Tropical Storm Brenda (1955)
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The 1955 Atlantic hurricane season was, at the time, the costliest season ever recorded, just ahead of the previous year. The hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1955, and ended on November 15, 1955. It was an extremely active season in terms of
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used by various agencies to express the energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. It is calculating by summing the square of a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds, measured ever ...
(ACE), but slightly above average in terms of tropical storms, with 13 recorded tropical cyclones. The first storm,
Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
, had persisted since December 30,
1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
. Alice caused relatively minor impact as it tracked through the Lesser Antilles and eastern Caribbean Sea in early January. Tropical Storm Brenda caused two deaths and minor damage along the
Gulf Coast of the United States The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
in early August. The quick succession of Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused significant flooding in the
Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
, with nearly $1 billion (1955  USD, $11.05 billion in 2022 USD) in losses and at least 232 fatalities. The next three storms – Hurricanes Edith and Flora and Tropical Storm Five – caused very minor or no impact. In early September, Hurricane Gladys caused severe localized flooding in Mexico, primarily in Mexico City. Additionally, an offshoot of Gladys inflicted minor impact in Texas.
Hurricane Hilda Hurricane Hilda was an intense tropical cyclone that ravaged areas of the United States Gulf Coast, particularly Louisiana. In addition to its damage inland, the hurricane greatly disrupted offshore oil production, and at its time was the costlie ...
struck the Greater Antilles and then Mexico. It was attributed to at least 304 deaths and $120 million in losses. In mid-September,
Hurricane Ione Hurricane Ione () was a strong, Category 4 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 ...
struck eastern North Carolina and contributed the flooding from Connie and Diane, resulting in seven fatalities and $88 million in damage. Later that month, Hurricane Janet, which peaked as a
Category 5 hurricane Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses * Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) *Categories (Peirce) * ...
, lashed several countries adjacent to the Caribbean Sea, as well as Mexico and British Honduras. Janet resulted in $53.8 million in damage and at least 716 deaths. An unnamed tropical storm in the month of October did not impact land. Hurricane Katie, the final storm, caused minor damage in a sparsely populated area of Hispaniola, totaling to at least $200,000; 7 fatalities were also reported. Collectively, the storms caused 1,601 deaths and $1.11 billion in losses, making it the costliest season at the time. A record number of names – four – were retired following the season, which was later tied by the
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,
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, and 2017 seasons, trailing only the 2005 season, when five names were retired.


