Since 1900, hurricanes striking the United States bordering the Gulf of
Mexico have killed more than 9,000 people and caused tremendous damage. When
adjusted to 1990 dollars, the cost of damages inflicted by those storms is more
than $30 billion. These Gulf coast storms are those that strike from Florida's
west coast to Brownsville, TX. The word "memorable" is indicative of some of the
most deadly and costly storms. The storms described below are subjective and not
intended to be all inclusive.
Hurricanes are designated in 5 categories according to the Saffir/Simpson
Scale: Category 1: 74-95 mph winds, Category 2: 96-110 mph winds, Category 3:
111-130 mph winds, Category 4: 131-155 mph winds, and Category 5: winds greater
than 155 mph.
HURRICANES FROM 1900 TO 1950: DURING THIS TIME, AREAS ON THE GULF OF MEXICO,
LIKE THOSE ON THE ATLANTIC COAST, EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE
HURRICANES OF THIS CENTURY.
1900: Known as "the Galveston Hurricane," the deadliest hurricane disaster in
U.S. history occurred on September 8. More than 6,000 people died when hurricane
storm tides (the surge plus the astronomical tide) of 8-15 feet inundated the
entire island city of Galveston, TX. More than half of all the homes and
buildings were destroyed. Property damage is estimated at $700 million in 1990
dollars.
1906: The second September storm of 1906 was one of great violence. On the
27th the hurricane reached the middle Gulf Coast. Destructive winds and
unprecedented tides accompanied the storm. At Pensacola, FL, the tide was 10
feet above normal. It was said to have been the most violent storm there in 170
years. At Mobile,AL property damage was severe. The storm's tide was 9.9 feet
above normal. A total of 134 lives were lost from Pensacola, FL to Mississippi
in this storm.
1909: 1909 was a very active year. Out of 12 tropical cyclones, four were
hurricanes. On July 20th, a hurricane passed directly over Velasco, TX. There,
the calm center lasted 45 minutes, and was followed by devastating winds on the
other side which destroyed one-half of the town. In August, a very violent
hurricane raked Haiti, caused high winds and rains in Cuba, and entered the
Yucatan Channel on August 25. As the storm approached the Mexican coast it
caused gales and tremendous seas along the Texas coast. It went to Northeastern
Mexico causing an enormous loss of life and property. Unofficial estimates
placed the Mexican death toll at 1,500 as a result of floods and mud slides. On
September 20, 1909, another intense hurricane crossed the middle Gulf Coast
passing about 50 miles west of New Orleans, LA. at 8 p.m. A wide portion of the
Louisiana coast was inundated. About 350 lives were lost in Louisiana and
Mississippi. It was the same intensity as "the Galveston Hurricane" of 1900
(931) millibars (mb)). [A millibar is a unit of atmospheric pressure equal to
.0295 inches of mercury.]
1915: On August 16, Galveston, TX was the site of a very large and violent
storm. Despite a 10 foot high sea wall built after the 1900 hurricane, storm
tides 12 feet above normal flooded the business district to a depth of six feet.
275 people lost their lives from a combination of high water and strong winds.
On September 29, another ferocious hurricane of similar intensity to the August
storm occurred, reaching the Louisiana coast. At Burrwood, LA, winds were
clocked at 125-140 miles per hour. As manay as 90% of the buildings were
destroyed. At several places on the Mississippi River below New Orleans and on
Lake Pontchartrain, LA. an estimated 275 lives were lost despite advanced
warnings.
1919: The fourth most intense and deadly storm of the 20th century passed
near Key West, FL on September 9-10. The slow moving storm reached an intensity
of 27.37 inches (927 mb) in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas--Florida islands 65
miles west of Key West. Ten vessels were lost at sea accounting for more than
500 of the 800-900 deaths. The hurricane continued slowly westward and on
September 14, the center went inland south of Corpus Christi, TX. There, tides
rose 16 feet above normal and another 287 lives were lost.
1947: The most severe hurricane of the 1947 season crossed over Florida and
hit Louisiana and Mississippi. The center of the very large and intense storm
hit Hillsboro Light, FL, on September 17 with winds of 155 mph. After leaving
Florida, the huge hurricane took a northwesterly course over the Gulf of Mexico
and onto the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts. Tides rose to 12 feet at
Biloxi,Bay St. Louis, and Gulfport, MS. The eye of the storm passed directly
over New Orleans, LA, and was estimated at 25 miles in diameter. A total of 51
lives were lost--17 in Florida, 12 in Louisiana and 22 in Mississippi. Total
damage was more than $700 million (in 1990 dollars).
