fell in Atoka and Pushmataha counties. Precipitation in the state peaked at in Kingfisher. More than 140 city blocks were flooded with up to in residential areas of Kingfisher and up to in business areas. 225 homes and buildings in the city suffered water damage. Throughout the state, damage in other areas included 90 homes and buildings in Tulsa, 50 homes each in El Reno and Oklahoma City, and 10 homes in Pawnee. Additionally, water inundation washed out several bridges and highways in northeastern parts of the state, leaving roads impassable. Sustained winds between and gusts up to were recorded in Oklahoma, and flying debris injured two people. Winds and rain combined severely disrupted electrical and telephone services and caused $670,000 in damage, with $600,000 to property and $70,000 to crops. The Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District estimated flood damage in Kansas and Missouri to be $36 million, with $8 million of damage in Kansas and $28 million in Missouri. Water covered an estimated 850,000 acres in the two states.
Illinois
The storm dropped precipitation amounts of over throughout northwestern Illinois, with a peak of in Mount Carroll.
Carla set records for rainfall associated with a tropical cyclone in Iowa and Wisconsin<!-- Beryl broke Carla's record in Michigan, but I do not have a source stating that at this moment so I am leaving out the record entirely for now. -->. Rainfall in Iowa peaked at near Chariton, while rainfall in Wisconsin reached in Brodhead, making Carla the wettest tropical cyclone in both states. in Nebraska, and in Indiana.
Tornado Outbreak
Carla and its remnants caused a significant tornado outbreak, spawning at least 21 tornadoes in Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Michigan. The outbreak featured 14 significant tornadoes, including an F4, one of only two violent tornadoes to be spawned by a tropical cyclone.
September 10 event
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, September 10, 1961
|-
! align="center" scope="col" width="2%" |F#
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |Location
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |County / Parish
! align="center" scope="col" |State
! align="center" scope="col" |Start Coord.
! align="center" scope="col" |Time (UTC)
! align="center" scope="col" |Path length
! align="center" scope="col" |Max width
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F1
|Alabama Port
|Mobile
|AL
|
|20:55–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |A waterspout moved northwestward over Mobile Bay before moving ashore, damaging two homes and a store. Losses totaled $2,500.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|Kaplan to Cossinade
|Vermilion
|LA
|
|22:50–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |1 death – This intense tornado touched down just outside of Kaplan and caused heavy damage as it moved over 21 blocks of the town. A total of 21 homes were destroyed while 55 others were damaged. It moved almost due north after that, passing near the town of Cossinade before dissipating. In all, 73 homes were destroyed or extensively damaged, while 175 others received minimal damage. A total of 55 people were injured and damage was estimated at $2.5 million.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F1
|NE of Intracoastal City
|Vermilion
|LA
|
|00:09–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Tornado moved through sparsely populated areas, causing $25,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F1
|S of Gueydan<!-- Coordinates are way off. -->
|Vermilion<!--Coordinates are way off.-->
|LA
|<!--Coordinates are way off.-->
|00:12–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Tornado moved through sparsely populated areas, causing $25,000 in damage.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F2
|Downtown Morgan City
|St. Mary
|LA
|
|04:20–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Approximately 55 homes were unroofed or otherwise damaged. Losses totaled $25,000 and 16 people were injured.
|}
September 11 event
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, September 11, 1961
|-
! align="center" scope="col" width="2%" |F#
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |Location
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |County / Parish
! align="center" scope="col" |State
! align="center" scope="col" |Start Coord.
! align="center" scope="col" |Time (UTC)
! align="center" scope="col" |Path length
! align="center" scope="col" |Max width
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F1
|SE of Oldfield
|Livingston<!--East Baton Rouge Parish appears to be listed by mistake.-->
|LA
|
|17:10–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Tornado caused heavy tree damage with losses totaling $250,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F2
|Alton to N of Colt
|St. Tammany
|LA
|
|17:30–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Strong tornado destroyed small homes as it moved west along the north side of Slidell. Two people were injured and damage was estimated at $25,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F0
|Springfield
|Tangipahoa, Livingston
|LA
|
|19:00–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Tornado moved west, passing south of Rosaryville and Pumpkin Center before crossing the Natalbany River and moving through Springfield. There was $25,000 in damage.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|Southern Jacksonville
|Cherokee<!-- Jackson County is listed, but is incorrect. -->
|TX
|
|19:20–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Four homes were damaged, including one that was destroyed. Three people were injured and losses totaled $25,000. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|Galveston (2nd tornado)
|Galveston
|TX
|
|12:00–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Strong tornado caused extensive damage to several commercial buildings and other structures and destroyed six homes, although no monetary damage value was given. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|Hardin
|Liberty
|TX
|
|16:30–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Six homes were damaged, although no damage value was given.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|Jonesboro to Hodge
|Jackson
|LA
|
|19:00–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |5 deaths – This devastating tornado, which was the largest of the outbreak, impacted Jonesboro before reaching its peak intensity when it moved through Hodge. Approximately 75 homes were severely damaged with 20 of them being destroyed, while 115 others received minimal damage before the tornado quickly dissipated. A total of 37 people were injured and damage was estimated at $250,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F2
|S of Taylortown, LA to Blanchard Springs, AR
|Union (LA), Union (AR)
|LA, AR
|
|21:00–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Tornado caused some damage in Rum Center, Louisiana before moving into Arkansas east of Junction City, Louisiana and Junction City, Arkansas, where several homes, barns, and other structures were destroyed or otherwise damaged. Losses were estimated at $50,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F3
|NW of Fulbright
|Red River
|TX
|
|21:45–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Several structures were impacted by this intense tornado, although no damage estimate was given. The tornado destroyed five homes. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2.
