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{{dablink|This article is about the 1954 hurricane; there were also storms named Edna during the [[1953 Atlantic hurricane season]] and the [[1968 Atlantic hurricane season]].}}
{{dablink|This article is about the 1954 hurricane; there were also storms named Edna during the [[1953 Atlantic hurricane season]] and the [[1968 Atlantic hurricane season]].}}
{{Infobox Hurricane
{{Infobox Hurricane

Revision as of 22:40, 18 June 2009

This article is about the 1954 hurricane; there were also storms named Edna during the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season and the 1968 Atlantic hurricane season.
Hurricane Edna
Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
FormedSeptember 2, 1954
DissipatedSeptember 15, 1954
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 120 mph (195 km/h)
Lowest pressure≤ 954 mbar (hPa); 28.17 inHg
Fatalities20 direct, 9 indirect
Damage$40 million (1954 USD)
Areas affectedNorth Carolina, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Atlantic Canada
Part of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Edna was a Category 3 hurricane that moved along the east coast before striking the New England region of the United States in mid-September 1954.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

Edna formed off of Barbados on September 2. Moving northwestward and slowly strengthening, Edna followed the shape of the Caribbean islands, never moving more than 100 miles away from land. Edna reached hurricane strength on September 7, reaching Category 3 strength by the time it took aim at North Carolina's Outer Banks on September 10. Edna raked the Outer Banks, which had already been devastated by Hurricane Carol less than a month earlier. Fortunately, Edna's strongest winds were too far offshore to affect the battered area. The hurricane weakened slightly as it moved north over cooler waters. Before striking New England, its eye actually split into two different ones, up to 60 miles apart. It then moved over Cape Cod before finally making landfall near Eastport, Maine on September 11, with sustained winds of around 92 mph. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts reported a peak wind gust of 120 mph during Edna, and much of the rest of the affected area had gusts of 80 to 100 mph.[1] [2]

Preparations

In advance of the storm, hurricane warnings were issued for part of The Bahamas and South Florida, as winds of up to hurricane force were expected.[3] Farther to the north, storm warnings were posted from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Eastport, Maine. Along the coast of North Carolina and the Virginia Capes, residents were advised to take precautions. Gale-force winds and high tides were expected in some of these areas. In New York City, it was considered "a miracle" if Edna did not strike the area directly, and the storm was predicted to be one of the most severe hurricanes in the history of the New York Weather Bureau.[4] In the Montauk area, 500 residents were evacuated by early September 11, while all businesses were closed in Westerly, Rhode Island.[5] Other threatened areas were evacuated, including Milford, Connecticut, where 3,000 families left their homes. There, sirens alerted residents to remain indoors and for drivers to stay off the highways. Along the coast of Connecticut, bus and train service was halted.[6] On September 10, the Navy ordered the evacuation of hundreds of warships and aircraft.[7]

Impact

Edna was one of Maine's worst hurricanes, yet this storm could have been much worse. Carol hit Long Island directly as a Category 2, while Edna hit a less densely populated part of New England and was weaker. As it was, Edna still killed 29 people and caused $40.5 million in damage. For the citizens of Maine, it was a painful reminder that they were not immune from the dangers of hurricanes. The state would have the occasional hurricane brush by in the years to come, but none of them (with the possible exception of Gerda in 1969) were as destructive as Edna.

Eight people died due to drowning in Maine. In Unity, a family of 10 was trapped on top of their car, cut off by raging flood waters. A human chain of rescuers managed to save 9 of them. One 8 year old girl was swept away as her father lost his grip on the child when a house smashed into the guard rail. A 47 year old man was also swept away as he was trying to rescue the family. In all, a total of 29 people died in the storm, 12 people in New England, and 8 of those were in Maine.

In New York City, around 5 inches (127 mm) of rain fell in the space of 14 hours.[8]

Hurricane Edna moved through central New Brunswick, producing high winds across the region. At Moncton, New Brunswick, sustained winds of 64 miles per hour (103 km/h) occurred, and winds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) were reported at four stations in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These winds are considered more widespread than Hurricane Juan in 2003.[9] In New Brunswick, flooding and severe damage was reported,[10] while in Nova Scotia, the damage was described as "tremendous". It is estimated that Edna blew down 300,000 cords on Mersey Paper Company freehold land, and downed 700 million board feet of timber in fallen trees. Damage to structures and waterfronts and shipping was severe.[11]

Aftermath

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

The name Edna was eventually retired due to this storm, but only after its usage during the 1968 season. As such, the name will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane.[12] Prior to this storm, the name was used during the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Hurricane History - Carol and Edna 1954". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
  2. ^ WILLIAM MALKIN AND GEORGE C. HOLZWORTH (1954). "September 1954 Monthly Weather Review" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  3. ^ Associated Press (September 7, 1954). "Storm Warning Over Bahamas". Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Associated Press (September 10, 1954). "Hurricane Hears Carolina Coast, Virginia Capes". Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Associated Press (September 11, 1954). "Hew England Braces For Full Fury of Hurricane Edna". Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Associated Press (September 11, 1954). "Hurricane Buffets East Coast". Albuquerque Tribune. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Staff Writer (September 10, 1954). "Navy Evacuates Warships, Planes; Fleet Units at Norfolk Are Sent to Sea -- Aircraft Ordered to Safe Havens". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Addison Whipple (1982). Storm. Alexandria Virginia: Time Life Books. p. 102. ISBN=0-8094-4312-1. {{cite book}}: Missing pipe in: |id= (help)
  9. ^ Chris Fogarty (March 2, 2004). "A Comparison of the Wind Fields in Hurricane Edna (1954) and Hurricane Juan (2003)" (PDF). NovaWeather. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  10. ^ "Major Hurricanes". Atlas of Canada. May 2, 2005. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  11. ^ Ralph s. Johnson (1986). "Storms and Salvage". Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  12. ^ Gary Padgett; et al. (2006). "Subject: B3) What names have been retired in the Atlantic and East Pacific basin?". AOML Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  13. ^ "Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names". National Hurricane Center. 2007. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

See also

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