Season summary

ImageSize = width:800 height:205 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/07/1955 till:31/10/1955 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/08/1955 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤38_mph_(≤62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117_km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:31/07/1955 till:03/08/1955 color:TS text:Brenda (TS) from:03/08/1955 till:15/08/1955 color:C4 text: Connie (C4) from:07/08/1955 till:20/08/1955 color:C2 text: Diane (C2) from:21/08/1955 till:31/08/1955 color:C2 text:Edith (C2) from:25/08/1955 till:28/08/1955 color:TS text:Five (TS) from:02/09/1955 till:09/09/1955 color:C2 text:Flora (C2) from:03/09/1955 till:06/09/1955 color:C1 text:Gladys (C1) barset:break from:10/09/1955 till:21/09/1955 color:C4 text: Ione (C4) from:12/09/1955 till:20/09/1955 color:C3 text: Hilda (C3) from:21/09/1955 till:30/09/1955 color:C5 text: Janet (C5) from:23/09/1955 till:27/09/1955 color:TS text:Eleven (TS) from:10/10/1955 till:14/10/1955 color:TS text:Twelve (TS) from:14/10/1955 till:19/10/1955 color:C2 text:Katie (C2) barset:break bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/07/1955 till:01/08/1955 text:July from:01/08/1955 till:01/09/1955 text:August from:01/09/1955 till:01/10/1955 text:September from:01/10/1955 till:31/10/1955 text:October TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(617,30) text:" Saffir–Simpson scale)"
On April 11, 1955, which was prior to the start of the season, Gordon Dunn was promoted to the chief meteorologist of the Miami Hurricane Warning Office. Dunn was replacing
Grady Norton Grady Norton (1894 – October 9, 1954) was an American meteorologist. He is widely recognized as the original director of the National Hurricane Center even though that position would not be created during his lifetime. The son of a farmer, Nort ...
, who died from a stroke while forecasting Hurricane Hazel of the previous season. In early June, the Hurricane Hunters received new
reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
, which contained the latest radar and electronic equipment, at the time. Later that month, shortly before the start of the 1955 season, a bill was proposed in the United States Senate to provide funding for 55 new radar stations along the East Coast of the United States. After the United States House of Representatives passed a bill allotting $5 million, the Senate disputed about possibly increasing the funding two-fold to $10 million. Eventually, the radars were installed, starting in July 1955. After the devastating storms of the season, particularly Connie and Diane, a United States Government organization with the purpose of monitoring tropical cyclones was established in 1956 with $500,000 in funding; it later became the modern-day
National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
. The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1955. It was an above average season in which 13 tropical cyclones formed. In a typical season, about nine tropical storms develop, of which five strengthen to hurricane strength. All thirteen depressions attained tropical storm status, and eleven of these attained hurricane status. Six hurricanes further intensified into major hurricanes. The season was above average most likely because of a strong, ongoing La Niña. Hurricane Alice was named in January 1955 but was operationally analysed to have developed in late December 1954. Within the official hurricane season bounds, tropical cyclogenesis did not occur until July 31, with the development of Tropical Storm Brenda. However, during the month of August, four tropical cyclones formed – including Connie, Diane, Edith, and an unnamed tropical storm. Five additional tropical cyclones – Flora, Gladys, Hilda, Ione, and Janet – all developed in September. Tropical cyclogenesis briefly halted until an unnamed tropical storm formed on October 10. The final storm of the season, Katie, dissipated on October 19, almost a month before the official end of hurricane season on November 15. Eight hurricanes and two tropical storms made landfall during the season and caused 1,603 deaths and $1.1 billion in damage. The season's activity was reflected with an
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used by various agencies to express the energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. It is calculating by summing the square of a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds, measured ever ...
(ACE) rating of 158, which was well above the 1950-2000 average of 96.1. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical cyclones with winds exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h), which is tropical storm strength.


Systems


Tropical Storm Brenda

The first tropical depression of the season formed in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico early on July 31. Six hours later, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Brenda. During the next 24 hours, the storm strengthened and attained its peak intensity of 70 mph (110 km/h) early on August 1 before making landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana, at a slightly weaker intensity of 65 mph (100 km/h). The storm steadily weakened inland and at 0600 UTC on August 2, it was downgraded to a tropical depression. About 24 hours later, Brenda dissipated while located over northeastern Texas. Between
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, rainfall totals were generally about ; flooding, if any, was insignificant. Tropical storm force winds were reported, peaking at at Shell Beach, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Borgne. At the same location, tides between above normal were measured. Four people were rescued by the United States Coast Guard after their tugboat sank in Lake Pontchartrain, while three others swam to shore. Additionally, two fatalities occurred in the vicinity of
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
.


Hurricane Connie

A
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
developed into a tropical depression east of
Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...
on August 3. After six hours, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Connie. By August 4, Connie began to rapidly strengthen, becoming the first major hurricane of the season later that day. Initially, it posed a threat to the Lesser Antilles, although it passed about 50 miles (80 km) north. The outer rainbands produced hurricane-force wind gusts and intense precipitation, reaching 8.65 inches (220 mm) in Puerto Rico. In the United States Virgin Islands, three people died due to the hurricane, and a few homes were destroyed. In Puerto Rico, Connie destroyed 60 homes and caused crop damage. After affecting Puerto Rico, Connie turned to the northwest, reaching peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). The hurricane weakened while slowing and turning to the north, and struck North Carolina on August 12 as a Category 2 hurricane. Connie produced strong winds, high tides, and heavy rainfall as it moved ashore, causing heavy crop damage and 27 deaths in the state of North Carolina. Connie made a second landfall in Virginia, and it progressed inland until dissipating on August 15 near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Connie is noted for being the only hurricane in recorded history to strike Michigan/the Great Lakes region as a tropical storm. Four people were killed in Washington, D.C. due to a traffic accident. In the Chesapeake Bay, Connie capsized a boat, killing 14 people and prompting a change in Coast Guard regulation. There were six deaths each in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and eleven deaths in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, where record rainfall flooded homes and subways. At least 225,000 people lost power during the storm. Damage in the United States totaled around $86 million, although the rains from Connie was a prelude to flooding by Hurricane Diane. The remnants of Connie destroyed a few houses and boats in Ontario and killed three people in Ontario.


