The 1966 Atlantic hurricane season saw the
Weather Bureau
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the p ...
office
An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...
in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, be designated as the
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 ...
(NHC) and assume responsibility of
tropical cyclone forecasting
Tropical cyclone forecasting is the science of forecasting where a tropical cyclone's center, and its effects, are expected to be at some point in the future. There are several elements to tropical cyclone forecasting: track forecasting, intensi ...
in
the basin. The season officially began on June 1, and lasted until November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. It was an above-average season in terms of tropical storms, with a total of 15. The first system,
Hurricane Alma The name Alma has been used to name 11 tropical cyclones worldwide: 5 in the North Atlantic Ocean, 5 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 1 in the Western Pacific Ocean.
In the Atlantic:
* Tropical Storm Alma (1958), made landfall in northeastern Mexi ...
, developed over eastern
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
on June 4 and became the most recent major hurricane in the month of June. Alma brought severe flooding to
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
and later to
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, but caused relatively minor impact in the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
. Alma resulted in 91 deaths and about $210.1 million (1966
USD) in damage.
The unnamed June tropical storm and Becky, Celia, Dorothy, and Ella all resulted in little to no impact on land. The next system,
Hurricane Faith, developed near Cape Verde on August 21. It tracked westward across the Atlantic Ocean until 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 ...
. After paralleling 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 ...
, Faith moved northeastward across the open Atlantic and later became
extratropical on September 4. Although it never made
landfall, Faith and its remnants generated rough seas that resulted in five deaths, with one over the open Atlantic and the other four offshore
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
. The two next tropical storms – Greta and Hallie – caused negligible impact.
The strongest tropical cyclone of the season was
Hurricane Inez, a powerful Category 5 hurricane that devastated a large majority of the Caribbean, the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
, and parts of Mexico. Throughout its path, the storm caused about $226.5 million in damage and more than 1,000 deaths. Following Inez, the other cyclones reaching at least tropical storm intensity, Judith, Kendra, Lois, and two unnamed systems in November did not result in significant impacts on land. The final system, an unnamed tropical storm, degenerated into a
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
over the western Atlantic on November 26. Overall, the storms of this season collectively caused at least 1,096 fatalities and about $436.6 million in damage.
Season summary
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The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1.
During the year, the
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Weather Bureau
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the p ...
office
An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...
was re-designated the
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 ...
. It was an above average season in which fifteen tropical storms formed, compared with the 1966–2009 average of 11.3 named storms. Seven of these reached hurricane status, slightly above of the 1966–2009 average of 6.2. Furthermore, three storms reached major hurricane status, with the 1950–2000 mean being 2.3.
Three hurricanes and one tropical storm made landfall during the season, causing at least 1,096 deaths and $436.6 million in damage. Hurricane Faith also caused fatalities, despite remaining well offshore.
The season officially ended on November 30.
The first storm,
Hurricane Alma The name Alma has been used to name 11 tropical cyclones worldwide: 5 in the North Atlantic Ocean, 5 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 1 in the Western Pacific Ocean.
In the Atlantic:
* Tropical Storm Alma (1958), made landfall in northeastern Mexi ...
, developed over eastern
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
on June 4. Alma crossed the Caribbean and struck
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. The storm made another landfall in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
as a hurricane on June 9. This marked the earliest United States hurricane landfall since a hurricane in May and June of
1825
Events
January–March
* January 4 – King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies in Naples and is succeeded by his son, Francis.
* February 3 – Vendsyssel-Thy, once part of the Jutland peninsula forming westernmost Denmark, becomes a ...
. Alma continued northeastward across the Southeastern United States until becoming extratropical offshore
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
on June 13. Later that month, another tropical depression developed.
The month of July was highly active, with four named storms – Becky, Celia, Dorothy, and Ella. Additionally, a tropical depression developed in the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
.
However,
tropical cyclogenesis then halted for more than three weeks, until
Hurricane Faith developed on August 21. On average, three or four named storms form in August.
Four tropical cyclones developed in September, including tropical storms Greta, Hallie and Judith, as well as Hurricane Inez. Peaking as a Category 5 hurricane on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale with winds of , Inez was the strongest tropical cyclone of the season. Although Inez persisted into October, no other system developed that month. Two named storms usually form in October. The final tropical cyclone, Hurricane Lois, existed from November 4 to November 11.
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 145.
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 systems at or exceeding , which is tropical storm strength.
