1955 Atlantic hurricane season
Encyclopedia
The 1955 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1955, and lasted until November 15, 1955. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone
s form in the Atlantic basin
. The 1955 season
was active, with twelve tropical storms forming.
Three hurricanes hit North Carolina
in 1955: Connie, Diane and Ione
. Hurricane Connie
swamped the Outer Banks
and Hurricane Diane
caused millions of dollars in damages. Hurricane Janet
was one of the most intense storms ever recorded in the Atlantic basin
; it struck Belize
as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
, killing hundreds and causing catastrophic damage.
on January 2. Alice reached peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) before encountering cold air and turning to the southeast. It dissipated on January 6 over the southeastern Caribbean Sea
. Alice produced heavy rainfall and moderately strong winds across several islands along its path. Saba and Anguilla
were affected the most, with total damage amounting to $623,500 (1955 USD). Operationally, lack of definitive data prevented the U.S. Weather Bureau from declaring the system a hurricane until January 2. It received the name Alice in early 1955, though re-analysis of the data supported extending its track to the previous year, resulting in two tropical cyclones of the same name in one season. It was one of only two storms to span two calendar years, along with Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005 and 2006.
. It moved northwestward, and hit near New Orleans on August 1 as a 70 mph (110 km/h) tropical storm. Brenda dissipated on August 3 as it moved westward over Texas
, after causing two deaths in Mobile, Alabama
, but little damage.
in 1955. It hit as a Category Three hurricane, having weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, and caused massive flooding in the northeast. As noted in the Best Track database from the National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1851to2006_atl.txt
on August 23, likely from a tropical wave. It moved northwestward, crossed the western tip of Cuba, and hit southeastern Louisiana near New Orleans on August 27. The storm dissipated three days later over Missouri
, and caused little damage.
islands on August 30 and developed on September 2. Flora moved on a smooth curving track, reaching a peak intensity of 100 mph winds as it reached the westernmost point. As Flora moved northeastward, it weakened, becoming extratropical on September 9.
on the 6th, dissipating later that day. The storm caused some damage and deaths, though exact numbers are unknown.
On September 5, an offshoot of Hurricane Gladys with cyclonic turning formed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. It hit Texas
on September 6, and caused about $500,000 in damage. It is possible this was a separate tropical storm from Gladys.
. It moved northwestward, and gradually strengthening to a 95 mph hurricane before hitting eastern Cuba
on September 14. Hilda weakened to a tropical storm while moving across the island, but quickly re-strengthened to a 115 mph hurricane while over the Caribbean Sea before hitting the sparsely populated eastern Yucatan
peninsula between Chetumal
and Cozumel
. After weakening over land, Hilda rapidly intensified to a 130 mph Category 3 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, and hit Tampico, Mexico as a weakened Category 2 hurricane on September 19, dissipating the next day over Mexico
.
Hilda killed 300 people and caused $120 million in damage (1955 dollars), mostly from flooding. Despite its destruction, Hilda was not retired, though the name was later retired in the Hurricane Hilda of 1964
.
this season. Ione was the least damaging of the three, as it only affected North Carolina
and southeastern Virginia
, whereas Connie and Diane caused damage throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
A tropical wave moved through Cape Verde on September 6. It became a tropical depression on September 10, and a tropical storm later that day. Ione remained weak for the next three days, but it steadily strengthened as it moved north of the Lesser Antilles, reaching hurricane strength on September 15. Conditions were favorable for additional development, and Ione reached its peak of 120 mph winds on September 18 while north of the Bahamas.
Dry and cooler air was gradually entrained in Ione's circulation, and the hurricane weakened to a minimal hurricane at the time of its Wilmington, North Carolina landfall on September 19, the third hurricane to hit the state in six weeks and fourth in 11 months. The storm weakened to a tropical storm over land, but restrengthened to a Category 2 hurricane over the northwestern Atlantic. Ione continued northeastward, and became extratropical on September 21. The extratropical storm crossed over Newfoundland, and was last seen on September 24 over the North Atlantic.
