1956 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | June 12, 1956 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 6, 1956 |
| Strongest storm: | Betsy - 954 mbar (28.17 inHg) |
| Total storms: | 9 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $67.8 million (1957 USD) $467.7 million (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 76 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 |
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The 1956 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1956, and lasted until November 30, 1956. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was slightly below average, with only four hurricanes and eight total storms forming.
Most of the tropical cyclones of 1956 remained at sea. However, Hurricane Betsy passed directly over Puerto Rico as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, causing millions in damages and killing 27.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Tropical Storm One
The southern portion of a polar trough, combined with a tropical wave, led to the formation of a Tropical Depression in the Bay of Campeche on June 12. It moved north-northeastward, and became a tropical storm later that day. It reached a peak intensity of 50 mph winds before hitting south-central Louisiana on the 13th, bringing heavy rain and flooding. Tropical Storm One dissipated on the 15th over Arkansas, after causing $50,000 in damage (1965 dollars) and four deaths from drowning.
[edit] Hurricane Anna
The easterly wave which became Hurricane Anna formed on July 25 in the Bay of Campeche. It became a tropical storm the next day, and a hurricane late on the 26th. Anna moved inland south of Tampico, Mexico on the 26th, and dissipated the next day over Mexico after causing $50,000 in damage (1956 dollars).
[edit] Hurricane Betsy
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| Betsy radar image and storm path | |
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- Main article: Hurricane Betsy (1956)
As the Azores-Bermuda high moved northeastward and cold air aloft entered the Tropics, strong divergence led to the formation of Tropical Storm Betsy on August 9 in the tropical Atlantic. It moved westward, and rapidly intensified to a 120 mph major hurricane on the 10th. Betsy moved through the Lesser Antilles on the 11th, causing major damage to Guadeloupe, and weakened as it moved northwestward. The hurricane hit Puerto Rico on the 12th, and after causing heavy flooding while crossing, re-strengthened to a 110 mph hurricane. Betsy crossed the Bahamas, turned northeastward, and became extratropical on the 18th over the North Atlantic. Betsy was responsible for $35.88 million (1956 dollars) in damage and 27 fatalities.
[edit] Tropical Storm Carla
A tropical wave over the Bahamas developed into a tropical depression on September 5. Upper level winds were fairly strong, but it managed to reach a peak of 50 mph winds before weakening from cool, dry air. Carla continued northeastward, and dissipated on the 11th.
[edit] Tropical Storm Dora
Dora developed in the Bay of Campeche on September 10. It moved westward, gradually strengthening to a peak of 70 mph winds before hitting near Tuxpan, Veracruz, as a tropical depression. Despite being a weak system, Dora managed to cause 27 deaths, mostly from mudslies and flooding, yet little property damage.
[edit] Tropical Storm Ethel
Tropical Storm Ethel developed from the southern end of a quasi-stationary cold front on September 11 over the Bahamas. It intensified as it moved northeastward, reaching a peak of 70 mph winds due to the instability of the atmosphere, but cool air caused Ethel to lose her identity on the 14th.
[edit] Hurricane Flossy
The origin of Flossy is uncertain; one possibility is it developed from an Eastern Pacific disturbance, while the other is a disturbance moving through the Caribbean. Regardless, a tropical depression formed in the extreme western Caribbean Sea on September 21. It moved northwestward across the Yucatán Peninsula, and became a tropical storm on the 22nd. Flossy gradually strengthened over the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a hurricane on the 23rd.
Flossy totally submerged Grand Isle, Louisiana on 24 September. A flood wall was topped in New Orleans, flooding some 2.5 square miles of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The hurricane turned northeast in respone to the Westerlies, and hit near Fort Walton Beach, Florida on the 25th. Flossy became extratropical on the 25th over Georgia and continued northeastward, dropping heavy rain throughout its path and breaking a drought in the northeast. Flossy caused nearly $25 million in damage (1956 dollars) and 15 fatalties.
[edit] Hurricane Greta
The Intertropical Convergence Zone developed a tropical depression on October 30 just southwest of Haiti. It moved northward without intensifying, possibly due to the cold-core nature of the system in the Mid-levels, but as a ridge of high pressure built to the north, the depression was forced southeastward. On November 2, it was able to strengthen into a tropical storm, and a warm core developed. Greta rapidly intensified on the 4th and 5th, reaching a peak of 140 mph winds over the open Atlantic. It is theorized that the transfer of energy from upper levels to the surface attributed to the intensification. Nonetheless, Greta gradually weakened over the cooler waters of the Central Atlantic, and became extratropical on the 7th. Greta caused $3.6 million in damage (1956 dollars), almost half of which occurred in Florida from large waves and storm surge, and one death from drowning in Puerto Rico.
[edit] Other storms
[edit] Tropical depression
A circulation developed underneath a cold trough in the mid-troposphere in early July in the Gulf of Mexico, and became a tropical depression on July 4th. It moved north-northwestward, and hit near Pensacola, Florida on the 6th, causing $503,000 in damage (1956 dollars) from flooding, but no deaths.
[edit] Subtropical storm
The formation of a frontal wave on a dissipating cold front led to the development of a Subtropical Depression on October 13th in the western Atlantic. It moved west-northwest, and hit near Miami, Florida on the 15th as a Subtropical Storm. It headed up the Florida coast, turned northeastward, hit near Cape Hatteras, and dissipated on the 19th. It caused heavy flooding, especially in Kissimmee, Florida where damage totaled about $3,000,000. In addition, two surfers drowned in the storm. [1]
[edit] 1956 storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1956.
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[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
No names were retired after the 1956 season.