Systems
Hurricane Alma
A westward-moving tropical wave crossed the Caribbean Sea and reached Central America in early June. Land interaction initially slowed development. However, after the wave turned northward and reemerged into the Caribbean, it quickly organized into a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on June 5.
While moving through
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, the precursor system dropped heavy rainfall that killed at least 73 people in the city of
San Rafael.
Offshore northern Honduras, the system produced heavy rainfall on
Swan Island.
The depression moved north-northeastward and intensified into Tropical Storm Alma around 00:00 UTC on June 6, about 18 hours before becoming a hurricane. After strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane on June 8, Alma made two landfalls in Cuba, first on
Isla de la Juventud
Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Islan ...
with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and then near Guanimar,
Artemisa Province, at a slightly stronger intensity.
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. observed wind gusts up to .
The hurricane caused heavy crop damage and water shortages.
Over 1,000 houses were destroyed,
and damage was estimated at around $200 million.
The storm killed 12 people in the country.
After emerging into the
Straights of Florida
The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait ( es, Estrecho de Florida) is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between th ...
around 13:00 UTC on June 8, Alma continued to intensify and reached major hurricane intensity five hours later. The storm then peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of as it passed between
Dry Tortugas and
Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
.
The latter reported power outages and flooding.
Alma dropped heavy rainfall and produced winds across most of Florida, which damaged crops and caused scattered power outages.
The cyclone weakened to a Category 1 hurricane before moving ashore near
St. Marks, Florida
St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area. The population was 293 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 319.
Geography
St. Marks ...
, late on June 9 with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h).
This was the earliest date of landfall in the United States since 1825. Damage in Florida was estimated at $10 million, and there were six deaths in the state.
Alma crossed southeastern
Georgia as a tropical storm,
damaging a few houses and causing light damage.
The storm re-intensified into a hurricane over the western Atlantic Ocean around 12:00 UTC on June 11,
and its outer rainbands dropped heavy precipitation in
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...
.
Alma encountered colder water temperatures and weakened back to tropical storm intensity late on the following day, shortly before transitioning into an
extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
east of the
Outer Banks. The remnant extratropical storm was absorbed by a frontal boundary just offshore
on June 14.
Tropical Storm Two
A strong tropical wave developed into a tropical depression in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on June 28.
The depression moved slowly northward and although it remained poorly defined throughout its duration,
the system intensified into a tropical storm early the following day.
Also despite being described as poorly defined, the wind field was well organized, especially in the northeastern quadrant. Around 14:00 UTC on June 29, the storm made landfall on Cuba's south coast just west of the modern-day border of Artemisa and
Mayabeque provinces with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). The cyclone emerged into the Straights of Florida several hours later. Early on June 30, the system peaked with sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of while approaching the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
. Continuing northward, the storm passed just west of the
Tampa Bay area on July 1 before striking
Cedar Key at 22:00 UTC with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). The system curved northeastward and weakened to a tropical depression over southern Georgia at 06:00 UTC on July 2, about 12 hours before dissipating.
The storm spawned two tornadoes, one of which destroyed two aircraft at
Palm Beach International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, located just west of the city of West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, which it serves as the primary airport for. It is also the primary airport for most o ...
; the other touched down in
Vero Beach and caused minimal effects. The storm dropped heavy rainfall in some areas of Florida, with a peak total of in
Everglade City and
Jacksonville. The precipitation in Jacksonville resulted in $50,000 in damage to roadways. Additionally, the cyclone brought "beneficial rains" to
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Hurricane Becky
In late June, a weakening frontal boundary and an upper-level trough traversed the western Atlantic. A significant convective flare occurred along the tail-end of the frontal system between the Bahamas and Bermuda on June 27. The frontal system also began interacting with the northern part of a westward-moving tropical wave over the Caribbean. After a well-defined center developed on June 30, the system became a subtropical depression near Bermuda at 12:00 UTC. Six hours later, the cyclone intensified into a subtropical storm. Based on satellite imagery, the system transitioned into a tropical storm around 12:00 UTC on July 1.
Becky continued to intensify while heading northeastward under an upper-level trough.
The storm reached hurricane status by midday on July 2, six hours before peaking with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . However, Becky soon began weakening and losing tropical characteristics, becoming an extratropical cyclone early on July 3.
A
cold low then caused the remnants of Becky to turn northwest toward
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 ...
,
before being absorbed by another extratropical system to the north several hours later.
