Hurricane Carmen
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| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Carmen in the Gulf of Mexico on September 7. |
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| Formed | August 29, 1974 | |
| Dissipated | September 10, 1974 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 928 mbar (hPa; 27.42 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 1 direct, 3 indirect | |
| Damage | $152 million (1974 USD) $664 million (2008 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Puerto Rico, Yucatán Peninsula, Louisiana | |
| Part of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Carmen was a Category 4 storm, the most intense hurricane of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm lasted from August 29 to September 10, 1974. Carmen caused significant damage on the Yucatán Peninsula and in Louisiana, and was the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Camille in the 1969 season. The hurricane is also noted for the fact that it threatened two major population centers, but veered away from both at the last minute.
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[edit] Storm history
Carmen's origins were from a tropical wave that moved into the Atlantic on August 23.[1] It moved westward, and on August 29, it had formed Tropical Depression two.[1] The depression dropped heavy rain over parts of Puerto Rico while it was moving across the Atlantic. Carmen attained Tropical Storm status on August 30, just to the south of Puerto Rico.[1] The next day, the storm had attained hurricane status.
The storm continued on its westward track, and on September 2, rapid intensification had begun, as a result of the warm Caribbean waters. The pressure dropped to a minimum of 928 mb, just before its first landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula.[1] Just before landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula, the storm had begun to take a more west-northwest track, as opposed to the forecasted westward track, sparing Belize City.[1] It made landfall north of Belize. Some weakening had occurred as it moved through land, prior to reaching the Gulf of Mexico. When the storm had emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, the storm had once again reached its peak intensity of 150 mph (240 km/h), as it neared the coast of Louisiana on the 8th.[1] Just before landfall, the storm had weakened slightly.
On September 8, the storm made landfall in Louisiana, with winds up to 80 mph (130 km/h).[1]
[edit] Impact
[edit] Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, Carmen's large windfield as a disorganized tropical depression caused flash flooding and tornadic activity across the island, amounting to $2 million in damage. Rainfall amounts were up to 5 inches, with the most rainfall recorded at 5.91 inches.[2]
[edit] Yucatán Peninsula
Carmen was initially forecasted to hit the populated area around Belize City, but crossed the Yucatán Peninsula in a sparsely populated area due to a last minute track change. Damage estimates are not available, and there were no reported casualties.
[edit] United States
Like on the Yucatán Peninsula, Carmen was also predicted to make landfall near New Orleans, causing potentially severe flooding and destruction unseen since Hurricane Betsy. In preparation for the storm, over 75,000 people were evacuated from Louisiana to Mississippi. A northwest turn just before its landfall brought Carmen ashore in the less populated area of central Louisiana.
Hurricane Carmen brought heavy rainfall across the Gulf Coast of the United States. Louisiana experienced from 2 to a peak of 8 inches, although one location in Alabama reported over 13 inches from the storm's outer bands. Above normal tides were common across the Gulf Coast, with a maximum surge of 6 feet in southeastern Louisiana. The rainfall, combined with the storm surge, contributed to significant crop damage amounting to $90 million, mostly from sugar cane. The shrimp industry and offshore oil platforms were affected as well from Carmen's strong winds and flooding. Only one person was directly killed, an electrocution caused by downed power lines.[1] Because it remained away from large population centers, damage was estimated at only $150 million (1974 USD).
[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
The name Carmen was retired in the spring of 1975, and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again. It was not replaced with any particular name due to a naming change in 1979.
[edit] Popular culture
The storm was featured in the hit movie Forrest Gump as being the storm that sunk all the shrimp fishing boats except for Forrest's and Lieutenant Dan's and thus creating the Bubba Gump shrimping corporation.
[edit] See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
- List of wettest tropical cyclones in Alabama
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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