1957 Atlantic hurricane season
Encyclopedia
The 1957 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1957, and lasted until November 15, 1957. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone
s form in the Atlantic basin
. The season
was below average, with eight total storms and just three hurricanes forming. Three storms caused significant impact during the season. Hurricane Audrey
hit Cameron, Louisiana
as a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
, demolishing the town and killing four hundred. Tropical Storm Bertha became one of the wettest tropical cyclones in Arkansas history when over 10 inches (254 mm) fell across central portions of the state. Another significant storm was Hurricane Carrie, which killed 80 people when a German sailing ship sank near the Azores.
coastline near Apalachee Bay
on June 9. It remained weak until it reached the Atlantic, when it reached a peak of 65 miles per hour (104.6 km/h) winds before becoming extratropical on June 10. Tropical Storm One caused $52,000 in flooding damage (1957 dollars) and five deaths from a capsized boat.
on June 24, and slowly moved north across the Gulf of Mexico
. It rapidly strengthened just before making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas
on June 27 as a 145 miles per hour (233.4 km/h) Category 4 hurricane
. It continued north and became a powerful extratropical storm. Audrey was the strongest U.S. landfall in June, the strongest hurricane before July 1, and caused the most deaths in a named U.S. hurricane (416) before 2005's Hurricane Katrina
struck the Gulf coast. Audrey also caused $150 million in damage (1957 dollars), mostly from storm surge.
on the 10th, and dissipated as a tropical cyclone the next day over Oklahoma
. The remnant low then moved east-northeast, dropping significant rainfall amounts in Arkansas and Missouri. Damascus, Arkansas
set a 24-hour rainfall record on August 11 when 11 inches (279.4 mm) was recorded. The storm caused 2 deaths, but little damage from the beneficial rain the area needed.
on September 16. A trough of low pressure turned Carrie eastward, where the hurricane maintained its strength until after it passed through the Azores
. Though it became extratropical on September 23, it remained a powerful cyclone until dissipating on September 24 just southwest of Ireland
.
The main impact from Carrie was felt over the open Atlantic. On September 21, the German sailing ship Pamir
, with 86 crewmen aboard, was caught in the storm while at Category 1 intensity near the Azores, rapidly sinking the ship. After a massive rescue effort, only six survivors were found. The shipwreck
received international media attention as a result.
on September 8. Heavy rainfall of over 5 inches (127 mm) fell across much of the Florida panhandle. Debbie dissipated later that day, after causing four indirect casualties.
on September 18. The storm dissipated over northwestern Mississippi
on September 19, after causing $1.5 million in damage (1957 dollars) and three fatalities from heavy flooding.
, and was absorbed by an extratropical storm later that day.
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 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 below average, with eight total storms and just three hurricanes forming. Three storms caused significant impact during the season. Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey was the first major hurricane of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season. Audrey was the only storm to reach Category 4 status in June. A powerful hurricane, Audrey caused catastrophic damage across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. It then affected the South Central United States as...
hit Cameron, Louisiana
Cameron, Louisiana
Cameron is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area...
as a Category 4 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...
, demolishing the town and killing four hundred. Tropical Storm Bertha became one of the wettest tropical cyclones in Arkansas history when over 10 inches (254 mm) fell across central portions of the state. Another significant storm was Hurricane Carrie, which killed 80 people when a German sailing ship sank near the Azores.
Tropical Storm One
Low pressures over the Gulf of Mexico gradually organized around an area of convection, and became a tropical depression on June 8. It raced northeastward, becoming a tropical storm later that day, and hitting the FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coastline near Apalachee Bay
Apalachee Bay
Apalachee Bay is a bay in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico occupying an indentation of the Florida coast to the west of where the Florida peninsula joins the United States mainland. It is bordered by Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties. The Aucilla, Econfina, St. Marks and Ochlocknee...
on June 9. It remained weak until it reached the Atlantic, when it reached a peak of 65 miles per hour (104.6 km/h) winds before becoming extratropical on June 10. Tropical Storm One caused $52,000 in flooding damage (1957 dollars) and five deaths from a capsized boat.
Hurricane Audrey
Audrey formed over the Bay of CampecheBay 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...
on June 24, and slowly moved north across the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf 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 rapidly strengthened just before making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass is a neighborhood of Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It lies on the west bank of Sabine Pass, near the Louisiana border.Originally known as Sabine City, the original date of settlement of Sabine Pass is unknown, but is estimated at 1836...
on June 27 as a 145 miles per hour (233.4 km/h) Category 4 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...