Hurricane Celia
A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression west of the Leeward Islands at 00:00 UTC on July 13. Six hours later, ship reports indicated that the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Celia. However, because satellite imagery showed only a weak swirl with convection sheared well to the southeast, Celia degenerated back to a tropical wave early on July 14 north of Puerto Rico while moving westward. While nearing the central Bahamas late on July 18, the remnants of Celia regenerated into a tropical depression after regaining a low-level circulation. That day, Celia turned northward back into the open Atlantic. Observations from a ship indicate that Celia re-strengthened into a tropical storm early on July 20 as it accelerated northeastward ahead of a frontal boundary. The storm intensified significantly throughout the day, reaching hurricane status at 18:00 UTC. Celia then peaked with sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of . The cyclone soon began to weaken, falling to tropical storm intensity at 06:00 UTC on July 21. Six hours later, Celia transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, which struck eastern
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
late on July 21 and then dissipated over
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
on the following day.
Only light rainfall was observed in Atlantic Canada and
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, with a peak total of in Nova Scotia. Portions of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
experienced wind gusts up to 45 mph (75 km/h).
Hurricane Dorothy
In late July, a low-level disturbance situated over the central Atlantic Ocean encountered a vigorous
shortwave trough and developed into a surface low-pressure area on July 21.
Initially, the depression had extratropical features and lacked tropical characteristics, such as a warm core and a well-developed
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...
. A weather ship in the area indicated an influx of
baroclinity, suggesting that Dorothy derived its energy through non-tropical processes.
Around 06:00 UTC on July 23, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Dorothy. Thereafter, it moved in quasi-stationary motion to the northwest and continued to intensify, reaching hurricane status late on July 24.
Upon reaching hurricane intensity, Dorothy possessed tropical characteristics, with evidence of a weak warm core beginning on July 25.
The hurricane moved in a semi-circular path, and at 12:00 UTC the next day, Dorothy attained its minimum barometric pressure of . Later on July 26, the system curved north-northeastward. Further strengthening occurred and at 00:00 UTC on July 28, Dorothy attained its maximum sustained wind speed of 85 mph (140 km/h). Moving across colder sea surface temperatures, the hurricane began weakening and fell to tropical storm status early on July 29. Dorothy continued to weaken and became extratropical around 18:00 UTC the following day, while located about north-northwest of
Corvo Island in the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
. The remnants continued northwestward and dissipated on July 31.
Tropical Storm Ella
On July 20, a tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa. The wave organized while moving westward and developed into a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on July 22. The depression initially moved west-northwestward at approximately and slowly intensified. Early on July 24, the cyclone strengthened into Tropical Storm Ella and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . Ella remained poorly organized throughout its duration and weakened back to a tropical depression at 06:00 UTC on July 28,
due to outflow from Hurricane Dorothy.
Although Ella soon dissipated, its remnants turned northward and persisted until being absorbed by a frontal boundary two days later.
Hurricane Faith
An area of disturbed weather emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa in mid-August.
It developed into a tropical depression while located between Cape Verde and the west coast of Africa on August 21. Tracking westward, the depression intensified and became Tropical Storm Faith on the following day. Moving westward across the Atlantic Ocean, it continued to slowly strengthen, reaching hurricane status early on August 23. However, Faith weakened back to a tropical storm early on August 26 while approaching the Lesser Antilles, before re-gaining hurricane status about 24 hours later. The outer bands of Faith produced gale-force winds in the region, especially
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, the
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
, and
Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
.
Minor damage to boats and jetties occurred as far south as
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
. After curving north-northwestward near the Bahamas, Faith briefly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on August 28, reaching an initial peak intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). The storm then weakened and fluctuated in intensity between Category 2 and Category 1 over the next few days. Faith remained well offshore the East Coast of the United States, turning northeastward on August 31 and then eastward on September 2.
Re-intensifying into a Category 3 hurricane early on September 3, Faith then attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of . One person drowned in the western Atlantic after his ship sank.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds pelted Bermuda, though no damage occurred. The storm resumed a northeastward motion and weakened to a Category 2 hurricane early on September 4, before becoming extratropical about east-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The extratropical remnants continued northeastward and later east-northeastward across the far north Atlantic. On September 6, the remnants of Faith passed near the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
, several hours before striking
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
and crossing
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
. Thereafter, the system meandered over the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
for the next several days, until finally becoming unidentifiable near
Franz Josef Land
, native_name =
, image_name = Map of Franz Josef Land-en.svg
, image_caption = Map of Franz Josef Land
, image_size =
, map_image = Franz Josef Land location-en.svg
, map_caption = Location of Franz Josef ...
on September 15. Three other drowning deaths occurred in the North Sea near
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
.
