1963 Atlantic hurricane season

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1963 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
First storm started: July 31, 1963
Last storm ended: October 29, 1963
Strongest storm: Hurricane Flora - 940 mbar, 140 mph winds
Number of storms: 9
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) 2
Cost of damage: $588.8 million (1963 USD)
$3.6 billion (2005 USD)
People killed: Over 7225

The 1963 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the yearly cycle of tropical cyclone forming. It started June 1, 1963, and lasted until November 30, 1963.

The most famous hurricane of the season was Hurricane Flora. It was one of the most deadly on record, killing 7,200 people as it went through Haiti and Cuba.

Contents

[edit] Storms

[edit] Hurricane Arlene

Storm path
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Storm path

A group of clouds in the central Atlantic became a tropical cyclone on July 31. It headed to the west, becoming a tropical cyclone on August 2. Arlene rapidly became a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane. Arlene passed over Bermuda on the 9th, and, after reaching wind speeds of 100 mph again that night, it weakened until it left the tropics on the 11th. Arlene caused $300,000 in property damage in Bermuda, but no lives were lost.


[edit] Hurricane Beulah

Storm path
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Storm path

The precursor to Hurricane Beulah was a tropical wave moving across the tropical Atlantic. It was organized enough to be called a tropical depression on August 20, and it strengthened to tropical storm force the next day. Beulah moved to the northwest, becoming a hurricane on the 22nd and a major hurricane on the 24th. The hurricane turned to the north. Beulah weakened to a small hurricane, and raced to the northeast, keeping hurricane strength until it became extratropical on the 28th, 250 miles east of Newfoundland.


[edit] Tropical Storm Three

Storm path
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Storm path

A weak circulation north of Puerto Rico moved northeastward, becoming a tropical depression on September 10. It was subtropical in nature, developing with the instability of cool and warm air, and became a tropical storm on the 11th. This small storm reached its peak of 60 mph on the 12th, but a cold front to its west caused it to gradually lose tropical characteristics. The storm became extratropical on the 14th, and was absorbed by the cold front on the 15th.


[edit] Hurricane Cindy

Storm path
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Storm path

An area of low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico rapidly developed into a tropical storm on September 16. Cindy reached hurricane strength the next day, but didn't strengthen further before its landfall on High Island, Texas. Cindy brought heavy rain to southeast Texas as it drifted to the southwest over the state. The hurricane weakened on the 20th, after causing $12.5 million (1963 dollars) in damage and three deaths.


[edit] Hurricane Debra

Storm path
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Storm path

On September 19, a westward moving tropical wave became a tropical depression in the central tropical Atlantic. It became a tropical storm on the 21st, and spared the islands as it turned northward. Debra became a hurricane on the 21st, but as it moved northward, it was gradually put into a large extratropical storm. Debra was gone on the 24th.


[edit] Hurricane Edith

Storm path
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Storm path

The Intertropical Convergence Zone developed a tropical depression on September 23, east of the southern Lesser Antilles. It moved west, quickly becoming a hurricane on the 24th. It crossed through the Windward Islands on the 25th as a 95 mph hurricane, but upper level winds weakened it to a minimal hurricane prior to its Dominican Republic landfall on the 27th. The island ripped apart the circulation, and Edith was gone by the 29th. Edith killed ten in Martinique, injured 50 across the Caribbean, and caused $47 million in damage. It was an unfortunate prelude to Hurricane Flora just days later.


[edit] Hurricane Flora

Storm path
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Storm path

Hurricane Flora was the deadliest hurricane of the season, causing over 7,000 deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.


[edit] Hurricane Ginny

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Storm path

Ginny was unusual as it is one of the latest hurricanes on record to make landfall near New England, and was reported to have made 18 inches of snow over Maine. The hurricane caused 7 deaths and $300,000 in damage (1963 dollars).


[edit] Tropical Storm Helena

Storm path
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Storm path

Tropical Storm Helena formed on October 25. It became a tropical storm that day, and reached its peak of 50 mph before hitting the Lesser Antilles. Helena's intensity fluctuated for the next 3 days. Though it was weak, Helena was able to cause 5 deaths and $500,000 in damage.


[edit] 1963 storm names

The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1963. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

  • Arlene
  • Beulah
  • Cindy
  • Debra
  • Edith
  • Flora
  • Ginny
  • Helena
  • Irene (unused)
  • Janice (unused)
  • Kristy (unused)
  • Laura (unused)
  • Margo (unused)
  • Nona (unused)
  • Orchid (unused)
  • Portia (unused)
  • Rachel (unused)
  • Sandra (unused)
  • Terese (unused)
  • Verna (unused)
  • Wallis (unused)

[edit] Retirement

The name Flora was later retired.