Hurricane Charlie (1951)
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This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 1951. For the other storms of the same name, see Hurricane Charlie.
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Formed | August 12, 1951 | |
| Dissipated | August 23, 1951 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | ≤964 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $75 million (1951 USD) $575.6 million (2005 USD) |
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| Fatalities | 252+ | |
| Areas affected |
Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatán Peninsula, Mainland Mexico | |
| Part of the 1951 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Charlie was a strong Category 4 hurricane in the 1951 Atlantic hurricane season, causing one of Jamaica's worst hurricane disasters. In all, the hurricane caused 252 casualties and $575.6 million in damage (2005 USD).
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[edit] Storm history
On August 12, a tropical wave organized into a tropical depression about 930 miles east-southeast of the island of Barbados. It moved to the west-northwest, and slowly organized. Based on reconnaissance aircraft reports of hurricane force winds in squalls, the depression was upgraded tropical storm status on the 15th to the east of Martinique. While passing through the Lesser Antilles, Charlie quickly intensified, and reached hurricane strength on August 16.
Hurricane Charlie reached 110 mph winds on August 17 as it moved quickly westward across the Caribbean Sea. It made landfall on eastern Jamaica on the night of the 17th and quickly crossed the island, causing torrential damage from winds and rain. After weakening to an 85 mph Category 1 hurricane, Charlie restrengthened over the favorable Western Caribbean, attaining major hurricane status on the 19th. The hurricane peaked at 130 mph (215 km/h) just before hitting near Cozumel on the night of the 20th, and weakened as it crossed the Yucatán Peninsula.
Upon reaching the Gulf of Mexico, Charlie had weakened to a 105 mph hurricane. It remained a Category 2 hurricane while crossing the Gulf of Mexico until 12 hours before landfall. Charlie rapidly intensified, and reached its peak of 135 mph just before hitting Mexico near Tampico on August 22. The storm quickly weakened over land, and dissipated on August 23 in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
[edit] Impact
When Hurricane Charlie hit the island of Jamaica, it became the worst hurricane disaster in the first half of the 20th century. The island experienced 110 mph winds and with rain amounts peaking at 17 inches in Kingston. Charlie caused around $50 million (1951 USD, $383.8 million 2005 USD) in crop and property damage, 152 deaths, injured 2000, and left 25,000 homeless.
On the Yucatán Peninsula, Charlie destroyed up to 70% of the crops, though no loss of life was reported in the area.
The city of Tampico was spared from extreme damage, though four people died with property damage estimated at a little over a million. Outside the city, Charlie's heavy rain led to bursting dams and flooded rivers, where upward of 100 people died. Property and crop losses were in the millions of dollars.
[edit] Lack of retirement
Because storms were not retired in the early 1950's, the name Charlie was not retired, and was reused in the 1952 Atlantic hurricane season. However, the alternate spelling "Charley" was retired after a 2004 storm of that name, so it is highly unlikely though possible that the name Charlie will ever again be used for an Atlantic hurricane.
