Hurricane Betsy (1956)
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| Category 3 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Betsy to the north of Puerto Rico |
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| Formed | August 9, 1956 | |
| Dissipated | August 20, 1956 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 954 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $36 million (1956 USD) $250 million (2005 USD) |
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| Fatalities | 28 (27 direct, 1 indirect) | |
| Areas affected |
Lesser Antilles, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Bahamas | |
| Part of the 1956 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Betsy was a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Leeward Islands, Hispaniola and the Bahamas during the 1956 Atlantic hurricane season.
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[edit] Storm history
A tropical wave moved off the African coast and was near the Leeward Islands by August 9. [1] The storm quickly reached tropical storm strength and was given the name Betsy. Betsy then reached hurricane strength and peaked as a 115 mph Category 3 major hurricane before passing through the Leeward Islands on August 11. Betsy weakened to a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed over the islands of Marie Galantine, Isle de Santies, and southern Guadeloupe. Hurricane Betsy then turned northeastward and passed over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as it restrengthened to a Category 2 hurricane before brushing northern Hispaniola on August 12. [2] By August 13, Hurricane Betsy's center was near the Bahamas before the storm turned and quickly went northward. After turning, Betsy began to weaken. By August 20 the storm rapidly moved north and finally became extratropical over Newfoundland[3].
[edit] Impact
Betsy killed 18 people when the storm tore through the Leeward Islands. In Guadeloupe, about 1,000 homes were damaged and 50 to 60 percent of banana and coconut crop ruined. [4] Damage in Guadeloupe was estimated to be $10 million (1956 USD). The storm later struck Puerto Rico on August 11, leaving 25 million dollars (1956 USD) in damage, 9 people dead and 15,000 homeless.[5] On Turks Island, numerous houses were damaged while the Bahamas received about $380,000 dollars (1956 USD) in damage.
While delivering relief supplies to San Salvador Air Force Base, a Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II operated by the U.S. Air Force crashed. The plane had a right landing gear fail and as the result the plane skidded down the runway and came to a stop. Only one person was killed.[6]
Betsy was the first hurricane to be tracked on radar as it crossed Puerto Rico.[7] Betsy was also known locally as Hurricane Santa Clara. [8]
[edit] Retirement
Despite its effects, the name Betsy was not retired and when formal lists were introduced, it was used again in 1965. The name Betsy has since been retired.
