1951 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | May 15, 1951 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 20, 1951 |
| Strongest storm: | Easy - 160 mph (260 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 10 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 5 |
| Total damage: | $80 million (1951 USD) $614 million (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 257 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 |
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The 1951 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1951, and lasted until November 30, 1951. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1951 season was a fairly active one. Like the 1950 season, names from the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet were used to name storms this season.
The most notable storm of the season was Hurricane Charlie, which struck Cozumel, Mexico as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, causing heavy damage. Another notable storm was Hurricane Able, which was the earliest recorded major hurricane in Atlantic hurricane history.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Hurricane Able
- Main article: Hurricane Able (1951)
A cold-core upper level low over the western Atlantic in the middle of May, in combination with a surface trough and warm Gulf Stream waters, developed into a subtropical depression. It was carried as a tropical system, but the extratropical and tropical characteristics of the system made it a subtropical cyclone. After a day of moving westward, the depression turned southwestward, where conditions were favorable enough to allow it to strengthen to tropical storm force. Able looped to the north, and became a minimal hurricane on May 17 as it passed through the Bahamas. As it neared the North Carolina coast on the 21st, Able was able to strengthen to a major hurricane, but cooler waters and upper level winds weakened it as it moved eastward. After 2 days of struggling, Able became extratropical. Hurricane Able was the earliest storm (and only off-season storm) ever recorded to reach Category 3 strength. It was also the second-earliest storm on record to reach Category 1 and Category 2 strength, behind only Hurricane #1 of March in the 1908 season.
[edit] Tropical Storm Baker
On August 2, an easterly wave developed into a tropical depression, northeast of the Lesser Antilles. It became a tropical storm later that day as it moved northwestward, but unfavorable conditions kept it from strengthening past its peak of 60 mph. Baker dissipated on the 5th.
[edit] Hurricane Charlie
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- Main article: Hurricane Charlie (1951)
Hurricane Charlie was the deadliest hurricane in the season, killing over 250 people and causing $575.6 million in damage (2005 USD) as it crossed through the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
[edit] Hurricane Dog
Hurricane Dog developed on August 27 in the tropical Atlantic, likely from a tropical wave. It moved westward without strengthening until the 31st, when it became Tropical Storm Dog. As it crossed the central Lesser Antilles on September 2, it rapidly intensified to a 115 mph major hurricane, but unfavorable conditions weakened it steadily through the Caribbean. Dog dissipated on the 5th, after causing $3,000,000 in damage (1950 dollars) and seven casualties.
[edit] Hurricane Easy
Tropical Storm Easy formed in the Tropical Atlantic on September 2, likely from a tropical wave. Easy moved generally west-northward, steadily strengthening on the way to a 160 mph Category 5 hurricane on the 7th. It turned to the northeast, where cooler waters and upper level shear steadily weakened it until it became extratropical on the 12th.
[edit] Hurricane Fox
Several hundred miles east of Tropical Storm Easy formed on the 2nd, another storm was forming. The tropical depression moved westward, becoming a tropical storm on the 4th. Like Easy, it moved to the west-northwest, steadily strengthening to a 115 Category 3 hurricane on the 7th. It turned to the northeast, where it steadily weakened until it became extratropical on the 10th.
[edit] Tropical Storm George
A minimal tropical storm developed in the Bay of Campeche on September 20. George moved west-northwestward, making landfall near Tampico, Mexico on the 21st as a 60 mph tropical storm. The storm dissipated that day.
[edit] Hurricane How
The precursor to Hurricane How was a tropical wave that became a tropical depression in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on September 28. It moved northward through the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening to a tropical storm as it turned eastward. How hit the west Florida coast on October 2, and became a hurricane the next day. Moving northeastward, it came close to hitting the Outer Banks as a 110 mph hurricane, but it remained offshore and weakened. How became extratropical on the 7th, after causing $2,000,000 in damage (1951 dollars).
[edit] Hurricane Item
Hurricane Item developed in the Caribbean Sea on October 12. It moved northwestward, reaching a peak of 80 mph as it drifted south of Cuba. It turned to the west, and dissipated on the 17th without causing any damage.
[edit] Hurricane Jig
Hurricane Jig rapidly developed on October 15 over the western Atlantic, reaching hurricane strength later that day. It weakened prior to looping to the southeast, where unfavorable conditions caused it to dissipate on the 20th.
[edit] 1951 storm names
These names were used to name storms during the 1951 Atlantic hurricane season. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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