. It moved west and became a Category 3 hurricane while crossing the Windward Islands
, but weakened to a minimal hurricane as it moved into the Caribbean Sea
. Conditions for tropical development improved, and Janet strengthened steadily to a Category 5 hurricane
, peaking at 175 mph (280 km/h) winds; the pressure reading of 914 mbar (hPa) taken well before peak strength remains one of the lowest central pressures ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. The hurricane struck the Yucatán Peninsula
in British Honduras
(now Belize
), weakening to a Category 2 storm as it emerged into the Bay of Campeche
. A second landfall was made at that intensity in Veracruz
, Mexico
, and the hurricane dissipated soon after.
Janet caused extensive destruction throughout its path, amounting to 680 deaths and nearly $50 million ($340 million in 2005 USD) in damage. It was the only Atlantic hurricane to cause the loss of a Hurricane Hunter aircraft.
north of Panama. Developing on October 14, the system maintained a general northeast track for its duration. This was due to the presence of a powerful low pressure area along the United States east coast. Its status as a tropical cyclone was confirmed on October 16 by a ship to the south of Hispaniola. Later that day, Hurricane Hunters observed a rapidly intensifying hurricane, encountering winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a pressure of 984 mbar (29.1 inHg). Early on October 17, Katie moved ashore near the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in a sparsely-populated area. While crossing the high mountains of Hispaniola, the hurricane became very disorganized and rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. As it accelerated northeastward across the Atlantic Ocean, Katie briefly re-intensified to near-hurricane intensity, although it failed to strengthen further due to interaction with a cold front. After passing just east of Bermuda on October 19, Katie became extratropical and was last observed the following day.
When Katie struck Hispaniola, it left heavy damage in Pedernales, Dominican Republic
and Anse-à-Pitres
, Haiti, estimated at over $200,000. In the former town, 68 houses were damaged, and about half of the homes were wrecked in the latter. There were seven deaths.
, 2004 season
and one name for the 2005 season
for the most storm names retired after a single season until the 2005 season
, when five names were retired.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s form in the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin
The Atlantic Basin is the Atlantic Ocean.Atlantic Basin may also refer to:* Atlantic Basin Iron Works, an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century...
. The 1955 season
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic are called hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition, there have been several storms over the years that have not been fully...
was active, with twelve tropical storms forming.
Three hurricanes hit North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1955: Connie, Diane and Ione
Hurricane Ione
Hurricane Ione was a strong, Category 3 hurricane that affected North Carolina in September 1955, bringing high winds and significant rainfall. It came on the heels of Hurricanes Connie and Diane, and compounded problems already caused by the two earlier hurricanes...
. Hurricane Connie
Hurricane Connie
Hurricane Connie was the first in a series of hurricanes to strike North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. Connie struck as a Category 1, causing major flooding and inflicting extensive damage to the Outer Banks and inland to Raleigh....
swamped the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
and Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
caused millions of dollars in damages. Hurricane Janet
Hurricane Janet
Hurricane Janet was the most powerful hurricane of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. It made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, causing catastrophic damage and at least 687 deaths in the Lesser...
was one of the most intense storms ever recorded in the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin
The Atlantic Basin is the Atlantic Ocean.Atlantic Basin may also refer to:* Atlantic Basin Iron Works, an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century...
; it struck Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
, killing hundreds and causing catastrophic damage.
Hurricane Alice (1954)
On January 1, there was already a tropical cyclone located in the central Atlantic Ocean, having developed on December 30 of the previous year. Operationally it was first observed as a hurricane on January 1, which resulted in it being named Alice. The hurricane passed through the Leeward IslandsLeeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
on January 2. Alice reached peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) before encountering cold air and turning to the southeast. It dissipated on January 6 over the southeastern Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. Alice produced heavy rainfall and moderately strong winds across several islands along its path. Saba and Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
were affected the most, with total damage amounting to $623,500 (1955 USD). Operationally, lack of definitive data prevented the U.S. Weather Bureau from declaring the system a hurricane until January 2. It received the name Alice in early 1955, though re-analysis of the data supported extending its track to the previous year, resulting in two tropical cyclones of the same name in one season. It was one of only two storms to span two calendar years, along with Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005 and 2006.