Hurricane Diane

A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde on August 7. It slowly strengthened and became Tropical Storm Diane on August 9. After a
Fujiwhara interaction The Fujiwhara effect, sometimes referred to as the Fujiwara effect, Fujiw(h)ara interaction or binary interaction, is a phenomenon that occurs when two nearby cyclonic vortices move around each other and close the distance between the circulatio ...
with Hurricane Connie, Diane curved northward or north-northeastward and quickly deepened. By early on August 8, the storm was upgraded to a hurricane. Only several hours later, Diane peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). The storm resumed its west-northwestward motion on August 13. Colder air in the region caused Diane to weaken while approaching the East Coast of the United States. A recently installed radar in North Carolina noted an eye feature, albeit poorly defined. Early on August 17, Diane made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, as a strong tropical storm. The storm then moved in a parabolic motion across North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic before re-emerging into the Atlantic Ocean on August 19. Diane headed east-northeastward until becoming extratropical on August 20. Despite landfall in North Carolina, impact in the state was minor, limited to moderate rainfall, abnormally high tides, and relatively strong winds. Further north, catastrophic flooding occurred in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England. Of the 287 
stream gauge A stream gauge, streamgage or stream gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water level surface elevation ("stage") and/or volu ...
s in the region, 129 reported record levels after the flooding from Tropical Storm Diane. Many streams reported
discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...
rates that were more than twice of the previous record. Most of the flooding occurred along small river basins that rapidly rose within hours to flood stage, largely occurring in populated areas; the region in which the floods occurred had about 30 million people, and 813 houses overall were destroyed. The floods severely damaged homes, highways, power lines, and railroads, and affected several summer camps. Overall utility damage was estimated at $79 million. Flooding in mountainous areas caused landslides and destroyed crop fields; agriculture losses was estimated at $7 million. Hundreds of miles of roads and bridges were also destroyed, accounting for $82 million in damage. Overall, Diane caused $754.7 million in damage, of which $600 million was in New England. Overall, there were at least 184 deaths.


Hurricane Edith

An easterly tropical wave developed into a tropical depression on August 21 in the tropical Atlantic. Moving towards the west-northwest, the disturbance slowly intensified, reaching tropical storm strength at 1200 UTC on August 23 and as such was named ''Edith'' by the Weather Bureau. Afterwards, Edith began to curve towards the northwest as it gradually intensified, attaining hurricane strength on August 26, but weakened back to a tropical storm early the next day. The storm re-intensified as it northeastward and accelerated, re-attaining hurricane status early on August 29. Edith became a Category 2 hurricane on August 30 and soon peaked with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . The hurricane began to gradually weaken after it passed east of the island, before becoming extratropical on August 31. The extratropical cyclone would later make a clockwise loop before dissipating completely early on September 5. Although Edith remained at sea, it was suspected that the hurricane may have caused the loss of the pleasure yacht '' Connemara IV'', after it separated from its moorings.