A fifth death occurred after a man succumbed to injuries sustained during a boating incident related to the storm.
In Norway, heavy rainfall from the storm caused record high glacier melting, flooding some areas.
Tropical Storm Greta
A tropical wave traversed the Atlantic well east of the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
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, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...
in late August. The wave developed into a tropical depression about east of
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
at 12:00 UTC on September 1, based on Nimbus 2 satellite imagery showing that a circulation formed within the cloud mass. The depression moved west-northwestward and remained weak and disorganized, with convection highly sheared on its east side. Based on reconnaissance flight data, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Greta early on September 4. Based on reconnaissance data, ship reports, and the pressure-wind relationship, Greta is estimated to have peaked with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of several hours later. The cyclone slowly weakened thereafter, falling to tropical depression intensity early on September 6. Around 18:00 UTC that day, Greta degenerated into an open trough, which turned northward over the western Atlantic before being absorbed by a frontal system on September 8.
Tropical Storm Hallie
Satellite imagery from ESSA 2 indicated that a large area of disturbed weather began merging with a frontal band in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. After an increase in convective activity and satellite imagery revealing a closed circulation on September 20, the system was classified as a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC. Six hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Hallie. After initially remaining stationary, Hallie eventually began a southwestward drift toward Mexico. Early on September 21, Hallie peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . However, the storm abruptly weakened to a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC due to cool, dry air and land interaction. Although post-season analysis indicated that Hallie soon made landfall near
Nautla, Veracruz, the
Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project
The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks to correct and add new information about past North Atlantic hurricanes. It was started around 2000 to update HURDAT, the official hurricane d ...
concluded that the cyclone remained offshore and dissipated just after 18:00 UTC. The remnants of Hallie produced heavy rainfall and wind gusts up to 40 mph (65 km/h) at Nautla.
Hurricane Inez
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression well east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21.
It moved slowly westward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Inez on September 24. The storm strengthened into a hurricane and was quickly intensifying when it struck the French overseas region of
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
on September 27. After entering the Caribbean, Inez briefly weakened before a rapid intensification trend ensued, attaining peak sustained winds of on September 28. Continuing westward, Inez made landfall on the
Barahona Peninsula of the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
. Inez then struck southwestern
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 ...
, where it was considered the worst hurricane since the 1920s.
Inez weakened quickly over Hispaniola, although it reintensified into a major hurricane before striking southeastern Cuba on September 30. The hurricane moved slowly over Cuba for two days before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. Inez stalled and later resumed its previous westward path. Between October 4 and October 5, the storm moved west-southwestward across the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
. Entering the Gulf of Mexico, Inez began to slowly re-strengthen. On October 10, Inez made landfall near
Tampico as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm weakened rapidly and dissipated over
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
on October 11.
In Guadeloupe, Inez severely damaged the island's banana and sugar crops, and thousands of homes were damaged, leaving 10,000 people homeless.
There were 40 deaths and damage totaled approximately $50 million.
The storm flooded many rivers and destroyed over 800 houses in Dominican Republic.
There were about 100 deaths and $12 million in damage.
In Haiti, as many as 1,000 people were killed, and 60,000 people were left homeless. Damage totaled $20.35 million.
About 125,000 people were forced to evacuate in Cuba,
and there were three deaths and $20 million in damage.
In the Bahamas, heavy rainfall and high tides caused flooding, which killed five people and left $15.5 million in damage.
Hurricane-force winds were observed in the Florida Keys, where 160 homes and 190 trailers were damaged.
Salt spray damaged crops in the region, and there was $5 million in damage and four deaths.
In the Straits of Florida, Inez capsized a boat of Cuban refugees, killing 45 people.
In the northern Gulf of Mexico, a helicopter crashed after carrying evacuees from an oil rig, killing 11 people. Inez produced flooding and caused some power outages in the Yucatán Peninsula.
At its final landfall, Inez flooded portions of
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
and cut off roads to
Tampico. About 84,000 people were left homeless,
and the hurricane destroyed at least 2,500 houses. Damage was estimated at $104 million,
[ ] and there were 74 deaths in Mexico.
Tropical Storm Judith
On September 26 and September 27, satellite imagery and ships monitored an area of disturbed weather located to the east of the Lesser Antilles and following Hurricane Inez. Based on reports of a circulation,
the system developed into a tropical depression at 00:00 UTC on September 27. The depression intensified slowly and became Tropical Storm Judith around midday on September 28. While centered north of
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
the next day, Judith attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , both of which were observed by a reconnaissance aircraft flight.
