Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island in the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and slowly strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of , but weakened as its motion turned to a northwest drift. A strong trough of low pressure turned the hurricane northeastward, and Carol later intensified into a major hurricane. While paralleling the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, the storm produced strong winds and rough seas that caused minor coastal flooding and slight damage to houses in North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, and New Jersey. The well-organized hurricane accelerated north-northeastward and made landfall on eastern Long Island, New York, and then over eastern Connecticut on August 31 with sustained winds estimated at 110-mph and a barometric pressure near 956 mb. Carol later transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over New Hampshire, on August 31, 1954.

In New York, strong winds on Long Island damaged about 1,000 houses, left 275,000 people without electricity, downed many trees, and resulted in heavy crop losses. Storm surge flooded LaGuardia Airport and inundated the Montauk Highway, which left the eastern portion of Long Island isolated. Carol also brought strong winds and rough seas to coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southeastern Massachusetts. Throughout the region, about 150,000 people were left without electricity and telephone service. 1,545 houses were destroyed and another 9,720 were damaged. Approximately 3,500 cars and 3,000 boats were destroyed. There were 65 deaths and 1,000 injuries in New England. The storm caused an additional $1 million in damage in Canada as well as two deaths. Overall, Carol caused 72 fatalities and damage totaled $462 million (1954 USD), making it the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States, at the time. Following the storm, the name "Carol" was used once more for a 1965 hurricane that remained far out in the Atlantic, then was permanently retired.

Meteorological history

A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression over the northeastern Bahamas on August 25. The next day, Carol strengthened to attain hurricane status while located about east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. With a large anticyclone persisting across the southeastern United States, the motion of Carol turned to a northwest drift. The hurricane continued to strengthen, Carol quickly lost tropical characteristics while crossing into inland eastern Massachusetts, and became extratropical over southwestern New Hampshire, late on August 31. The powerful extratropical storm continued northward, before losing its identity after entering Canada, over Southern Quebec. While passing by the state, the strongest winds remained to the east of Hurricane Carol, though winds of were reported at Cape Hatteras. Further inland, the hurricane produced a wind gust of in Wilmington and in Cherry Point. Near the coast, waves from the storm damaged fishing piers, and flooding was reported in New Bern. High waves also damaged coastal roadways. Damage was minor from Virginia to Delaware, where light rains fell. Precipitation also extended into Pennsylvania. which killed two people. Along the coast, high waves damaged boardwalks and caused flooding. In neighboring Pennsylvania, Carol caused a tractor to crash into a train, resulting in two deaths. Winds on the island gusted to , leaving thousands of homes without power. Flooding also affected LaGuardia Airport. There were power outages in New York City, but little damage. High winds left over 150,000 people without power in New England, mostly in New England, There were 65 deaths in New England, However, some areas did not receive advance warning, due to power outages preventing people from receiving Weather Bureau warnings ahead of the storm. These strong winds left much of the eastern portion of the state without power. Overall damage in the state was estimated at $50 million. Damage in the state totaled about $200 million, Statewide, 3,350 homes were damaged to some degree, and another 800 were destroyed. The tower flew across the station and landed on 219 Bussey St, the house next door, where Louise Guerrio was feeding her one-year-old son, Joseph. Carol lost this distinction 10 days later when Hurricane Edna caused $15 million in damage in the state.

Rainfall in Canada peaked at in Quebec. In Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, wind gusts peaked at . Damage there totaled about $1 million (1954 CAD, US$980,000). Two people were killed, one of whom due to drowning on a sunken barge in Quebec City. Widespread areas were without power for days, and in some areas for up to a week, until crews could repair downed lines. Spoiled food due to lack of refrigeration resulted in about $1 million in losses. Power crews from elsewhere in the United States arrived to assist in the restoration. Workers quickly removed trees from highways. Damaged factories in Rhode Island prevented employees from working for three weeks after the storm. Governor of Maine Burton M. Cross declared a state of emergency for the state. The Small Business Administration declared six counties in Maine as disaster areas. The president ordered for troops to assist in the aftermath. The American Red Cross quickly deployed teams to the most affected areas, feeding hundreds of families.

The heavy damage caused by this and other hurricanes in 1954 prompted the United States government to devote research to set up the National Hurricane Research Project. Hurricane Hunters and the Weather Bureau collected data on subsequent hurricanes to determine their structure, as well as attempted to weaken storms with silver iodide via Project Stormfury.

Due to the heavy damage, the name Carol was removed from the tropical storm naming list for 10 years. The name was reused in the 1965 season, but was permanently retired in the spring of 1969, as the 1954 hurricane was still an active subject of research. The selected replacement name, Camille, was used soon thereafter during the 1969 season.

See also

  • List of North Carolina hurricanes
  • Hurricane Bob (1991) – similar track and intensity
  • Hurricane Irene (2011) – made landfall in New England
  • Hurricane Sandy (2012) – broke many of Carol's records, including the costliest hurricane in New England

Notes

References

  • McCarthy Earls, Eamon. "Twisted Sisters: How Four Superstorms Forever Changed the Northeast in 1954 & 1955." Franklin: Via Appia Press (www.viaappiapress.com), 2014.
  • 1954 Monthly Weather Review