Tropical Storm Five

A weak disturbance was first observed near Grand Cayman on August 23. The disturbance moved northeastward into the Gulf of Mexico, where it became a tropical depression late on August 25. Early the next day, the depression intensified into a tropical storm. The tropical storm marginally strengthened further, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) by 0000 UTC on August 27. Nearing the
Gulf Coast of the United States The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
, the system curved towards the west. The storm maintained its intensity up until landfall in Louisiana near New Orleans about four hours later. Moving inland, it slowly weakened while crossing the Central United States, degenerating to tropical depression strength by August 28 and dissipating over east-central Texas several hours later. Strong waves generated by the storm caused tides above average, slightly damaging coastal
resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
s. Weather offices advised small craft offshore to remain in port due to the strong waves. Rough seas battered the
schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
''Princess Friday'', but the ship was able to ride out the storm. The storm produced squalls further inland, causing heavy rains. Very minor damage occurred as a result of this cyclone.


Hurricane Flora

A tropical wave moved along the
Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...
(ITCZ) and passed through Cape Verde between August 30 and August 31. Although the Panair do Brasil headquarters in Recife, Brazil reported a closed circulation on August 30, Tropical Storm Flora did not develop until 0600 UTC on September 2, while located about of Cape Verde. The storm strengthened at a steady pace for the following 48 hours and reached hurricane status late on September 3. Flora headed on a parabolic track, initially moving west-northwestward and then northwesterly by September 4. It continued to intensify and by September 6, the storm curved northward. Around time, a minimum barometric pressure of was reported, along with a maximum sustained wind speed of 105 mph (165 km/h). Flora weakened slightly to a Category 1 hurricane curving to the northeast late on September 8 and became extratropical at 0600 UTC on September 9, while located about midway between Flores Island in the Azores and Sable Island, Nova Scotia.


Hurricane Gladys

A tropical depression developed in the Bay of Campeche at 1800 UTC on September 3. About 24 hours later, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Gladys. The storm quickly intensified and reached hurricane status on September 5, roughly 24 hours after developing. Around that time, Gladys peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Later on September 5, an offshoot of Gladys with cyclonic turning formed in the northern Gulf of Mexico and struck Texas on September 6; it may have been a separate tropical cyclone. Initially, Gladys headed north-northwestward, but then re-curved south-southwestward while approaching the
Gulf Coast of Mexico The Gulf Coast of Mexico or East Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border between Mexico and the United States at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal ...
. Early on September 6, it made landfall near Tampico, Tamaulipas, as a minimal hurricane. Gladys curved southward while just barely inland and weakened, dissipating near Tuxpan, Veracruz, late on September 6. Gladys dropped up to in Tampico, Tamaulipas. The worst of the flooding from Gladys occurred in Mexico City. Roughly 5,000 residents were isolated and required rescue. Police estimated that 2,300 homes were inundated with of water. About 30,000 families were impacted by the storm. Two children drowned and five additional people were listed as missing. In Texas, the highest sustained wind speed was 45 mph (75 km/h) in the Corpus ChristiPort O'Connor area, with gusts between offshore. Precipitation peaked at in
Flour Bluff Flour Bluff is a specified area of the city of Corpus Christi, Texas. It is located on Encinal peninsula bordered by Corpus Christi Bay on the north, Oso Bay on the west, the Laguna Madre on the east and the King Ranch to the south. South Padre I ...
, a neighborhood of Corpus Christi. Flooding in the area forced "scores" of people to evacuate their homes. Damage estimates reached $500,000.


Hurricane Ione

A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression early on September 10, while located about midway between Cape Verde and the Lesser Antilles. After six hours, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Ione. Eventually, it turned to the northwest. At 0000 UTC on September 15, Ione reached hurricane intensity, while situated north of the
Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...
. Ione continued to deep while moving northwest. The storm reached Category 4 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of early on September 18. Around midday on the following day, it made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, as a Category 2 hurricane. Shortly after moving inland over eastern North Carolina, Ione weakened to a tropical storm. Late on September 19, Ione re-emerged into the Atlantic near
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. The storm quickly re-strengthened early on September 20, but transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 21. Strong winds, heavy rainfall, and abnormally high tides lashed some areas along the
East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
, especially North Carolina. In Cherry Point, sustained winds reached 75 mph (121 km/h), with gusts up to 107 mph (172 km/h). Overall, damage was slightly more than $88 million, mostly to crops and agriculture. Rainfall in the state peaked at in Maysville. Storm surge in North Carolina peaked at in
Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...
. As a result, several coastal roadways were flooded, including a portion of Highway 94 and Route 264. Seven deaths were reported in North Carolina. The remnants of Ione brought gusty winds to
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, which broken poles, uprooted trees, interrupted telephone service, damaged chimneys and caused power outages, especially in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
.


