Hurricane Isbell was the final hurricane to affect the United States during the 1964 season. The eleventh tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the season, Isbell developed from a dissipating cold front in the southwestern Caribbean on October 8. The depression initially remained disorganized as it track northwestward, but strengthened into Tropical Storm Isbell on October 13. Re-curving northeastward, Isbell quickly strengthened further and reached hurricane status by later that day. Late on October 13, Isbell made landfall in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. The storm continued strengthening and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane on the following day. Isbell moved northeastward and made landfall near Everglades City, Florida, late on October 14. After reaching the Atlantic on the following day, the storm began to weaken. Isbell turned northward and continued weakening, before transitioning to an extratropical cyclone while located just offshore eastern North Carolina on October 16.
The storm produced strong winds throughout western Cuba. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, as were several tobacco warehouses. There was at least $20 million in damage and four deaths in Cuba, three of them caused by collapsing houses in the Guane area. The storm also spawned at least nine tornadoes in Florida, several of which demolished trailers and unroofed homes and other buildings in several communities, causing significant damage. Throughout the state, one house was destroyed, 33 were severely damaged, and 631 suffered minor impact. Additionally, 66 trailers were destroyed and 88 were afflicted with major damage. Three deaths occurred in the state, one due to a heart attack and two from drowning in Florida Keys when their shrimp boat sank. Because the storm weakened considerably, impact in North Carolina was generally minor. Damage throughout the United States totaled $10 million.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Isbell was first identified as a weak tropical disturbance on October 7 over the western Caribbean. Situated to the south of a diffuse trough, the system remained weak and relatively disorganized as it moved generally northwest near Honduras and Nicaragua. Despite the presence of an upper-level anticyclone, which promotes favorable outflow for tropical cyclones and aids in tropical cyclogenesis, a lack of distinct low-level inflow inhibited intensification. Additionally, an area of warm mid-tropospheric air was present within the cyclone. Though a disheveled system, it is analyzed to have become a tropical depression by 06:00 UTC on October 9. The depression skirted the eastern coast of Honduras, producing gusts of in squalls. Operationally, it was not until October 10 that the Weather Bureau initiated advisories on the depression. On that date, a weather reconnaissance mission into the system found a weak low-level circulation with a barometric pressure of 1007.3 mb (hPa; 29.75 inHg) and winds of . Throughout October 11 and 12, the cyclone slowly executed a tight cyclonic loop over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, alternating between depression and storm status; it was initially named Isbell for 12 hours on October 11. Ship and aircraft data showed a larger-than-usual radius of outermost closed isobar (ROCI), with the strongest winds far from the center, though Isbell shrank its wind field after completing the loop and acquiring a north-northeast trajectory. The storm's passage over land resulted in notable weakening, though Isbell remained of hurricane strength. During the afternoon of October 15, the low that had formed the previous day induced a northward turn of the cyclone and directed it toward North Carolina, a result of what is known as the Fujiwhara effect. Thereafter, the two systems began to intertwine as Isbell began transitioning into an extratropical cyclone; rapid weakening accompanied this phase. Isbell completed this process by 18:00 UTC on October 16, five hours after moving ashore Morehead City, North Carolina, as a strong tropical storm. Advisories were broadcast and issued warning of the possibility of heavy rains and winds, isolated small hail, and possible isolated tornadoes in Florida from 21:00 UTC on October 14 to 02:00 UTC on October 15. The aviation severe weather forecast also warned residents in south and central Florida of up to of hail, gusts of up to , and the potential for tornadic activity. Flood warnings were also issued, with predictions of flooding above flood stage. Emergency preparations at Key West's weather office were made. In the morning hours of October 13, the office alerted city, county, and military officials. In the afternoon, it completed office preparations and scheduling. On October 14, the office requested radio stations to stay on the air and relayed hourly reports.
In North Carolina, some tidal flooding was also forecast. People were warned to tune to television and radio broadcasts. On October 15, as Isbell rapidly crossed Florida, forecasters at the Charleston Weather Bureau warned of high tides of up to , above flood stage, in the Carolinas. Owing to the continued northeastward movement of the storm, tides ultimately did not exceed in South Carolina. Across coastal areas of North Carolina, alerts for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and high tides were raised; however, the storm greatly diminished before reaching shore and little damage materialized. Moderate rains along the lower Neuse River basin were expected to prolong flooding triggered by Hurricane Hilda and its remnants earlier in October. Small craft advisories were raised northward to Provincetown, Massachusetts, through October 18.]]
Cuba
Skirting the extreme western coast of Cuba on October 13, the storm produced gusts estimated at in Pinar del Río Province. Three fatalities occurred in Guane due to collapsing homes. A fourth fatality took place elsewhere in Cuba. Numerous homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm, with exact numbers unknown. The region's tobacco crop also sustained considerable losses with fields and warehouses destroyed. The damage to agriculture compounded economic losses in Cuba that resulted from Hurricane Flora in September 1963, which devastated the nation, as well as impacts from Hurricanes Cleo and Hilda earlier in 1964. The combined effects of Cleo, Hilda, and Isbell resulted in economic losses of approximately $100 million in the country, of which at least $20 million was directly attributed to Isbell.