|}
September 13 event
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, September 13, 1961
|-
! align="center" scope="col" width="2%" |F#
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |Location
! align="center" scope="col" class="unsortable" |County / Parish
! align="center" scope="col" |State
! align="center" scope="col" |Start Coord.
! align="center" scope="col" |Time (UTC)
! align="center" scope="col" |Path length
! align="center" scope="col" |Max width
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F1
|E of Roy
|Bienville
|LA
|
|14:30–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Weak tornado occurred southeast of Castor, causing $250 in damage.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F2
|Acme to Williamsburg to N of Kalkaska
|Grand Traverse, Kalkaska<!-- Map indicates that tornado ended in this county -->
|MI
|
|20:12–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Strong tornado touched down on the eastern shore of Grand Traverse Bay east of Traverse City and northeast of Fivemile Corner and moved due east. Multiple homes were damaged and numerous trees uprooted, including several cherry trees. Losses totaled $25,000.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black" | F2
|Latex<!--Coordinates are way off.-->
|Harrison<!--Coordinates are way off.-->
|TX
|<!--Coordinates are way off.-->
|23:05–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="8" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;" |Two homes and three garages were damaged. Two people were injured and losses totaled $5,000.
|}
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the hurricane, there were many injuries due to snakebites, as flooding washed thousands of snakes inland from swamps and bayous. Entomologists in Texas noted a pronounced increase in outbreaks of insects just after the passage of the storm. Infestations of southern pine beetles occurred in areas of Galveston county where trees had been damaged by Carla and other storms. Carla contributed to a small decline in overall industrial output in the United States in September 1961, reversing 6 months of consecutive growth.
Shortly after the hurricane, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, a lifelong resident of Texas, toured the devastation in the state and met with officials from 18 different counties, remarking that "as always, Texans are arising to a challenge... We have suffered hurricane, tornado, and floods, but we in Texas are a bold and brave people." On September 16, President John F. Kennedy issued a disaster declaration for Texas, allowing all jurisdictions in the state to apply for public assistance. The president also declared 6 parishes in Louisiana a disaster area. On September 21, President Kennedy requested Congress appropriate $55 million for relief from Carla and other disasters, which was eventually included in a supplemental appropriations bill passed on September 30. This included $15 million in direct disaster relief funds, $30 million for additional loans by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and $5 million each to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Army Corps of Engineers for emergency conservation efforts and repairing waterways, respectively. Helicopters deployed 88 United States Marines to Galveston to patrol devastated areas. A United States Navy task force composed of medical and construction work teams was also sent to the area. Members of the United States National Guard assisted refugees in returning to their homes and worked to prevent looting. The Texas Health Department offered Typhoid shots to everyone in Jefferson and Galveston counties and shipped out 400 kits of snakebite antivenom to deal with health concerns in the aftermath of the storm. The Farmers Home Administration offered emergency loans to farmers in 30 counties, with over $2.5 million in applications by November 1961. The USDA supplied over of surplus food to Louisiana and Texas. The SBA and Federal Housing Administration offered loans to property owners affected by the storm, with the former approving over $6.27 million in loans by November 1961.
Then little-known newsman Dan Rather reported live from the weather bureau building in Galveston during the storm, live on-site storm coverage that would be imitated by later reporters. This marked the first live television broadcast of a hurricane. Rather also alerted the public of the size of Carla in a way that "literally changed the way the world sees hurricanes", according to a fellow reporter. Broadcasting live at the Weather Bureau Office in Galveston, Rather asked a meteorologist to outline the Gulf of Mexico on a transparent sheet of plastic. He then held the map over the black and white radar screen, which put the size of Carla into perspective, saying that Carla was the size of the Gulf of Mexico. CBS was so impressed with Rather's work that he was offered the position of correspondent.
Owing to the hurricane's intensity and destruction, the name Carla was retired after the season, and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane.
See also
- List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Texas hurricanes (1950–1979)
- Hurricane Harvey (2017) – A Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in a similar part of Texas; tied for the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide
Notes
References
External links
- Hurricane Carla radar loop
- Texas Archive of the Moving Image Hurricane Carla Collection