Hurricane Hilda

A tropical wave spawned Tropical Storm Hilda north of Puerto Rico early on September 12. Hilda quickly intensified while moving westward into a small hurricane by September 13. Although the storm passed just north of
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
on that day, damage is unknown, if any. Later on September 13, Hilda made landfall near the southeastern tip of Cuba on September 13. There, it dropped heavy rainfall and produced gusty winds that destroyed 80% of the coffee crop in Oriente Province. In the eastern Cuban city of Baracoa, Hilda severely damaged the oldest church in the country. Damage totaled $2 million in Cuba, and there were four deaths. Although Hilda weakened to a tropical storm over southeastern Cuba, the system re-strengthened into a hurricane as it struck Grand Cayman early on September 15. The storm intensified further over the northeastern Caribbean, becoming a Category 3 major hurricane and reaching sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) about 24 hours later. Late on September 16, Hilda struck a sparsely-populated region of the eastern Yucatán Peninsula, causing light damage. Although Hilda quickly weakened to a tropical storm over the Yucatán Peninsula, the cyclone re-strengthened to again reach winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) early on September 19. Before the hurricane moved ashore, there was residual flooding in Tampico from earlier Hurricane Gladys. Hilda struck the city early on September 19 and then rapidly weakened inland, dissipating on September 20. The storm is estimated to have generated gusts up to 150 mph (240 km/h) and dropped heavy rainfall that flooded 90% of Tampico, while its strong winds damaged half of the homes, leaving 15,000 homeless. Throughout Mexico, 11,432 people were directly affected by Hilda. Overall, the storm killed 300 people and caused over $120 million in damages. Additionally, the outer bands of Hilda caused minor flooding in southern Texas, particularly in Raymondville.


Hurricane Janet

Hurricane Janet was the most powerful tropical cyclone of the season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. The hurricane formed from a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21. Moving toward the west across the Caribbean Sea, Janet fluctuated in intensity, but generally strengthened before reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). The intense hurricane made landfall at that intensity near
Chetumal, Mexico Chetumal (, , ; yua, label=Yucatec Maya, Chactemàal , ) 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. In 2020 i ...
on September 28. Janet's landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the Yucatán Peninsula marked the first recorded instance that a storm of such intensity in the Atlantic basin made on a continental mainland, with all previous storms making landfall as Category 5 hurricanes on islands. After weakening to a Category 2 over the Yucatán Peninsula, it moved into the
Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight (geography), bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico, Mexic ...
and remained mostly unchanged in intensity 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 near the Lesser Antilles, Janet caused significant damage to the island chain, resulting in 189 deaths and $7.8 million in damages in the
Grenadines The Grenadines is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted): ...
and Barbados. While Janet was in the central Caribbean Sea, a
reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
flew into the storm and was lost, with all eleven crew members believed perished. This was 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 on Quintana Roo and British Honduras. Only five buildings in
Chetumal, Mexico Chetumal (, , ; yua, label=Yucatec Maya, Chactemàal , ) 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. In 2020 i ...
remained intact after the storm. An estimated 500 deaths occurred in the
Mexican state The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...
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. The flood damage would lead to the largest Mexican relief operation ever executed by the United States. At least 1,023 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Janet, as well as $65.8 million in damages.


Tropical Storm Eleven

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 18 and continued west-northwestward. It is possible that the system developed into a tropical depression the next day, although lack of data prevented such classification until September 23, when a nearby ship reported winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). An approaching cold front turned the system to the north on September 24. The structure gradually became better organized, and after turning to the northeast on September 26, the depression intensified into a tropical storm. This was based on a ship report of 45 mph (75 km/h) winds, which was also estimated as the system's peak intensity. On September 27, the system became extratropical and accelerated its forward motion, dissipating within a larger extratropical storm south of Iceland on the next day.