Florida
Though Isbell struck the state as a Category 2 hurricane, At least nine, and as many as seventeen, tornadoes affected the state with the greatest effects being felt in the Miami metropolitan area, setting a contemporary record for hurricane-spawned tornadoes until Hurricane Beulah three years later. As Isbell headed northeast, the tornadoes formed close to the eye in its right-front quadrant, with activity centered mainly on coastal eastern Florida between Eau Gallie and Coral Gables. All storm-related injuries were attributed to these tornadoes as well as the majority of structural damage. According to the National Climatic Data Center, four of these tornadoes were of F2 (strong) intensity. At least one tornado family was verified, consisting of serial tornadoes fostered by a single thunderstorm.
Despite the close passage of the storm to the Florida Keys, damage in the area was light and amounted to $175,000. Of this, $125,000 was attributed to structural damage. Hurricane-force winds in the archipelago only lasted 15 minutes and gale-force winds occurred over a 5-hour span. The brevity of damaging winds limited the effects of the storm. Most damage was constrained to downed trees, signs, and power poles. Two trailers were overturned, however, and an oil barge sank in the Key West Harbor. Two people drowned after their shrimp boat was destroyed. In and around the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, royal palms and poincianas were defoliated by the hurricane's winds. Downed trees and power lines in Collier County temporarily left many customers without phone and electrical service. Residents in nearby Lee Cypress stated that the effects from Isbell were worse than Hurricane Donna, which struck the region as a Category 4 in September 1960. An F1 tornado formed between Ochopee and Carnestown, leveling a chickee and utility shed. A roof and siding were carried , while a cabin cruiser was moved into the nearby Everglades.
In Dade County a brief, small (F1) tornado hit Coral Gables, downing trees and power lines. It also damaged three businesses, shattering bottles and nine windows at a liquor store. It caused at least one injury. At least three more twisters were reported countywide. An F2 tornado also tracked from near Dania Beach to Sunrise in Broward County, damaging half a dozen light aircraft at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, razing a home, downing trees, and unroofing a clubhouse at a country club. Three airplanes were torn from their tie-downs. and approximately $700,000 in damage. At least three tornadoes were spawned in Palm Beach County. The strongest was an F2 that struck a trailer park in Briny Breezes, damaging 25 trailers, The event lasted roughly 20 minutes and the tornadoes moved along a path long. In West Palm Beach, a twister (F1) that crossed the intersection of State Roads 802 and 809 damaged adjacent properties and injured several people. It felled trees, poles, and signs as well. It also unroofed three trailers, lofting debris . Another tornado, officially unconfirmed, also caused a trailer collision in Stuart, It caused extensive damage, leveling over 12 trailers,
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, October 14, 1964
! scope="col" style="width:2%; text-align:center;"|F#
! scope="col" text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|Location
! scope="col" text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|County / Parish
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|State
! scope="col" align="center"|Start
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Time (UTC)
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Path length
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Width
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F1
|Between Ochopee and Carnestown
|Collier
|FL
|
|20:15–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A utility shed disintegrated and portions of the roof and siding were carried . A chickee was flattened as well, and a cabin cruiser was moved into the nearby Everglades.
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A brief, small tornado downed trees and power lines. shattering bottles and nine windows at a liquor store. At least one injury occurred. Three injuries occurred. Losses totaled $2,500.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F1
|Boynton Beach
|Palm Beach
|FL
|
|~22:24–?
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|Related to the next event, this tornado ripped off a few carports, Losses totaled $2,500.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2
|Briny Breezes
|Palm Beach
|FL
|
|22:24–?
|≥
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A tornado leveled over 12 trailers,
|
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|Forming alongside U.S. Route 1, this tornado unroofed three trailers, lofting debris . Losses totaled $2,500. Grazulis did not list the tornado, implying a lower rating than F2.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2
|NW of Dania Beach to Sunrise
|Broward
|FL
|
|03:50–?
|≥
|
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A tornado struck Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, damaging half a dozen light aircraft, razing a home, and downing trees. A tornado reportedly hit Belle Glade, wrecking several trailers and downing trees on U.S. Route 441. Along the coast, tides rose to , above normal, in Charleston Harbor. What little coastal flooding took place mostly resulted from wave run-up rather than tidal flooding. Some beach erosion occurred in exposed areas.
Much of North Carolina was affected by Isbell with rain extending into interior parts of the state. Totals were generally light, however, and peaked at around in eastern areas. Some flash flooding took place in the Piedmont, though overall effects were minimal. The greatest impacts were felt along the Neuse River in Kinston within Lenoir County. Rains from Isbell exacerbated ongoing floods in the area, resulting in heavy damage to many homes. A man was swept away by swift currents near a Duke Energy steam plant in Cliffside; however, it is unknown if he perished or was later rescued. Losses to the peanut crop were extensive, though no monetary value is available. With the storm arriving at low-tide, no notable coastal flooding occurred. The significant weakening of Isbell prior to landfall also lessened the effects from wind as gale-force winds were mostly constrained to coastal areas; a peak gust of was measured in Elizabeth City.
Elsewhere along the East Coast, the remnants of Isbell produced generally light to moderate rain. A localized maximum of around occurred in Massachusetts as the system began to dissipate.
See also
- List of Florida hurricanes
- Tropical Storm Barry (2007)
- Hurricane Wilma
- Hurricane Dennis (1981)
- Hurricane Charley
Notes
References
;Citations
;Sources