Hurricane Audrey
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| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Radar image of Hurricane Audrey prior to landfall |
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| Formed | June 25, 1957 | |
| Dissipated | June 29, 1957 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 946 mbar (hPa; 27.95 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 419+[1] direct | |
| Damage | $147 million (1957 USD) $1.1 billion (2008 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Eastern Texas, Louisiana, parts of the South Central United States | |
| Part of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Audrey was the first major hurricane of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season. Audrey was the only storm to reach Category 4 status in June. A powerful hurricane, Audrey caused catastrophic damage across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. It then affected the South Central United States as a powerful extratropical storm. In its wake, Audrey left $1 billion (2005 USD) in damage and at least 419 fatalities. At the time period, the devastation from Hurricane Audrey was the worst since the Great New England Hurricane of 1938.[2]
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[edit] Storm history
A tropical wave moved across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea where it became a tropical depression on June 25. The depression stalled in the Gulf of Mexico where it showed signs of rapid intensification. At 1800 UTC, the tropical depression became Hurricane Audrey. The fledgling storm was centered 380 miles (612 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas. By June 26, the storm was already at Category 2 strength as it moved northeastward at 5 mph (8 km/h). Later, the storm's forward motion increased to 15 mph (24 km/h) as Audrey continued its north-northeasterly track.[2] Hurricane Audrey then attained its peak wind speed of 145 mph (230 km/h) and an estimated pressure of (at most) 946 millibars before making landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border on June 27.[3] After landfall, Audrey quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it moved over inland Louisiana. Audrey then transformed into a powerful extratropical storm as it crossed over Tennessee. The extratropical remnants of Audrey then merged with another low over the Ohio Valley. The extratropical storm then reached a low barometric pressure of 974 millibars as it moved across southeastern Canada and was unidentifiable by June 29.[2]
[edit] Records and strength
Audrey remains the earliest storm of any Atlantic hurricane season to reach Category 4 intensity in the recorded history of the basin. Audrey attained Category 4 strength on June 27. At the time, Audrey was the strongest storm to form prior to August. It held this record for nearly fifty years before Hurricane Dennis broke it in 2005 (which was itself broken only nine days later by Hurricane Emily). It remains the strongest storm ever to form in June. It was also the second of three major hurricanes to occur in the month of June (the last one before it being a Category 3 in 1945, and the next and final one would be Hurricane Alma in 1966).
The strength of Hurricane Audrey was disputed during its storm history. Several calculations suggested that the pressure in the storm dropped to 938 millibars while other calculations put it at 940 millibars. In addition the peak wind speed of Audrey varied from 140 mph to 150 mph (225-240 km/h). An oil rig offshore claims to have recorded a reading of 925 millibars and a wind speed of 180 mph (290 km/h), but this is disputed by authorities.[2]
[edit] Impact
The name Audrey was soon retired and will never be used again to name a hurricane.[4] Because of this, it was the first and only use of the name Audrey for the Atlantic Basin.[5] Hurricane Audrey left $1 billion (2005 USD, $147 million in 1957 USD[6]) in damage and at least 419 fatalities, most in eastern Texas and western Louisiana. Audrey is ranked as the sixth deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since accurate record-keeping began in 1900. No future hurricane caused as many fatalities in the United States until Katrina in 2005.
[edit] Gulf of Mexico
One mobile drilling rig sank, with four tenders suffering damage when pulled loose from their mooring and running aground. Damage from all offshore oil facilities totaled US$16 million (1957 dollars).[7]
[edit] Texas and Louisiana
Before Audrey made landfall, several weather stations in eastern Texas reported winds up to 75 mph (121 km/h) before communications were lost. Later a weather station in Orange, Texas reported sustained wind speed of 100 mph (161 km/h). A storm surge of 7 feet (2 meters) was also reported. The eye of Audrey made landfall south of Sabine Lake, traversed the lake and then passed over Bridge City, Texas. In Port Arthur, Texas, a barometric pressure of 966 millibars was recorded while Beaumont, Texas recorded a 971 millibar pressure reading.[2] Because eastern Texas was in the weaker side of the storm, there was only moderate damage. In Port Arthur, there was damage to trees and power lines and parts of Highway 87 was damaged. Offshore, nine people drowned when their boat sank during the storm.[8] In Cameron, Louisiana, waves as high as 10 feet (3 m) were reported offshore. In Lake Charles, a storm tide of 7 feet was recorded while surges up to 12 feet (4 m) were reported in other locations. A 958 barometric pressure reading was recorded in Hackberry, while the city of Sulphur recorded sustained winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). Damage in Louisiana was catastrophic; 60-80 percent of the homes and businesses from Cameron to Grand Chenier were either destroyed or severely damaged. The storm surge damage extended for 25 miles (40 km). Two tornadoes were reported as the storm made landfall, one near New Orleans and the other near Arnaudville.[9] In all, there were over 300 people killed in Louisiana, while 40,000 others were left homeless by the storm.[2][10]
[edit] Rest of the United States and Canada
While moving inland, Audrey spawned 23 tornadoes[11] which killed 2 people and injured 14 others in Mississippi and Alabama, while causing $600,000 (1957 USD) in damage. In the Ohio Valley, the storm dropped huge amounts of rain that caused significant flooding, leaving 10 fatalities. In Pennsylvania, the storm produced 65 mph (105 km/h) sustained winds while winds of 95-100 mph (153-161 km/h) were reported in New York. In Canada, winds up to 80 mph (129 km/h) were reported and there were three fatalities.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Eric S. Blake, Edward N. Rappaport, Christopher W. Landsea. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2006. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g Monthly Weather Review MWR Report on AudreyURL Accessed:June 21, 2006
- ^ Unisys Best Track Data for Hurricane AudreyURL Accessed: June 21, 2006
- ^ Weather Underground.comRetired Hurricane NamesURL Accessed:June 21, 2006
- ^ Hurricanes and Tropical Storms ChronologicallyURL Accessed:June 21, 2006
- ^ The Inflation Calculator
- ^ U. S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service. History of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry in Southern Louisiana Interim Report: Volume I: Papers on the Evolving Offshore Industry. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
- ^ National Weather Service Texas Hurricane HistoryNOAA;URL Accessed: June 21, 2006
- ^ National Weather Service Louisiana Hurricane HistoryURL Accessed: June 21, 2006
- ^ Hurricane City.comURL accessed:June 21, 2006
- ^ Robert Orton. Tornadoes Associated With Hurricane Beulah on September 19-23, 1967. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
[edit] External links
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