1943 Atlantic hurricane season

1943 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
First storm formed July 25, 1943
Last storm dissipated October 23, 1943
Strongest storm #3 – 140 mph (220 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
Total storms 10
Hurricanes 5
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) 2
Total fatalities 19
Total damage $17.2 million (1943 USD)
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945

The 1943 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 16, 1943, and lasted until October 31, 1943. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.

The 1943 hurricane season was fairly quiet but was significant for one event: the Surprise Hurricane in July was the first tropical cyclone to be investigated by airplane. Two more flights were made during August into a stronger hurricane in the central Atlantic. These early flights paved the way for the Hurricane Hunters forecasters at the National Hurricane Center have come to rely.

Contents

Storms

Hurricane One

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration July 25 – July 29
Intensity 85 mph (140 km/h) (1-min),  975 mbar (hPa)

In late July, the first intentional flight into a hurricane was flown into what became known as the Surprise Hurricane. It was conducted by an Army Air Corps (now the United States Air Force) aircraft. Valuable information was gathered about hurricanes and hurricane structure.

Tropical Storm Two

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 13 – August 19
Intensity 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

This storm formed near the Leeward Islands on August 13 and moved generally northwest for the next four days, shifting slightly more northward late on August 15. Its winds peaked at 60 mph (97 km/h) and the storm recurved to the northeast on August 18 several hundred miles southeast of Cape Fear, dissipating in the north Atlantic a day later.

Hurricane Three

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration August 19 – August 26
Intensity 140 mph (220 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

On August 19, a tropical storm was first observed east of the Lesser Antilles. It headed northwestward, strengthening to a hurricane on August 20 over the open Atlantic. The hurricane peaked at 140 mph (230 km/h) winds, Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and passed 100 miles (160 km) west of Bermuda on August 25. The storm was very large and despite the distance, Bermuda briefly reported hurricane force winds, but these winds caused little damage or injury. The hurricane turned northeastward, and became extratropical on August 26 over the North Atlantic.

Hurricane Four

Category 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration September 1 – September 9
Intensity 120 mph (195 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

The fourth storm of the season had an erratic track across the open Atlantic not far east of Bermuda in early September. It formed well southeast of Bermuda and was not discovered until it was almost a hurricane. The hurricane moved north-northwest, steadily strengthening until it was parallel to Bermuda on September 3. By that time, it was a Category 2 hurricane and was getting still stronger. The hurricane came under influence of a strong high pressure system that slowed it to a crawl. It began to slowly curve eastward and then back north and west, making a half circle that it took four days to complete. In that time it reached its peak intensity of 120 mph (190 km/h), a major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The hurricane was weakening now, but not much given the latitude. The storm did not drop below Category 2 status until it was almost across 40N. It recurved to the northeast, finally weakening to a tropical storm shortly before clipping Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The storm sped up and ended its days over Newfoundland, having become extratropical.

Tropical Storm Five

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 13 – September 15
Intensity 50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

Storm Five formed northeast of Grand Bahama Island on September 13 and headed due north for the next 24 hours, passing not more than a couple hundred miles off the US east coast, bring gale-force winds to the Outer Banks. No damage from these winds was reported, however. The storm curved northeastward and became extratropical 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Cape Cod.

Hurricane Six

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration September 15 – September 20
Intensity 100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

A tropical storm developed in the western Gulf of Mexico on September 15. It moved to the northwest and became a hurricane early the next day. A ridge of high pressure to the north forced the hurricane southward, where it attained a peak of 95 mph (153 km/h) winds on September 17. It rapidly weakened as it drifted northeastward, completing a tight loop, and hit southern Louisiana on September 20 as a minimal tropical storm. It dissipated shortly thereafter, after causing $195,000 (1943 dollars) in damage, mostly from flooding.

Tropical Storm Seven

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 28 – October 1
Intensity 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min),  1003 mbar (hPa)

A tropical wave formed into a tropical storm on September 28, south-southwest of Bermuda. It headed northwestward, reaching a peak of 60 mph (97 km/h) winds the next day. The storm made landfall near Ocean City, Maryland on October 1, and dissipated later that day. Tropical Storm Seven was responsible for sinking one small boat and causing $20,000 in damage (1943 dollars).

Tropical Storm Eight

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration October 1 – October 3
Intensity 70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

This storm was first discovered on October 1 several hundred miles southeast of Bermuda while at its peak intensity of 70 mph (110 km/h), near-hurricane force. The storm moved swiftly, forming a long curve. It passed right by Bermuda shortly before weakening from peak intensity, raking the island with 40 mph (64 km/h) sustained winds. It continued its parabolic recurve to the north and then northeast, picking up speed as it did so. It became extratropical a few hundred miles south-southeast of Cape Breton Island three days after discovery. No damage was reported in Bermuda.

Hurricane Nine

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration October 11 – October 17
Intensity 110 mph (175 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

On October 11, a tropical storm was first detected over the Lesser Antilles. It moved westward, reaching hurricane strength the next day. The hurricane turned due northward and moved through the Mona Passage on October 15. It wouldn't change direction much for the remainder of its lifetime. Early the next day, the hurricane reached a peak of 110 mph (180 km/h) winds, which it maintained before weakening dramatically early on October 17. The hurricane became extratropical later that day, and moved inland near the Maine/New Brunswick border, dissipating over Canada.

Tropical Storm Ten

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration October 20 – October 23
Intensity 45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min),  Unknown

The final storm of the season was a weak system that formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 20 and curved northwest and then west, paralleling the coast of Honduras but remaining well offshore. Winds in this storm never rose above 45 mph (72 km/h). It began to curve back southwest on October 22, clipping the coast of southern Belize and making landfall on the Guatemalan coast six hours later as a weak tropical storm. The storm dissipated over the center of the country.

External links

Tropical cyclones of the 1943 Atlantic hurricane season

Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

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