Tropical Storm Brenda
Tropical Storm Brenda formed on July 31 in the northern Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It moved northwestward, and hit near New Orleans on August 1 as a 70 mph (110 km/h) tropical storm. Brenda dissipated on August 3 as it moved westward over Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, after causing two deaths in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, but little damage.
Hurricane Connie
Hurricane Connie was the first of three hurricanes that hit North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1955. It hit as a Category Three hurricane, having weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, and caused massive flooding in the northeast. As noted in the Best Track database from the National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1851to2006_atl.txt
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was the second of three hurricanes that hit North Carolina this season. It hit as a minimal hurricane, and added significant flooding to the northeast; an area that received heavy rain from Hurricane Connie only five days before.Hurricane Edith
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression on August 21 in the Tropical Atlantic. It moved northwestward and strengthened; first to a tropical storm on August 23, then a hurricane on August 25, and Edith reached a peak of 95 mph winds on August 28. The hurricane curved out to sea without affecting land, and became extratropical on August 31 south of Newfoundland. The extratropical low looped back to the west and dissipated on September 3.Tropical Storm Five
A tropical storm formed just west of JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on August 23, likely from a tropical wave. It moved northwestward, crossed the western tip of Cuba, and hit southeastern Louisiana near New Orleans on August 27. The storm dissipated three days later over Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and caused little damage.
Hurricane Flora
The precursor to Hurricane Flora was a tropical wave that moved through the Cape VerdeCape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
islands on August 30 and developed on September 2. Flora moved on a smooth curving track, reaching a peak intensity of 100 mph winds as it reached the westernmost point. As Flora moved northeastward, it weakened, becoming extratropical on September 9.
Hurricane Gladys
A tropical depression formed in the Bay of Campeche on September 4. It moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm and later a hurricane on September 5. Gladys turned southward, and hit the Mexican coast north of TampicoTampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
on the 6th, dissipating later that day. The storm caused some damage and deaths, though exact numbers are unknown.
On September 5, an offshoot of Hurricane Gladys with cyclonic turning formed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. It hit Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on September 6, and caused about $500,000 in damage. It is possible this was a separate tropical storm from Gladys.
Hurricane Hilda
Hurricane Hilda developed from a tropical wave on September 10 over the northern Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. It moved northwestward, and gradually strengthening to a 95 mph hurricane before hitting eastern Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
on September 14. Hilda weakened to a tropical storm while moving across the island, but quickly re-strengthened to a 115 mph hurricane while over the Caribbean Sea before hitting the sparsely populated eastern Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
peninsula between Chetumal
Chetumal
Chetumal is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco...
and Cozumel
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
. After weakening over land, Hilda rapidly intensified to a 130 mph Category 3 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, and hit Tampico, Mexico as a weakened Category 2 hurricane on September 19, dissipating the next day over Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Hilda killed 300 people and caused $120 million in damage (1955 dollars), mostly from flooding. Despite its destruction, Hilda was not retired, though the name was later retired in the Hurricane Hilda of 1964
Hurricane Hilda
Hurricane Hilda was the third hurricane to make landfall in the United States during the 1964 Atlantic hurricane season. Originating near Cuba, the cyclone intensified while moving through the Gulf of Mexico, and became a Category 4 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico before striking Louisiana in...
.
Hurricane Ione
Hurricane Ione was the final of three hurricanes to hit North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
this season. Ione was the least damaging of the three, as it only affected North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and southeastern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, whereas Connie and Diane caused damage throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
A tropical wave moved through Cape Verde on September 6. It became a tropical depression on September 10, and a tropical storm later that day. Ione remained weak for the next three days, but it steadily strengthened as it moved north of the Lesser Antilles, reaching hurricane strength on September 15. Conditions were favorable for additional development, and Ione reached its peak of 120 mph winds on September 18 while north of the Bahamas.
