1964 Atlantic hurricane season

1964 Atlantic hurricane season

Season summary map
First storm formed	June 2, 1964
Last storm dissipated	November 10, 1964
Strongest storm	Hilda – 941 mbar (27.78 inHg)
Total storms	12
Major storms (Cat. 3+)	6
Total damage	$605 million (1964 USD) $3.7 billion (2005 USD)
Total fatalities	261
Atlantic hurricane seasons 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966

The 1964 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1964, and lasted until November 15, 1964. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was slightly above average, with twelve total storms and six hurricanes; unusually, all six of the hurricanes strengthened into major (Category 3) storms.

Three storms were notable enough to have their names retired: Cleo, Dora, and Hilda. Hurricane Cleo killed over 200 in its trek from the Caribbean Sea across Florida. Hurricane Dora struck northeastern Florida, causing nearly $300 million (1964 US dollars) in damages. Hurricane Hilda caused damage when it struck Louisiana. Three hurricanes hit Florida this season (Cleo, Dora and Isbell); the first time this has happened since 1886 and the last time it would happen until the 2004 season.

Operationally, the season began on June 16.

Storms

Tropical Storm One

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	June 2 – June 11
Intensity	60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

The Intertropical Convergence Zone developed a tropical depression in the Northwest Caribbean Sea on June 2. It drifted northward without strengthening. Moving faster through the Gulf of Mexico, the depression crossed Florida on June 6, causing strong winds and hail from thunderstorms. When it reached the Atlantic Coast, it strengthened to a tropical storm, remaining away from landmass until its dissipation on June 11. Tropical Storm One caused $1 million (1964 USD, $7.49 million 2012 USD) in flood damage to areas along the First Coast and further inland.

Tropical Storm Two

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	July 28 – August 2
Intensity	50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min),  1006 mbar (hPa)

A cloud vortex developed in the Tropical Atlantic on July 27. It was well-organized enough to become a tropical depression on July 28, but intensification was limited due to rapid forward motion. It turned northeastward and became a tropical storm on July 31. After reaching a peak of 50 mph (80 km/h) the storm became extratropical on August 2.

Tropical Storm Abby

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 5 – August 8
Intensity	65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min),  1000 mbar (hPa)

The precursor to Tropical Storm Abby was a surface trough in the northern Gulf of Mexico. It became a tropical depression on August 5 and, moving slowly westward, reached tropical storm strength on August 7. Abby hit Matagorda, Texas as a 65 mph (105 km/h) tropical storm that night, and dissipated the following day. Abby was a small system; its complete circulation at the surface was less than 100 miles (200 km) in diameter. Because of this, Abby caused only $750,000 (1964 USD, $5.62 million 2012 USD) in damage, most of it from crop damage. The rain was beneficial.

Tropical Storm Brenda

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 7 – August 10
Intensity	50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min),  1006 mbar (hPa)

A minor trough of low pressure spawned a tropical depression on August 7 west of Bermuda. As it neared the island, it strengthened to a tropical storm, causing tornadoes on the island. Brenda drifted east-southeastward before turning to the northeast and dissipating on August 10. Brenda caused $275,000 (1964 USD, $2.06 million 2012 USD) in damage.

Hurricane Cleo

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	August 20 – September 5
Intensity	155 mph (250 km/h) (1-min),  950 mbar (hPa)

Main article: Hurricane Cleo

A tropical wave strengthened into a depression on August 20, and was named Tropical Storm Cleo soon after. Cleo moved quickly to the west and strengthened into a Category 4 storm by the time it churned through the Lesser Antilles. The hurricane remained a Category 4 as it passed into the Caribbean, and moved just to the south of Hispaniola on August 24, and then veered more to the north which brought a landfall on the tip of Haiti. The storm then turned to the north and weakened to a Category 1 before it struck Cuba, but remained a hurricane the whole time over land. Cleo then brushed against Miami and the east coast of Florida as it weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to a tropical storm. Cleo killed a total of 217 people and caused serious property damage as it travelled through the Caribbean Sea and into Florida, totaling $198 million (1964 USD, $1.48 billion 2012 USD) in damage.

Hurricane Dora

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	August 28 – September 14
Intensity	130 mph (215 km/h) (1-min),  942 mbar (hPa)

Main article: Hurricane Dora

Hurricane Dora was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that moved off the coast of Africa on August 28 as a vigorous tropical low. The system moved steadily westward, becoming a tropical storm on September 1, and a hurricane on the following day. It then turned to the northwest in response to a trough of low pressure to its north. The storm steadily strengthened to a peak of Category 4, and turned back to the west-northwest in response to a ridge of high pressure building in behind the trough. The storm weakened thereafter, due to interaction with Hurricane Cleo. The storm continued to slow down and weaken,and made landfall near Jacksonville, Florida on September 10. The system briefly emerged over the Gulf of Mexico, but then turned back to the northeast as a tropical depression, before moving offshore in the Carolinas. The storm dissipated in the northern Atlantic Ocean on September 14.

Hurricane Dora was the only hurricane in the Twentieth Century to make landfall on the First Coast region of Florida. It caused $280 million in damage (1964 USD, $2.1 billion 2012 USD).