Tropical Storm Twelve

A tropical wave was reported to have passed through Cape Verde on October 4. The system slowly developed a vertex as it curved in a generally northward direction. By early on October 10, two ships reported that a tropical depression formed almost halfway between the Azores and the Leeward Islands. After six hours, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm. While re-curving to the northeast, the storm attained its maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h); the lowest atmospheric pressure recorded in relation to the storm was , but the time of measurement is unknown. Although no significant weakening occurred, it eventually merged with an extratropical cyclone on October 14, while still well southwest of the Azores. During its extratropical stage, a ship in the area reported an atmospheric pressure as low as .


Hurricane Katie

A disturbance in the ITCZ developed into a tropical depression north of Panama on October 14. Early on the following day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katie. The system moved generally northeast due to the presence of a strong low pressure area along the East Coast of the United States. Later that day, Hurricane Hunters observed a rapidly intensifying hurricane, encountering winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a pressure of several hours before the peak intensity. Early on October 17, Katie made landfall in extreme eastern Sud-Est,
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
, as a strong Category 2 hurricane (although it may have been stronger). About half of homes in the town of
Anse-à-Pitres Anse-à-Pitres ( ht, Ansapit), or ''Anse-à-Pitre'' is a commune in the Belle-Anse Arrondissement, in the Sud-Est department of Haiti. Its border crossing to Pedernales is one of the four chief land crossings to the Dominican Republic ...
were destroyed. Across the border in Pedernales, Dominican Republic, 68 houses were damaged. Overall losses were at least $200,000 and 7 fatalities were reported. While crossing the mountainous terrain of
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
, Katie became very disorganized and rapidly weakened to a tropical storm early on October 17, within a few hours after moving inland. Later that day, the storm emerged into the Atlantic Ocean just east of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Katie began accelerating to the northeast on October 18. During that time, the storm re-intensified and briefly approached hurricane intensity, although it failed to strengthen further due to interaction with a cold front. After passing just east of Bermuda on October 19, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The remnants of Katie were last observed the following day.


Storm names

The following names were used for tropical cyclones that reached at least tropical storm intensity in the North Atlantic in 1955. However, two of such storms went unnamed. Storms were named Brenda, Connie, Diane, Edith, Flora, Gladys, Hilda, Ione, Janet and Katie for the first (and only in case of Connie, Diane, Ione and Janet) time. Names not assigned are marked in gray.


Retirement

''Connie'', ''Diane'', ''Ione'', and ''Janet'' would later be retired. The 1955 season is tied with the
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, and
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
seasons for the second most storm names retired after a single season in the Atlantic basin, only surpassed by the
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, which had five names retired.


Season effects

This is a table of all the storms that have formed in the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, besides Hurricane Alice. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a tropical wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 1955 USD.


See also

* Lists of Atlantic hurricanes *
Atlantic hurricane season The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...
*
1950 Pacific hurricane season The 1950 Pacific hurricane season was notable for one of the storms being the third-wettest tropical cyclone in United States history. Seven known tropical cyclones occurred during the season, the earliest of which formed on June 14 and the latest ...
*
1950–59 Pacific typhoon seasons The following is a list of Pacific typhoon seasons. The seasons are limited to the north of the equator between the 100th meridian east and the 180th meridian (aka Prime Antimeridian). Seasons Pre-1940 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s ...
*
1950s Australian region cyclone seasons The following is a list of all reported tropical cyclones within the Australian region between 90°E and 160°E in the 1950s. 1950–51 *December 10–11, 1950 – A tropical cyclone passed overland to the west of Groote Eylandt, where hur ...
*
1950s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons The years between 1950 and 1959 featured the 1950s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons. Each season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian tropical cyclone season has no bounds, but they tend to for ...


Notes


References


External links


Monthly Weather Review
* {{DEFAULTSORT:1955 Atlantic Hurricane Season Articles which contain graphical timelines