. It continued north and became a powerful extratropical storm. Audrey was the strongest U.S. landfall in June, the strongest hurricane before July 1, and caused the most deaths in a named U.S. hurricane (416) before 2005's Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck the Gulf coast. Audrey also caused $150 million in damage (1957 dollars), mostly from storm surge.
Tropical Storm Bertha
A weak extratropical low that entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 6 drifted west over the warm waters, becoming Tropical Storm Bertha on August 8. It moved northwestward toward the area that Hurricane Audrey devastated two months earlier, but only reached a peak of 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) winds. While in the Gulf of Mexico, the cyclone sunk one oil drilling tender and drove another aground. Bertha hit near Cameron, LouisianaCameron, Louisiana
Cameron is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on the 10th, and dissipated as a tropical cyclone the next day over Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The remnant low then moved east-northeast, dropping significant rainfall amounts in Arkansas and Missouri. Damascus, Arkansas
Damascus, Arkansas
Damascus is a town in Faulkner and Van Buren counties in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its portion within Faulkner County is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area...
set a 24-hour rainfall record on August 11 when 11 inches (279.4 mm) was recorded. The storm caused 2 deaths, but little damage from the beneficial rain the area needed.
Hurricane Carrie
Hurricane Carrie developed from a tropical wave on September 2, just off the coast of Africa. Conditions were generally favorable for development, and the tropical depression steadily strengthened to its peak of 155 miles per hour (249.4 km/h) winds on September 8. Carrie turned northward, where a weaker pressure gradient weakened the storm to a minimal hurricane. It turned to the northwest, where it again strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane. Conditions again became unfavorable for intensification, likely from cooler waters and upper level shear, and Carrie weakened to a minimal hurricane just after passing within 100 miles (160.9 km) of BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on September 16. A trough of low pressure turned Carrie eastward, where the hurricane maintained its strength until after it passed through the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. Though it became extratropical on September 23, it remained a powerful cyclone until dissipating on September 24 just southwest of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The main impact from Carrie was felt over the open Atlantic. On September 21, the German sailing ship Pamir
Pamir (ship)
Pamir was one of the famous Flying P-Liner sailing ships of the German shipping company F. Laeisz. She was the last commercial sailing ship to round Cape Horn, in 1949...
, with 86 crewmen aboard, was caught in the storm while at Category 1 intensity near the Azores, rapidly sinking the ship. After a massive rescue effort, only six survivors were found. The shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
received international media attention as a result.
Tropical Storm Debbie
A tropical wave formed into a tropical storm on September 7 in the Gulf of Mexico. Debbie moved northeastward, remaining weak due to upper level shear and cold air to its north, and hit the Florida PanhandleFlorida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
on September 8. Heavy rainfall of over 5 inches (127 mm) fell across much of the Florida panhandle. Debbie dissipated later that day, after causing four indirect casualties.
Tropical Storm Esther
The precursor to Tropical Storm Esther was a weak cyclonic circulation that moved into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a tropical depression on September 16. It moved north-northeastward, and became a tropical storm the next day. Esther remained a large tropical storm, with most of the convection to the east of the center, and only reached a peak of 50 miles per hour (80.5 km/h) winds before hitting southeastern LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
on September 18. The storm dissipated over northwestern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
on September 19, after causing $1.5 million in damage (1957 dollars) and three fatalities from heavy flooding.
Hurricane Frieda
The frontal trough that pushed Carrie eastward developed a frontal wave on September 20. It rapidly organized into a tropical depression that day, and after drifting to the southwest, became Tropical Storm Frieda on September 22. Conditions were generally favorable for continued development, with high divergence aloft and generally warm water temperatures. A new circulation developed to the northwest, and Frieda turned to the northeast in response to a shortwave trough. The storm reached a peak of 80 miles per hour (128.7 km/h) winds on September 25, and became extratropical on September 26.Tropical Storm Eight
A cutoff low on an upper level trough developed on October 22. It became a tropical depression the next day, and reached tropical storm strength later that day. The storm was subtropical in nature, but it managed to reach a peak of 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) winds before upper level winds weakened the system. Tropical Storm Eight became extratropical on October 27 northeast of BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, and was absorbed by an extratropical storm later that day.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1957. Storms were named Audrey, Bertha, Carrie, Debbie, Esther and Frieda for the first time in 1957.
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Retirement
The name Audrey would later be retired.See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- List of wettest tropical cyclones in Arkansas
External links
- Monthly Weather Review
- US Weather Bureau Monthly Weather Review for 1957 (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
)