1953 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | May 25, 1953 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | December 9, 1953 |
| Strongest storm: | Carol - 945 mbar (27.43 inHg), 150 mph (240 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 14 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 4 |
| Total damage: | $6+ million (1953 USD) $41.8 million (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 1+ |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 |
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The 1953 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1953, and lasted until November 30, 1953. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1953 season was an active one, with fourteen tropical systems forming in the Atlantic basin that year; it is one of only 3 seasons to have a pre-season storm and a post-season storm, the others being the 1887 and 2003 seasons. Many of the storms were unnamed tropical storms, and barely half of the year's cyclones were named. This was the first time human names were used to name storms.
Notable storms of 1953 include Tropical Storm Alice, which formed in late May and continued into June, striking Central America, Cuba and Florida; Hurricane Carol, a strong hurricane that tracked northwest across the Atlantic, then curved north and struck New Brunswick as a Category 1 storm; and Hurricane Florence, which struck the Florida Panhandle as a strong Category 1 storm.
[edit] Storms
[edit] Tropical Storm Alice
A large cold core low aloft developed an area of thunderstorms in the Caribbean Sea. It slowly organized, and became Tropical Storm Alice on May 25, the first female name ever used for a tropical storm in the Atlantic basin. Moving with the cold core aloft, Alice executed a counter-clockwise loop and hit Cape Gracias, Nicaragua on the 26th as a minimal tropical storm. It re-emerged in the Caribbean and moved northward, and gradually strengthened to a 65 mph tropical storm. Alice looped in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, and came within miles of Western Cuba. The storm turned northward, though, and dissipated on the 6th just inland of Panama City, Florida. Alice caused some drownings in Cuba, but it helped end a nine-month drought there, and also helped to break a dry spell in Florida.
[edit] Hurricane Barbara
A tropical wave became a tropical storm over the southern Bahamas on August 11. Barbara headed northwestward, and attained hurricane strength the next day. The hurricane reached a peak of 110 mph winds on the 13th, but weakened slightly before hitting the Outer Banks. Barbara turned northeastward, and became extratropical on the 15th, just south of Nova Scotia. In North Carolina, the hurricane caused one death and $1,000,000 in property damage (1953 US dollars). In New England, Barbara caused minor damage and gusty winds. [1]
[edit] Tropical Storm Three
Tropical Storm Three formed over the Isle of Youth on August 28. It moved erratically, first quickly northward, followed by a turn to the east. It moved across southern Florida on the 29th, and turned to the northwest where it reached a peak of 60 mph winds. Tropical Storm Three weakened to a tropical depression at the time of its Savannah, Georgia landfall on September 1, and dissipated 2 days later over Kentucky.
[edit] Hurricane Carol
The precursor to Hurricane Carol was a tropical wave that developed just off the coast of Africa on August 28. It moved west-southwestward, and became a tropical storm on the 31st. Intensification was slow at first as it turned northwestward on September 1, but on the 2nd and 3rd, Carol rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with estimated 150 mph winds. It maintained that intensity for a day, but weakened to a minimal hurricane due to cooler waters and unfavorable upper level shear. Carol maintained hurricane strength until the 7th, just after making landfall near the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia border. Carol caused about $1 million (unknown USD) in damage to fish craft in New England, but no deaths.
[edit] Hurricane Dolly
A tropical wave that moved into the northern Lesser Antilles and resulted in heavy rains [2] formed into a tropical storm just north of the Lesser Antilles on September 8. Dolly headed northwestward, and quickly strengthened to a 130 mph major hurricane on the 16th. The hurricane turned northeastward, and weakened for unknown reasons. It passed Bermuda as a tropical storm on the 12th, and became extratropical later that day.
[edit] Hurricane Edna
Shortly behind Dolly, Hurricane Edna formed on September 14 from a tropical wave. It followed a close track to Dolly, and reached major hurricane strength on the 16th. Edna turned northeastward, hit Bermuda on the 17th, weakened, and became extratropical on the 18th. Edna caused considerable damage to Bermuda, but no damage figures exist.
[edit] Tropical Storm Seven
A tropical depression formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on September 14. It moved east-northeastward, strengthening to a tropical storm later that day. It executed a clockwise loop from the 16th to the 18th, reaching a peak of 70 mph winds on the way. It weakened to a minimal tropical storm at the time of its northwestern Florida landfall on the 20th, and dissipated the next day.
[edit] Hurricane Florence
A tropical wave developed into a tropical storm just southeast of Jamaica on September 23. Florence moved west-northwestward, and became a hurricane over the Yucatan Channel on the 24th. As it moved north through the Gulf of Mexico, Florence reached a peak of 130 mph winds, but weakened to a minimal hurricane at the time of its Florida Panhandle landfall on the 26th. The hurricane became extratropical later that day, after causing $200,000 in damage (1953 dollars).
[edit] Hurricane Gail
Hurricane Gail formed from a tropical wave on October 2 in the tropical Atlantic. It moved west-northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength later that day and hurricane strength on the 3rd. Gail encountered unfavorable conditions as it turned southwestward, and dissipated on the 5th.
[edit] Tropical Storm Ten
Tropical Storm Ten developed just south of Cuba on October 3. It crossed the island, and moved northeastward, reaching a peak as a tropical cyclone of 45 mph winds. Tropical Storm Ten became extratropical on the 6th, but remained a powerful extratropical storm for 4 days.
[edit] Tropical Storm Eleven
The eleventh tropical storm of the season formed in the tropical Atlantic on October 5, possibly from a tropical wave. It moved west-northwestward, reaching a peak of 70 mph winds before dissipating on the 9th.
[edit] Tropical Storm Hazel
The twelfth tropical storm and the final named storm of the season formed in the Yucatan Channel on October 7. Hazel moved northeastward, and hit southern Florida as a 70 mph tropical storm on the 9th. It weakened slightly over land, but re-strengthened to a 70 mph tropical storm before becoming extratropical on the 10th. Hazel caused $250,000 in property damage (1953 dollars).
[edit] Tropical Storm Thirteen
A tropical storm developed northeast of the Lesser Antilles on November 23. It moved northeastward, strengthening to a 50 mph tropical storm before moving northwestward and weakening. The storm dissipated on the 26th.
[edit] Tropical Storm Fourteen
The final tropical storm of the 1953 season developed northeast of the Lesser Antilles on December 7. It moved westward, briefly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 8th before dissipating on the 9th.
[edit] 1953 storm names
These names were used to name storms during the 1953 season. The list was the same for the 1954 season as well. Initially, all female names were used; it was not until the 1979 season that male and female names were used in alternating order. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
Although 1953 was the first season to use lists of names, no names from this season have been retired.