HURRICANES OF THE '50S: DESPITE A GOOD NUMBER OF HURRICANES AND< TROPICAL
STORMS TO HIT THE GULF COAST IN THE '50S, AUDREY, THE FIRST HURRICANE OF 1957
WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE.
Hurricane Audrey, June 27. 1957: Hurricane Audrey made landfall near the
Texas-Louisiana border on June 27th with devastating effects. Its central
pressure deepened considerably in the last five hours before landfall. There
were 390 deaths as the result of a storm surge in excess of 12 feet, which
inundated the flat coast of Louisiana as far as 25 miles inland in some places.
Damages were estimated at about $700 million (in 1990 dollars).
HURRICANES OF THE '60S: THIS DECADE BROUGHT SOME OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE
STORMS OF THE CENTURY. SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE ARE CARLA, HILDA, BETSY,
BEULAH, AND CAMILLE. CAMILLE WAS THE 2ND MOST INTENSE HURRICANE TO STRIKE THE
MAINLAND THIS CENTURY, SENOND ONLY T0 THE 1935 LABOR DAY HURRICANE IN THE
FLORIDA KEYS.
Hurricane Carla, September 10. 1961: Hurricane Carla was the largest and most
intense Gulf Coast hurricane in decades. On September 8, Carla's center took aim
at the Texas coast. By the 9th, Carla's circulation enveloped the entire Gulf of
Mexico with fringe effects along all Gulf Coast states. On the 9th, the largest
mass evacuation to that date occurred, as an estimated one-half million
residents of low coastal areas and islands off Texas and Louisiana were
evacuated to higher ground. As the center approached Texas on the 10th, winds
near the center were estimated at 150 mph. Reconnaissance aircraft indicated a
central pressure of 931 mb just prior to its striking the coast. Only 46 lost
their lives because of early warnings. Severe damage along a wide expanse of the
Texas coast was caused by unusually prolonged winds,high tides and flooding from
torrential rains. Damage was about $2 billion in 1990 dollars.
Hurricane Hilda, October 3. 1964: Hurricane Hilda developed in the western
Caribbean Sea and reached storm intensity as it crossed the western tip of Cuba.
Hilda reached maximum intensity about 350 miles south of New Orleans on October
1. On the morning of October 3rd, several tornadoes occurred in southeastern
Louisiana in pre-hurricane squall lines. One tornado at Larose, LA, killed 22
and injured 200 people. Three other tornadoes caused much damage in the New
Orleans metropolitan area but no deaths. Hurricane Hilda's highest wind reported
was an estimated 135 mph at Franklin, LA.The lowest pressure was 28.05 inches
(950 mb). Almost a complete evacuation of the entire Louisiana coast accounts
for the low death toll of 38 including the tornado fatalities.
Hurricane Betsy, September 8-9, 1965: Betsy developed from a tropical
depression on August 26 east of the Windward Islands and intensified as it moved
west. On September 2nd, the central pressure fell to 27.82 inches (942 mb)--the
lowest recorded during the life of the storm. Warnings to the Bahamas were
posted on September 5 and southern Florida was warned on the 10th. Betsy moved
south through the Bahamas, then west over the Florida Keys. Damage from winds,
high tides and wave action was confined to an area from Ft. Lauderdale, FL
southward. Flooding over the upper Keys was extensive.
Betsy turned to the northwest upon entering the Gulf of Mexico and its
forward speed increased to 22 mph. The eye arrived at Grand Isle, LA, the
evening of September 9th. The eye was 40 miles in diameter on the Louisiana
coast.
