Tropical Storm Ella (1966)
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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 ...
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in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
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 (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 countr ...
on June 4 and became the most recent major hurricane in the month of June. Alma brought severe flooding to Honduras 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
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. Alma resulted in 91 deaths and about $210.1 million (1966 
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) 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 Hurricane Faith was a long-lived Cape Verde hurricane and was the sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 1966 Atlantic hurricane season. Faith developed from an area of disturbed weather between Cape Verde and the west coast of Africa on A ...
, developed near Cape Verde on August 21. It tracked westward across the Atlantic Ocean until north of Hispaniola. After paralleling the East Coast of the United States, Faith moved northeastward across the open Atlantic and later became
extratropical 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 p ...
on September 4. Although it never made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
, 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 = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
. The two next tropical storms – Greta and Hallie – caused negligible impact. The strongest tropical cyclone of the season was
Hurricane Inez Hurricane Inez was a powerful major hurricane that affected the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico in 1966. It was the first storm on record to affect all of those areas. It originated from a tropical wave over Africa, and became a tropical ...
, a powerful Category 5 hurricane that devastated a large majority of the Caribbean, the Florida Keys, 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 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

ImageSize = width:800 height:200 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:01/06/1966 till:01/01/1967 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/06/1966 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:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:04/06/1966 till:13/06/1966 color:C3 text: Alma (C3) from:28/06/1966 till:02/07/1966 color:TS text:Two (TS) from:01/07/1966 till:03/07/1966 color:C1 text:Becky (C1) from:13/07/1966 till:21/07/1966 color:C1 text:Celia (C1) from:22/07/1966 till:30/07/1966 color:C1 text:Dorothy (C1) from:22/07/1966 till:28/07/1966 color:TS text:Ella (TS) from:25/07/1966 till:27/07/1966 color:TD text:Seven (TD) barset:break from:21/08/1966 till:06/09/1966 color:C3 text: Faith (C3) from:01/09/1966 till:08/09/1966 color:TS text:Greta (TS) from:20/09/1966 till:22/09/1966 color:TS text:Hallie (TS) from:21/09/1966 till:11/10/1966 color:C5 text: Inez (C5) from:27/09/1966 till:30/09/1966 color:TS text:Judith (TS) from:03/10/1966 till:09/10/1966 color:TS text:Kendra (TS) from:04/11/1966 till:11/11/1966 color:C1 text:Lois (C1) barset:break from:13/11/1966 till:17/11/1966 color:TS text:Unnamed (TS) from:19/11/1966 till:26/11/1966 color:TS text:Unnamed (TS) bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/06/1966 till:01/07/1966 text:June from:01/07/1966 till:01/08/1966 text:July from:01/08/1966 till:01/09/1966 text:August from:01/09/1966 till:01/10/1966 text:September from:01/10/1966 till:01/11/1966 text:October from:01/11/1966 till:01/12/1966 text:November from:01/12/1966 till:01/01/1967 text:December TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(617,30) text:" Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale)"
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 ...
office An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...
was re-designated the National Hurricane Center. 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 countr ...
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 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 the United ...
. However,
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tr ...
then halted for more than three weeks, until
Hurricane Faith Hurricane Faith was a long-lived Cape Verde hurricane and was the sixth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 1966 Atlantic hurricane season. Faith developed from an area of disturbed weather between Cape Verde and the west coast of Africa on A ...
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 (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, 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 with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and then near Guanimar,
Artemisa Province Artemisa Province is one of the two new provinces created from the former La Habana Province, whose creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly on August 1, 2010, the other being Mayabeque Province. The new provinces came into existence ...
, 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 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 Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park located about west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago's c ...
and Key West, Florida. 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, 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 Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
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 t ...
. Alma encountered colder water temperatures and weakened back to tropical storm intensity late on the following day, shortly before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone east of the
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. The remnant extratropical storm was absorbed by a frontal boundary just offshore
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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. Continuing northward, the storm passed just west of the
Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...
on July 1 before striking
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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
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and caused minimal effects. The storm dropped heavy rainfall in some areas of Florida, with a peak total of in Everglade City and
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
. 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, 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 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 A shortwave or shortwave trough is an embedded kink in the trough / ridge pattern. Its length scale is much smaller than that of and is embedded within longwaves, which are responsible for the largest scale (synoptic scale) weather systems. Sho ...
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 In fluid dynamics, the baroclinity (often called baroclinicity) of a stratified fluid is a measure of how misaligned the gradient of pressure is from the gradient of density in a fluid. In meteorology a baroclinic flow is one in which the densi ...
, 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 Corvo Island ( pt, Ilha do Corvo, ), literally the ''Island of the Crow'', is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores archipelago and the northernmost in Macaronesia. It has a population of approximately 384 inhabitants (as of 202 ...
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. Cro ...
, and Antigua. 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 the ...
and crossing
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
. 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 = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
. 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 , image_name = , 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 Nautla is a settlement in the Mexican state of Veracruz. ''Nautla'' comes from the Nahuatl ''naui'', 'four'; and from ''tlan'', that means 'place'; so it is known as 'Four Places'. History First it was a prehispanic town that was in Casitas, V ...
, 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. Entering the Gulf of Mexico, Inez began to slowly re-strengthen. On October 10, Inez made landfall near
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
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 Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
. 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 Corvo Island ( pt, Ilha do Corvo, ), literally the ''Island of the Crow'', is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores archipelago and the northernmost in Macaronesia. It has a population of approximately 384 inhabitants (as of 202 ...
. 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 São Miguel Island (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for "Saint Michael"), nicknamed "The Green Island" (''Ilha Verde''), is the largest and most populous island in the Portugal, Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers and has a ...
. 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 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