Dry and cooler air was gradually entrained in Ione's circulation, and the hurricane weakened to a minimal hurricane at the time of its Wilmington, North Carolina landfall on September 19, the third hurricane to hit the state in six weeks and fourth in 11 months. The storm weakened to a tropical storm over land, but restrengthened to a Category 2 hurricane over the northwestern Atlantic. Ione continued northeastward, and became extratropical on September 21. The extratropical storm crossed over Newfoundland, and was last seen on September 24 over the North Atlantic.
Hurricane Janet
Janet formed as a small tropical storm on September 21 east of the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. It moved west and became a Category 3 hurricane while crossing the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
, but weakened to a minimal hurricane as it moved into the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. Conditions for tropical development improved, and Janet strengthened steadily to a Category 5 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
, peaking at 175 mph (280 km/h) winds; the pressure reading of 914 mbar (hPa) taken well before peak strength remains one of the lowest central pressures ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. The hurricane struck the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
in British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
(now Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
), weakening to a Category 2 storm as it emerged into the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
. A second landfall was made at that intensity in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and the hurricane dissipated soon after.
Janet caused extensive destruction throughout its path, amounting to 680 deaths and nearly $50 million ($340 million in 2005 USD) in damage. It was the only Atlantic hurricane to cause the loss of a Hurricane Hunter aircraft.
Tropical Storm Eleven
A tropical wave developed into a tropical storm on October 10, having moved northward from Cape Verde. It moved westward, then recurved to the northeast where it reached its peak of 65 mph winds. It became extratropical over the cool northeast Atlantic waters on October 14, and was absorbed by a larger extratropical storm later that day.Hurricane Katie
The origins of Hurricane Katie are believed to have been from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence ZoneIntertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
north of Panama. Developing on October 14, the system maintained a general northeast track for its duration. This was due to the presence of a powerful low pressure area along the United States east coast. Its status as a tropical cyclone was confirmed on October 16 by a ship to the south of Hispaniola. Later that day, Hurricane Hunters observed a rapidly intensifying hurricane, encountering winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a pressure of 984 mbar (29.1 inHg). Early on October 17, Katie moved ashore near the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in a sparsely-populated area. While crossing the high mountains of Hispaniola, the hurricane became very disorganized and rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. As it accelerated northeastward across the Atlantic Ocean, Katie briefly re-intensified to near-hurricane intensity, although it failed to strengthen further due to interaction with a cold front. After passing just east of Bermuda on October 19, Katie became extratropical and was last observed the following day.
When Katie struck Hispaniola, it left heavy damage in Pedernales, Dominican Republic
Pedernales, Dominican Republic
The Dominican city of Pedernales is the capital of the province of Pedernales, in the Dominican Republic. It is located in the southwest of the country...
and Anse-à-Pitres
Anse-à-Pitres
Anse-à-Pitres is a town in the Belle-Anse Arrondissement, in the Sud-Est Department of Haiti. It is located around . Its border crossing to Pedernales is one of the four chief land crossings to the Dominican Republic....
, Haiti, estimated at over $200,000. In the former town, 68 houses were damaged, and about half of the homes were wrecked in the latter. There were seven deaths.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1955. Storms were named Brenda, Connie, Diane, Edith, Flora, Gladys, Hilda, Ione, Janet and Katie for the first time in 1955.
|
Hurricane Ione Hurricane Ione was a strong, Category 3 hurricane that affected North Carolina in September 1955, bringing high winds and significant rainfall. It came on the heels of Hurricanes Connie and Diane, and compounded problems already caused by the two earlier hurricanes... Hurricane Janet Hurricane Janet was the most powerful hurricane of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. It made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, causing catastrophic damage and at least 687 deaths in the Lesser... |
but used in 2005 Hurricane Wilma Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season... . |
Retirement
Connie, Diane, Ione, and Janet would later be retired. The 1955 season was tied with the 1995 season1995 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. It officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the north Atlantic ocean...
, 2004 season
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
and one name for the 2005 season
2005 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering numerous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with an estimated 3,913 deaths and record damage of about $159.2 billion...
for the most storm names retired after a single season until the 2005 season
2005 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering numerous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with an estimated 3,913 deaths and record damage of about $159.2 billion...
, when five names were retired.
See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons