Hurricane Janet

Hurricane Janet was the most powerful tropical cyclone of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Janet was also the first named storm to cause 1,000 deaths and the first Category 5 storm name to be retired. The eleventh tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the year, Janet formed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21. Moving westward across the Caribbean Sea, Janet fluctuated in intensity, but generally strengthened before reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of . The intense hurricane later made landfall at that intensity near Chetumal, Mexico on September 28. After weakening over the Yucatán Peninsula, it moved into the Bay of Campeche, where it slightly strengthened before making its final landfall near Veracruz on September 29. Janet quickly weakened over Mexico's mountainous terrain before dissipating on September 30.

In its developmental stages, Janet caused $7.8 million in damage to the Lesser Antilles and 189 deaths in the Grenadines and Barbados. While Janet was in the central Caribbean Sea, a reconnaissance aircraft flew into the storm and was lost with all hands. This remains the only such loss which has occurred in association with an Atlantic hurricane. A Category 5 upon landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula, Janet caused severe devastation in areas of Quintana Roo and British Honduras. Only five buildings in Chetumal, Mexico remained intact after the storm, and an estimated 500 deaths occurred in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. At Janet's second landfall near Veracruz, significant river flooding ensued, worsening effects caused by Hurricanes Gladys and Hilda earlier in the month. The floods left thousands of people stranded and killed at least 326 people in the Tampico area, leading to the largest Mexican relief operation ever executed by the United States.

Janet's minimum barometric pressure, recorded in Chetumal, was at the time the second-lowest-recorded pressure on land associated with a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic, behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. At least 1,023 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Janet, as well as $65.8 million in damages. It also caused the extinction of the Little Swan Island hutia.

Meteorological history

A weak tropical disturbance was first reported by the Air France and Iberia airlines east of the Lesser Antilles early on September 21. Although it was speculated that the disturbance originated from a tropical wave near Cape Verde, the Weather Bureau considered the system too weak to be detected due to a lack of reports from the islands. At 1800 UTC on September 21, while it was located east-southeast of Martinique, the disturbance became sufficiently organized for the Weather Bureau to classify it as Tropical Storm Janet, the tenth named storm of the season. On September 22, Janet attained hurricane strength, and proceeded to intensify rapidly as it moved westward across the Windward Islands. A reconnaissance flight into the hurricane discovered that the Hurricane Janet's eye measured only in diameter,

Once over land, Janet considerably weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds of . After crossing the Yucatán Peninsula with a forward speed of , the hurricane emerged into the Bay of Campeche by 1600 UTC on September 28. Electric power was later restored, allowing newspapers to publish information on the storm. Poorly constructed dwellings were blown apart by the strong winds. The destroyed buildings and trees blocked highways, and the Seawell Airport was forced to close. Heavy rains peaked at and a storm surge of swept away low-lying houses along the coast. An estimated 2,000 people were left homeless due to the hurricane. and at least 57 people were killed. Houses were also unroofed, and balconies of government offices in St. George's were torn off. All bridges in the island's interior regions collapsed, and spice crops sustained heavy damage. Three ships were also grounded in the local harbor. In The Carenage, the waterfront region of St. George's, debris was scattered and an pier collapsed. St. Vincent was mostly destroyed, and St. Lucia suffered significant coastal damage. Over $2.8 million in damages were estimated throughout the Grenadines.

Hurricane Janet skirted the ABC islands with strong winds as it passed to the north from September 24–25. In Aruba, gusts peaked at , uprooting trees. However, damage outside of trees was primarily insignificant. In Bonaire, piers were destroyed, and the island's coastal boulevard was damaged. Beach facilities at Curaçao's Piscadera and Vaersen Bays suffered considerable damage. Quays along the harbor entrance were also damaged.

Snowcloud Five

On September 26, the hurricane hunter P2V-3W Neptune aircraft Snowcloud Five, led by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Grover B. Windham, was sent from Guantánamo Bay to investigate Janet, which was at the time a Category 4 hurricane south of Jamaica. Upon penetration of the hurricane's eyewall at an altitude of , a final transmission was received from the reconnaissance flight before it presumably crashed in the Caribbean Sea. Following the loss of the plane, an extensive search and rescue operation took place over a large area of the Caribbean Sea, with 3,000 personnel involved with the search, returning no results.

Yucatán Peninsula

thumb|right|Damage in Corozal Town|alt=Aerial black and white image of a destroyed city along the coast. Almost all buildings are flattened.

As it approached the Yucatán Peninsula, Janet passed over the Swan Islands north of Honduras as a Category 5 hurricane on September 27. The hurricane caused rough seas, and strong winds uprooted trees and antennas. After gusts exceeded an estimated , officials on the islands took shelter in a Navy seismograph building. Though no deaths were reported, Janet destroyed almost all buildings on the islands. The U.S. Weather Bureau and Civil Aeronautics Authority requested food and supplies for 82 people on the island after the storm passed.

Quintana Roo

After passing the Swan Islands, Janet made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula between Corozal Town, British Honduras, and Chetumal, Mexico, at 1700 UTC on September 28. In Xcalak, Quintana Roo the strong winds from Janet flattened the port's infrastructure, and only one house remained intact after the storm's passage. 97 people were killed in Xcalak, constituting more than a third of the port's population. Chetumal, Mexico was devastated, with only four buildings left standing. Storm surge pushed water to a depth of , inland, despite the peninsula protecting the city from the open ocean. The death toll in Chetumal remains uncertain; 120 bodies were recovered in the city but it is unknown how many were ever found. In Quintana Roo, Hurricane Janet was estimated to have caused $40 million in damages and at least 500 deaths, the most of any region affected by Janet.

In Corozal Town, British Honduras, south of where Janet made landfall, 500 people were made homeless, and six people were killed. and communications were knocked out by the strong winds. Based on an average home cost of $2,000, it was estimated that property damage to homes in Corozal Town totaled $800,000. Farther south in Belize City, winds peaked at , though no damage was reported. In British Honduras, the hurricane's effects were less deadly than in Quintana Roo, but in northern portions of the colony the storm killed 16 people and caused $5 million in damages. Along the coast, tides were reported to be above average. Farther north along the Texas coast, tides were above average, blocking beach roads near Corpus Christi.

Janet made its final landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz between the cities of Nautla and Veracruz as a Category 2 hurricane at 2200 UTC on September 29. In Nautla, communications were cut by strong winds from the hurricane. The strong winds also caused a relief plane to crash, causing five deaths. The floods contributed to a localized typhoid fever and dysentery outbreak, causing over 1,000 people to evacuate out of the city to prevent further spreading of the diseases. An additional 36,000 people were being cared for in concentration centers.

Farther inland, as Janet dissipated over the mountainous central Mexico, the storm dropped torrential rainfall over the Tamesí and Pánuco River basins. In Tampico, the river flooded neighborhoods, forcing cables to be stretched along roads to prevent people from being swept away. Small boats were also sent to monitor streets. According to some sources, 800 people died from the floods, with thousands more being stranded in the city. Tamazunchale was inundated by an overflowing Moctezuma River. The rains caused a landslide in Colonia San Rafael, killing 12 people. Heavy rains also impacted Guadalajara, which had previously not been affected by any tropical cyclones earlier in the year. In Maltarana, Jalisco, the Lerma and Duero Rivers overflowed, forcing 800 people in the town to evacuate. Although there were no official damage or fatality estimates,

Aftermath

thumb|Neighborhood being rebuilt in Barbados|alt=Slightly elevated view of workers constructing an entire neighborhood. The houses are all of similar appearance, with windows and a door.

Lesser Antilles

After Janet passed Barbados, the island was declared to be in a state of emergency. Relief workers on Barbados helped to clean up debris scattered by the strong winds on highways, and the local government made requests for food and construction materials. The extensive damaged caused by Janet on the island to low-income households led the passage of the 1955 Housing Act, which created the National Housing Authority (NHA) in 1956. The NHA was responsible for the acquisition of lands on which houses could be built with stronger and more permanent materials, which was thought to minimize maintenance costs and hurricane-related damage. The newly founded organization quickly worked to rebuild homes after the hurricane struck.

In Grenada, the island's governor issued an emergency order against the hoarding of food in the aftermath of Janet, due to the food and water shortage that resulted from Janet. A United States destroyer and a British frigate were sent to bring relief supplies to Grenada, and ships departing from Jamaica and Trinidad were redirected to the island to help send supplies. The British government later announced that it would send £50,000 (US$155,000) in relief to the Grenadines. The Crown Agents and Red Cross delivered relief supplies to Barbados and the Grenadines, which included aluminum roofing sheets and portable electric generators.

British Honduras and Mexico

thumb|A [[HUP Retriever on disaster relief mission in Mexico for Hurricane Janet]]

Relief and reconstruction measures were enacted in the British Honduras beginning on September 30. The government also declared a state of emergency for Corozal, Orange Walk, and Belize administrative districts, including a ban on liquor sales. Temporary communication lines were rebuilt, which initially only allowed official communications with affected areas. Due to the severity of the damage in Corozal, an airstrip was built to help deliver relief to the city more efficiently. Food depots in Corozal, Louisville, and Orange Walk Town were tasked with distributing food. The potential for widespread disease following the devastation wrought by Janet forced a widespread vaccination initiative against typhoid fever in affected areas.

A U.S. Navy relief plane was sent to Chetumal, Mexico, to deliver food and other relief supplies after Janet struck the region. In areas previously affected by hurricanes Gladys and Hilda earlier in the year, federal relief agencies were ordered to extend relief operations to the Yucatán Peninsula. The United States initiated the largest relief campaign ever staged in Mexico at the time. Various government and relief agencies, including the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army, participated in the relief efforts. The U.S. Air Force and United States Army began a joint-relief operation to send relief supplies to the Tampico area, beginning with the deployment of a Curtiss C-46 Commando from the Harlingen Air Force Base on October 1. Helicopters were sent from the USS Saipan to transfer food and medical supplies from the light aircraft carrier. Other ships also aided in delivering supplies, including the USS Siboney, which also deployed helicopters to assist in relief efforts. By October 6, 1,500 people were estimated to have been rescued from the Tampico area, and at least of food and clothing materials were estimated to have been delivered by the US Air Force to the city. Former president Manuel Ávila Camacho died of a heart ailment, in part due to over-exertion in helping in the relief efforts.

Retirement

Due to the destruction and loss of life left in its wake, the name Janet was retired by the U.S. Weather Bureau following the 1955 season. It was one of four names retired that year. Janet was also the first category five storm name and the first name beginning with the letter J to retire in the Atlantic basin.

The name Janet appeared on the designated storm name lists for 1960, 1964, and 1968 but was never used in those years. In 1969, a policy change permanently retired Janet. No name replacement was selected for Janet as the four-year lists used then were replaced in 1971 by a new series of 10 lists running through 1980 before recycling.