Hurricane Edith (1971)

Hurricane Edith was the strongest hurricane to form during the 1971 season, becoming a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Edith developed from a tropical wave on September 5 and quickly strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. Edith rapidly intensified on September 9 as it approached Central America, and it made landfall on Cape Gracias a Dios as a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of . It quickly lost strength over Central America, and after briefly entering the Gulf of Honduras, Edith struck Belize as a strong storm. It crossed the Yucatán Peninsula and moved across the Gulf of Mexico, approaching but remaining just offshore Tamaulipas. A trough turned the storm to the northeast, and Edith restrengthened into a hurricane, making its final landfall on Louisiana with winds of on September 16. Edith steadily weakened over land and dissipated over Georgia on September 18.

The hurricane killed two people when it passed near Aruba. Striking northeastern Central America as a Category 5 hurricane, Edith destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 35 people. In Texas, high tides caused coastal flooding but little damage. Edith caused moderate to heavy damage in portions of Louisiana due to flooding and a tornado outbreak from the storm. One tornado, rated F3 on the Fujita Scale, damaged several homes and injured multiple people in Baton Rouge. The tornado outbreak extended eastward into Florida, of which a few destroyed entire buildings. Damage in the United States totaled $25 million (1971 USD).

Meteorological history

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa near Dakar on August 31. It moved westward into the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and organized into a tropical disturbance on September 2 with a small, circular area of convection. The system moved to the west, and on September 3, the convection diminished after moving west of 40° W. By the next day, the tropical disturbance was barely discernible from the clouds of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The wave gradually became detached from the ITCZ, and based on a reconnaissance flight that confirmed the existence of a low-level circulation, it is estimated the system developed into a tropical depression on September 5 while located east of Grenada. As Fern moved inland over Texas, the flow became more favorable around Edith, and 36 hours after entering the Gulf of Mexico, the storm began to reintensify slightly.

While the storm was located in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning from Cameron to Morgan City, Louisiana eighteen hours before the hurricane made landfall. Edith later struck land in the middle portion of the warning area. Several oil facilities in the gulf were closed or placed on automatic controls. Drilling rigs as far east as the coastal waters off of Mississippi were prepared to evacuate in the event Edith moved further east than anticipated. Additionally, thousands evacuated coastal areas of Louisiana prior to the arrival of the hurricane. Several shelters opened in coastal cities, and many people prepared for the hurricane by purchasing emergency supplies. Officials closed schools throughout much of southern Louisiana.

Impact

Caribbean and Mexico

left|thumb|200px|Edith entering the Gulf of Honduras

While passing through the southern Lesser Antilles, the tropical depression produced heavy rainfall and winds of around . though a later report indicated 35 people died in Nicaragua. There, damage was estimated at over $380,000. Three United States Air Force aircraft delivered food, medical supplies, and fuel to the hurricane victims of Nicaragua. In Honduras, the hurricane produced tides and strong winds, while strong waves destroyed 40 fishing boats as well. The hurricane reportedly destroyed entire villages in the country.

Offshore islands in Belize reported winds of up to .

United States

thumb|left|Edith approaching Texas on September 15

Throughout the United States, Hurricane Edith left about $25 million in damage. Most of the damage total was related to agriculture in southwest Louisiana. However, Edith also produced a damaging outbreak of 16 tornadoes across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Most of these tornadoes formed along a strong rainband ahead of the storm, combined with the intrusion of dry air into the hurricane's circulation. In Louisiana, there were seven tornadoes. The first, rated F1 on the Fujita scale, touched down northeast of Loreauville in Iberia Parish and crossed into neighboring St. Martin Parish. The twister destroyed a farm and damaged several mobile homes, injuring six people. An F3 tornado struck eastern Baton Rouge and intermittently remained on the ground for . The tornado damaged hundreds of homes, including 15 that were destroyed, while also damaging a shopping center, a church, and a high school. Damage was estimated at $2.5 million, and three people were injured. An F1 touched down briefly in rural Iberville Parish, which knocked down a few trees. An F2 tornado briefly hit the city of Franklin, damaging several homes. A brief F0 tornado touched down near Venice. An F2 tornado in Amite City damaged a restaurant and a power pole. An F1 tornado touched down near Robert in Tangipahoa Parish, destroying three homes and a barn. In neighboring Mississippi, a brief tornado downed trees and power lines in Attala County. In Walthall County, a tornado destroyed the roof of a home, and in Harrison County, another tornado destroyed the roof of a twister. There were five tornadoes in Alabama related to Edith, including two each in Washington and Baldwin counties. An F2 twister near Yarbo damaged several homes and knocked down trees. An F1 tornado hit Tibbie, destroying a few small buildings. Near Perdido, an F1 tornado destroyed two mobile homes and a few barns, while also damaging another ten homes. An F2 tornado struck Fairhope and destroyed two homes. At Danleys Crossroads, an F3 tornado destroyed a home and a vehicle. There was also a tornado that touched down near Pensacola, Florida, destroying the roof of a house and flipping a mobile home, causing one injury.

thumb|right|200 px|Rainfall from Edith across the United States

Hurricane Edith affected Texas a few days after Hurricane Fern affected much of the state. The highest precipitation related to Edith in Texas was , recorded at Falcon Dam, while wind gusts reached in Galveston. While moving past the state, Edith produced above normal tides, with a storm surge covering portions of Highway 87 between High Island and Sabine Pass. The hurricane produced hailstorms across Swisher, Hale, and Lynn counties, causing $12.4 million in crop damage. In Lynn County, hailstones reached in diameter, becoming the worst hailstorm in the county's history. About of cotton fields were damaged, along with another of sorghum. The passage of Hurricane Edith also resulted in downed trees and power lines. Near Port Arthur, flying debris and broken glass injured three people, while downed power lines sparked several house fires. In Mississippi, wind gusts peaked at in Hattiesburg. The winds caused power outages and broken windows, injuring one person due to broken glass. Rainfall in the state peaked at in Rockport. The rains caused flash flooding, which closed roads and damaged bridges. The hurricane also damaged crops in the state, although to a less extent than Louisiana. In Alabama, the storm produced light rains and winds, while tides reached above normal in Mobile. In Florida, Edith produced slightly above-normal tides and light rain. In Georgia, heavy rainfall caused flooding along streams in the northern portion of the state, closing a few roads.

Notes

References

External links

Movie of a reconnaissance flight into Edith