Great devastation was caused by high water on the central Gulf Coast from the
point where the center made landfall to Mobile, Alabama. Evacuation advice
prompted 300,000 people in Louisiana to seek safe shelter. However, 58 people
lost their lives because of winds and floods in that state. There were four
deaths in Florida; other lives were lost in the adjacent waters of the Gulf and
the Atlantic. The total of 75 deaths in Betsy was the greatest loss of life
along the Gulf coast since Audrey in 1957. Highest sustained winds of 136 mph
were rec.orded at Port Sulphur, LA, with gusts to 160 mph reported along the
Gulf Coast. Betsy's damages in 1990 dollars, amount to $6.5 billion, the third
costliest U.S. hurricane of the 20th Century. Only the Atlantic coast's Hugo
(1989) and Andrew (1992), with more than $7 billion, and $25 billion
respectively, exceed Betsy's devastation.
Beulah developed off the African coast and became a hurricane in the eastern
Caribbean Sea on the 8th. From September 10th to 13th it weakened greatly and
was downgraded to a tropical storm. However, on the 14th, it regained hurricane
status again, turned toward the northwest and headed for the Yucatan Peninsula
of Mexico. It made landfall at Cozumel on the 16th, and entered the southwestern
Gulf of Mexico on the 17th. On the l9th, it intensified, and reconnaissance
aircraft recorded a central pressure of 920 mb or 27.17 inches. It continued
moving northwest and made landfall between Brownsville, TX and the mouth of the
Rio Grande about daybreak on September 20. A ship at anchor in Port Brownsville
reported winds of 136 mph.
Beulah's strength was seen in the impact the storm's surge had along Padre
Island, TX. A total of 31 cuts were observed through the island in the portion
extending south from a point 30 miles south of Corpus Christi, TX. A cut is a
new channel through a barrier island. The storm surge was found to have reached
a height of at least 18 feet. Torrential rains fell in southern Texas, with
amounts ranging from 10 to 20 inches. Beulah also spawned an unsurpassed number
of tornadoes, but most were small and occurred in rural areas.
The death toll from Beulah reached 15 in Texas--5 from tornadoes and 10 from
flooding. Damage is estimated at about $900 million in 1990 dollars.
Hurricane Camille, Auqust 17-19, 1969: Camille was born off the African coast
on August 5th but didn't become a hurricane until the 15th.
Once into the Gulf of Mexico, the small, powerful hurricane intensified
rapidly. By late afternoon on the 16th an Air Force reconnaissance plane
measured a 905 mb pressure (26.72 inches) and winds of 160 mph, indicating a
Category 5 hurricane, the most powerful on the Saffir/Simpson Scale.
Early on the 17th when Camille was centered 250 miles south of Mobile, AL,
the Air Force team found a central pressure of 901 mb (26.61 inches) and maximum
winds of more than 200mph near the center. That pressure reading was second only
to the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 in which a 26.35 inch (892 mb) pressure was
recorded in the Florida Keys. Camille and the 1935 Keys storm are the only
category 5 hurricanes to hit the U.S. this century. The lowest pressure ever
recorded in the Western Hemisphere occurred during Hurricane Gilbert in
1988--888 mb (26.23 lnches). The final death count for the U.S. is listed at
256. This includes the Gulf Coast and the Virginias--143 on the Gulf coast and
another 113 from the Virginia floods. The damage in 1990 dollars is estimated at
$5.2 billion. Camille was the 5th most costly storm in U.S. history, following
Andrew, Hugo, Betsy, and Agnes.
HURRICANES OF THE 1970's. FOLLOWING THE HORROR OF 1969'S CAMILLE,THIS DECADE
BROUGHT 3 DEVASTATING STORMS TO THE GULF COAST: CELIA,ELOISE AND FREDERIC. ALL
HAVE BEEN RETIRED INTO HURRICANE HISTORY.
Hurricane Celia, Auqust 3, 1970: Hurricane Celia was one of the most
destructive storms to ever hit Texas, with damages estimated at $1.6 billion (in
1990 dollars).
Celia became a hurricane on August 1 in the Gulf of Mexlco and intensified
rapidly in 15 hours before it crossed the coast north of Corpus Christi, TX. As
it moved over land, spectacular damage occurred from a "cluster of high energy
winds of short duration," (also called downbursts or microbursts). The extreme
winds raked across the residential and business areas in less than half an hour.
It was estimated that winds reached as high as 160 mph for several seconds.
During those disastrous seconds, incredible damage occurred at the airport and
an adjacent mobile home park which was completely demolished. Fortunately, only
11 died in the Corpus Christi area due to the state of preparedness by its
disaster prevention agencies. Hurricane Eloise, September 23, 1975: Eloise
became a threat when it regained hurricane strength in the central Gulf of
Mexico about 350 miles south of New Orleans, LA. It continued.to strengthen
until it made landfall about midway between Fort Walton Beach and Panama City,
FL early on September 23. Winds were estimated at about 100 mph with storm tides
of 12-16 feet above normal just east of Fort Walton Beach to Panama City. About
$1 billion damage (in 1990 dollars) occurred along the 25 mile wide Panama City
beach strip, mostly the result of the high tides undermining beachfront
structures.
Hurricane Frederic, September 13, 1979: Frederic developed off the African
coast on August 27, briefly became a hurricane on September 1, and then weakened
to a tropical depression just north of Haiti. Frederic began to strengthen on
September 7 and regained tropical storm intensity on September 9 near western
Cuba. Frederic then turned to the north northwest with increasing forward speed
for the next 60 hours. The eye passed over Dauphin Island,AL on the 13th. The
highest winds recorded on Dauphin Island were 120 m
ph with gusts to 145 mph.
Tides of 8 to 12 feet above normal were reported in the hurricane warning area
from Pascagoula, MS, to western Santa Rosa Island, AL. Storm tides were 12 feet
at Gulf Shores, AL.
Adva
nce preparedness activities by Alabama authorities kept the death toll to
five with estimates of 350,000 persons evacuated from the threatened area.
HURRICANES OF THE 80S: HURRICANES ALLEN, ALICIA AND ELENA WERE THREE OF THE
MOST DEVASTATING GULF COAST STORMS OF THE 80S. 0NE HURRICANE THAT DID NOT HIT
THE U.S. COAST, BUT CAUSED AT LEAST $40 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO TEXAS WAS GILBERT,
ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL STORMS ON RECORD.
Hurricane Allen. Auqust 9-10. 1980: When it was over the open waters of the
Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Allen was one of
the most intense hurricanes ever. Allen reached Category 5 status three times.
It obtained a 911 mb (26.89 inches) central pressure in the eastern Caribbean on
August 5 while south of Puerto Rico. After weakening near Haiti and
Jamaica,Allen again strengthened and a minimum pressure of 899 mb (26.55 inches)
was recorded by a NOAA aircraft on the 7th when it was off the Yucatan
Peninsula. Only Hurricane Gilbert with the all time low pressure reading of 888
mb in 1988, and the infamous Labor Day hurricane of 1935 with a central pressure
of 892 mb were lower than Allen's 899 mb central pressure. Allen lost strength
again near the Yucatan Peninsula but regained it over the open waters of the
Gulf of Mexico with a central pressure of 909 mb (26.84 inches) on 9th.
The center of Allen did not cross any land until it moved inland north of
Brownsville, TX on the 9th. Just off the Texas coast, Allen hesitated long
enough to weaken to 945 mb (27.91 inches), and then moved inland north of
Brownsville bringing highest tides and winds over the least populated section of
the Texas coast.
Only two deaths were directly attributed to Allen. The strongest measured
winds were gusts to 129 mph at Port Mansfield, TX. A storm surge up to 12 feet
along Padre Island caused numerous barrier island cuts and washouts.
Hurricane Alicia, Auqust 18, 1983: Alicia was the first hurricane to strike
the Continental U.S. since Allen in 1980. It was the longest period in this
century that the U.S. mainland had gone without a hurricane landfall (though
tropical storms did hit within that time).
Alicia was a small to medium size hurricane. It reached a minimal Category 3
status as it hit land. The center of Alicia moved over the Texas coast about 25
miles southwest of Galveston on August 18. Aircraft observations indicated that
only a 60 mile section of the coast, extending northeastward from Freeport, TX,
experienced hurricane force winds. Despite its small size, Alicia caused over
$2.4 billion in damage (in 1990 dollars).
Hurricane Elena, September 2, 1985: Elena originated off the African coast on
August 23rd and was named when it became a tropical storm on the 28th near Cuba.
Elena intensified to hurricane strength on the 29th over the open water of the
southeast Gulf of Mexico.
Steering currents (upper winds that move the storm) over hurricane collapsed
and a frontal trough turned Elena toward east-northeast on August 30 posing
threats to the Panhandle west coast of Florida. As it moved near Florida's west
coast, steering currents again collapsed. Elena looped in the Gulf of Mexico and
headed west-northwest making landfall near Biloxi, MS on September 2nd.
Nearly one million people were evacuated from low-lying coastal areas in the
warning area, from Louisiana to Florida's west coast, with a large section of
the middle Gulf coast being asked to evacuate twice within a three-day period.
This is the largest number of people ever evacuated and may account for the fact
there were no deaths in the area of landfall. The four deaths attributed to
Elena were caused by a falling tree, automobile accident and heart attack.
Estimates of total economic loss from Elena are near $1.4 billion (1990
dollars).
Hurricane Gilbert, September 16, 1988: Although Gilbert, one of the most
powerful hurricanes of the century, did not strike the U.S. Gulf coast, it did
affect Texas and Oklahoma. It is often compared to 1969's Hurricane Camille,
because like Camille, it was also a Category 5 storm. Hurricane Gilbert was also
a monumental storm, because it had the lowest sea level pressure ever recorded
in the Western Hemisphere at 888 mb (26.23 inches). The highest sustained winds
recorded were in Jamamica at 116 mph, with gusts to 140 mph. An unofficial
report recorded slightly higher readings.
Gilbert's track took it through Jamaica, over the Yucatan Peninsula of
Mexico, through the southwest Gulf of Mexico and made final landfall as a
Category 3 hurricane on the northeast Mexican coast on September 16th. Gilbert
brought 5 to 10 inches of rain over coastal sections and more in mountainous
areas. The weakening storm passed south of Monterrey, Mexico, bringing massive
flooding to the area. The storm then tracked north into western Texas and
Oklahoma as a heavy rain storm on the 18th. A total of 318 people were killed;
315 throughout Mexico, Central America, Jamaica,Haiti, and the Dominican
Republic, and 3 in the U.S.
Damages in Mexico were estimated between $1-2 billion (1990 dollars), and
nearly $2 billion in Jamaica. The Mexican government reported that more than
60,000 homes were destroyed. The 3 U.S. deaths occurred in San Antonio, TX from
tornadoes spawned from Gilbert's remnants. At least 29 tornadoes were observed
across south Texas, and they caused between $40-50 million in damages. In the
area of Brownsville, TX, wind gusts from Gilbert of 67 mph to 83 mph were
measured by an observer with a truck mounted anemometer, before the storm made
landfall in Mexico.
HURRICANES IN THE '90S: THE ONLY MAJOR HURRICANE TO STRIKE THE GULF COAST WAS
THE INFAMOUS ANDREW THAT DEVASTATED SOUTHERN FLORIDA BEFORE TURNING TOWARD
LOUISIANA IN 1992.
Hurricane Andrew, August 26, 1992: After Andrew cut its historic path of
destruction and devastation through southern Florida, it exited the southwestern
part of the state as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Scale. Once
into the Gulf of Mexico, Andrew again strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane and
headed northwest toward Louisiana. It is estimated that 1,250,000 evacuated from
parishes in southeastern and south-central Louisiana, and about 250,000
evacuated from Orange and Jefferson counties in Texas.
On the 26th, Andrew weakened to a Category 3 hurricane by the time it made
landfall about 20 miles west-southwest of Morgan City,a sparsely populated
section of the south-central Louisiana coast. After landfall, Andrew moved north
then northeastward and weakened rapidly to tropical storm strength (39-74 mph
winds) in 10 hours,and to a depression (35-39 mph winds) 12 hours later.
Storm tides in Louisiana were at least 8 feet, and caused flooding from Lake
Borgne westward through Vermillion Bay. Andrew and its remnants continued to
produce heavy rains that locally exceeded 10 inches. Hammond, LA, reported the
greatest amount of rainfall at 11.92 inches. Andrew's death toll in Louisiana
amounted to 15, including 2 deaths from a tornado.
Andrew generated a number tornadoes in Loulsiana resulting in 2 deaths, and
32 injuries. Tornadoes were suspected to have caused damages in several
Mississippi counties, and 2 damaging tornadoes were confirmed in Alabama. Even
severely damaging tornadoes in Georgia on August 27th were attributed to Andrew.
Andrew has been retired into "hurricane history" as the most expensive hurricane
in the history of the United States.