Shortly thereafter, the storm crossed through the Windward Islands and weakened to a tropical depression, possibly due to entering the outflow of Inez. At 12:00 UTC on September 30, Judith dissipated over the eastern Caribbean Sea. Winds up to were observed on
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...
.
Tropical Storm Kendra
A tropical wave moved off the western coast of Africa on October 2 and spawned an area of disturbed weather that steadily organized as it moved northward between Africa and Cabo Verde. It became a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on October 3 and maintained that strength for a few days. On October 7, a ship measured 40 mph (65 km/h) winds, the impetus for upgrading the depression to Tropical Storm Kendra. The organized nature of the system on satellite imagery suggested it may have become a tropical storm as early as October 4, but the sparsity of observations precluded an upgrade. The cyclone curved toward the southwest and began to weaken as its convection dissipated. At 00:00 UTC on October 10, it degenerated to a remnant low which dissipated into an open trough over the central Atlantic the next day. Kendra has been the focus of multiple analyses, as it was originally classified as a tropical storm, revoked as a tropical cyclone in post-season review, and finally re-designated as a tropical storm during reanalysis.
Hurricane Lois
A vortex within an area of low pressure developed into a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on November 4, while located about 965 mi (1,555 km) east-southeast of Bermuda. Initially, the depression featured cold temperatures near the center and did not completely possess tropical characteristics.
During the next few days, the depression organized further and acquired a warmer center of circulation while heading west-southwestward and then to the east-southeast.
Late on November 6, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Lois, based on reconnaissance aircraft flight observations.
Passing west of the Azores on November 10, a sustained wind speed of was observed on
Corvo Island. Moving over colder ocean waters,
at 18:00 UTC on November 10 Lois transitioned from a hurricane into an extratropical storm while located about north of
São Miguel Island. Transitioning at 42.7N, this made Lois the farthest north an Atlantic hurricane has traveled in the month of November on record, until surpassed by
Hurricane Martin in 2022. The remnants curved southeastward while weakening until dissipating a few hundred miles offshore Portugal at 06:00 UTC on November 14.
Tropical Storm Fourteen
On November 13, an area of low pressure developed in the eastern Atlantic at the tail-end of a cold front connected to the extratropical remnants of Lois. Surface observations and satellite imagery suggest a subtropical storm formed at 18:00 UTC that day. The system moved west and slowly shed its frontal boundaries; it is thus analyzed to have become a tropical storm on November 14. The small system developed organized banding features, and ship observations support it reaching winds of at least 65 mph (100 km/h), although the sparsity of data suggests it could have become a hurricane. The storm began curving poleward and passed west of the Azores on November 17, where it intercepted cold, dry air and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone around 18:00 UTC that day.
Tropical Storm Fifteen
Similar to the previous system, an area of low pressure developed at the tail-end of a front over the central Atlantic on November 19. After persisting as an extratropical cyclone for a few days, the northeast-moving system acquired characteristics of a tropical storm at 00:00 UTC on November 22. Two days later, it reached peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) as it curved toward the northwest. An intensifying non-tropical low progressing across the western Atlantic increased shear over the system, causing it to open up into a trough around 00:00 UTC on November 26.
Other systems
In addition to the 15 tropical storms, there were several weaker tropical cyclones during the season.
A tropical depression was reported to have existed in late July. A tropical low-pressure area moved across Florida and entered the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on July 24. By the following day, coastal radars indicated a relatively well-defined circulation. As a result, it is estimated that the system became a tropical depression later on July 25. After minimal intensification, the depression made landfall near
Boothville, Louisiana
Boothville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. Its population was 854 as of the 2010 census, and 718 at the 2020 U.S. census.
Jeré Longman of ''The New York Times'' stated t ...
early on July 26. The depression then curved westward and dissipated on the next day. Other than heavy thunderstorms and a brief suspension of fishing activities, no other effects were reported.
September 27-30 tropical depression
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1966. Storms were named Dorothy, Faith, Hallie, Inez, Kendra and Lois for the first time in 1966. At the 1967 hurricane warning conference it was decided to use 1966's list of names for 1970, with the name Faith was substituted for Francelia.
The name Inez was retired after the 1969 hurricane warning conference.
Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
See also
*
List of Atlantic hurricanes
Lists of Atlantic hurricanes, or tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, are organized by the properties of the hurricane or by the location most affected.
By property
* List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
*List of Atlantic hurricane records
*Li ...
*
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 ...
Notes
References
External links
Monthly Weather Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:1966 Atlantic Hurricane Season