Hurricane Dog (1950)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-
This article is about the hurricane of 1950; for other storms with this name, see Hurricane Dog.
| Category 5 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Path of Hurricane Dog |
||
| Formed | August 30, 1950 | |
| Dissipated | September 12, 1950 | |
| Highest winds |
|
|
| Lowest pressure | ≤979 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $3 million (1950 USD) $23.3 million (2005 USD) |
|
| Fatalities | 14 | |
| Areas affected |
Lesser Antilles, New England | |
| Part of the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season |
||
Hurricane Dog, the fourth named storm of the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season, was a strong Category 5 hurricane that reached its peak intensity of 185 mph over the open Atlantic after delivering extensive damage to the Leeward Islands as a tropical storm and, eventually, a major hurricane; however, the storm never made landfall on the continental United States. Several deaths were reported from Dog, including 11 deaths off New England by capsizing boats.
Contents |
[edit] Storm history
Tropical Storm Dog was first observed as a 70 mph tropical storm on August 30 east of the northern Lesser Antilles, about 280 nautical miles northeast of Barbados. Its formation could possibly be placed to a tropical wave that exited the coast of Africa on August 24. Dog moved to the west-northwest, and strengthened to a hurricane early on the 31st. It turned to the northwest on September 1, and paralleled the northern Lesser Antilles as an intensifying hurricane.
While crossing the islands, Dog became a major hurricane, with a report of 115 mph and a pressure of 979 mbar. It drifted as it headed to the northwest, and, still strengthening, Hurricane Dog attained Category 5 status on September 5 over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It turned to the north-northeast, and reached an estimated peak of 185 mph winds on the 6th.
A high pressure system blocked Hurricane Dog's passage out to sea on September 7 and 8th, causing the hurricane to stall over cooler waters. Away from the warm ocean temperature that allowed it to intensify so much, Dog quickly weakened, and was only a 90 mph hurricane on the 9th. After drifting westward, the hurricane turned to the north, where conditions permitted slight re-strengthening to a 95 mph hurricane. It again weakened to a minimal hurricane, and passed within 200 miles of Cape Cod and Nantucket. On September 12, Hurricane Dog became extratropical, but it persisted until the 16th, when it lost its identity near Ireland.
[edit] Impact
While crossing the Lesser Antilles, Hurricane Dog brought strong winds and rain. The islands of Antigua and Barbuda reported $1 million in damage to houses, roads, trees, and power lines. 2 people were killed when their boat sank.
Though it never made landfall in New England, passing over 100 miles away, its strong winds still caused 12 casualties, 11 by sinking boats as Nantucket Island, MA recorded gusts to 70 mph. Damage amounted to $2 million.
[edit] Strength
Hurricane Hunter aircraft estimated winds of over 185 mph on September 6. Reconnaissance practices were in their infancy at the time of Dog, so it is possible the hurricane was over-estimated. Although the wind speed measurements may not be accurate, Dog was still a formidable hurricane over the western Atlantic, producing wave heights of over 100 feet. It is unknown if Dog was at the same caliber of strength as Hurricane Gilbert or Hurricane Wilma, due to the lack of a pressure reading for it at its peak.
Hurricane Dog retains the record for longest continuous duration for a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, although Hurricane Allen spent longer total time as a Category 5.
[edit] Trivia
From September 4 to the 6th, Hurricane Dog was one of three simultaneous Atlantic hurricanes, along with Charlie and Easy. This is a rare occurrence in the Atlantic Ocean, and has only happened six times since; in 1961, 1967, 1980, 1995, 1998, and 2005.