Hurricane Ethel

Category 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 4 – September 15
Intensity	115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min),  969 mbar (hPa)

A large cloud mass in the central tropical Atlantic, possibly developing from a tropical wave, became a tropical depression on September 4, and a tropical storm six hours later. Ethel developed slowly, possibly due to an unfavorable upper-level trough or due to the strong outflow of Dora to the storm's west. On September 7, Ethel rapidly organized and became a hurricane. On September 9, Ethel briefly became a major hurricane, but unfavorable conditions returned, weakening Ethel to a minimal hurricane. The storm was able to restrengthen to a Category 2 hurricane before accelerating and becoming extratropical on September 15.

Tropical Storm Florence

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	September 5 – September 10
Intensity	45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

A tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa became a tropical depression on September 5. Conditions were not very favorable for development, and the depression took three days to become a tropical storm. Florence turned northeastward, and dissipated on September 10 without affecting any landmasses.

Hurricane Gladys

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 13 – September 24
Intensity	145 mph (230 km/h) (1-min),  945 mbar (hPa)

Main article: Hurricane Gladys (1964)

Hurricane Gladys developed from a westward moving tropical wave on September 13. Later that day, it intensified and became Tropical Storm Gladys. Conditions were favorable for intensification, and Gladys became a hurricane on September 14. Hurricane Gladys remained a minimal hurricane for the next three days, until September 17 when it rapidly became a 145 mph (233 km/h) hurricane. After its peak Gladys steadily weakened to a Category 1 on September 21. It passed within 150 miles (240 km) of the Outer Banks, but it turned northeastward in response to the development of a low pressure system over the Great Lakes. Gladys became extratropical on September 24, and caused beach erosion and high tides.

Hurricane Hilda

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 28 – October 4
Intensity	150 mph (240 km/h) (1-min),  941 mbar (hPa)

Main article: Hurricane Hilda

A tropical wave organized into a tropical depression on September 28 while located south of Cuba. It steadily strengthened throughout the day and became a tropical storm on September 29 near the western tip of Cuba. On September 30, Hilda strengthened to hurricane intensity, which was followed by a period of rapid intensification which lasted until October 1. Hilda became a 150 mph (240 km/h) Category 4 hurricane while south of Louisiana. As it approached the coastline, conditions became unfavorable, weakening Hilda to a 110 mph (180 km/h) Category 2 hurricane at the time of its St. Mary Parish, Louisiana landfall on October 4. After landfall, Hilda quickly dissipated over Georgia. Hurricane Hilda killed 37 when it made landfall in Louisiana, with most of the deaths caused by storm-generated tornadoes. It caused roughly $126 million (1964 USD, $944 million 2012 USD) in damage.

Hurricane Isbell

Category 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	October 8 – October 16
Intensity	125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min),  964 mbar (hPa)

Main article: Hurricane Isbell (1964)

An old diffuse frontal trough reached the western Caribbean in early October. Evidence of a tropical disturbance appeared over the western Caribbean during October 7 and October 8 at the tail end of this frontal trough. A weak tropical depression formed on October 8, and it moved slowly to the northwest. On October 12, it executed a small loop, followed by a northeastward turn. Lack of inflow kept the depression weak, but on October 12, it was able to strengthen, reaching tropical storm strength on October 13. Later that day, Isbell intensified into a hurricane. Hurricane Isbell crossed western Cuba, and upon reaching the southeast Gulf of Mexico, strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane. Isbell peaked at 130 mph (210 km/h) before entering Florida near Everglades City as a Category 2 hurricane on October 14. It reached the Atlantic Ocean that night, and steadily weakened while moving to the north. Isbell became extratropical just before its final landfall on Morehead City, North Carolina on October 16, and dissipated the next day. Isbell caused $20 million (1964 USD, $150 million 2012 USD) in damage; most of it was from crop damage or tornadic activity. The hurricane also caused six deaths.

Tropical Storm Twelve

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	November 5 – November 10
Intensity	40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min),  997 mbar (hPa)

Similar to Tropical Storm One, Tropical Storm Twelve developed from an Intertropical Convergence Zone disturbance. A tropical depression developed on November 5 north of Panama. The depression moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm on November 6. It turned westward, hitting near the border of Honduras and Nicaragua on November 7. The storm weakened and re-emerged into the Caribbean, after which it hit Belize and dissipated on November 10. Tropical Storm Twelve (the named hurricanes filling in the large numbering gap) caused $5 million (1964 USD, $37.5 million 2012 USD) in damage from significant flooding in Honduras. Five small houses were destroyed, and the town Caukira was flooded, with tides as high as 18 ft (5.5 m). In Puerto Castilla significant rainfall, caused flooding and destroyed a bridge, leaving part of the population out of communication.

Storm names

The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1964. A storm was named Isbell for the first time in 1964. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

Abby Brenda Cleo Dora Ethel Florence Gladys

Hilda Isbell Janet (unused) Katy (unused) Lila (unused) Molly (unused) Nita (unused)

Odette (unused) Paula (unused) Roxie (unused) Stella (unused) Trudy (unused) Vesta (unused) Winny (unused)

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

The names Cleo, Dora, and Hilda were later retired, and were replaced with Candy, Dolly, and Hannah, respectively, in the 1968 season. Also, though Hilda and Dora were retired from the Atlantic lists before modern naming was introduced, they are still in use for the 1st and 3rd Pacific lists as of 2011.

See also

• List of Atlantic hurricanes
• List of Atlantic hurricane seasons

External links

• Monthly Weather Review

Tropical cyclones of the 1964 Atlantic hurricane season
1 2 A B C D E F G H I 12		Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5