Hurricane Donna

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Hurricane Donna
Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Donna over the Florida Keys
FormedAugust 29, 1960
DissipatedSeptember 14, 1960
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 160 mph (260 km/h)
Lowest pressure930 mbar (hPa); 27.46 inHg
Fatalities364 direct
Damage$900 million (1960 USD)
Areas affectedLeeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Atlantic Canada (Most land areas ever affected by an Atlantic hurricane)
Part of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Donna in the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season was a Cape Verde-type hurricane which moved across the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, The Bahamas, and every state on the East Coast of the United States. Hurricane Donna holds the record for retaining "major hurricane" status (Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) in the Atlantic Basin for the longest period of time on record. For nine days, September 2 to September 11, when Donna consistently had maximum sustained winds of at least 115 mph (185 km/h). From the moment it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days. While crossing the Atlantic Donna briefly achieved Category 5 strength. The cyclone caused billions of US dollars in damages and killed an estimated 364 people.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The precursor to this storm was a well-organized tropical disturbance which moved offshore Africa on August 28 and 29th. The crash of an airliner at Dakar on the 29th was attributed to this disturbance.[1] Before reaching the Cape Verde Islands, the system was well enough organized to be considered a tropical depression on the 29th. On the 30th, Donna had strengthened into a tropical storm. Moving westward, intensification continued, bringing the cyclone to hurricane strength on September 1. For nine days, September 2 to 11, Donna consistently had maximum sustained winds of at least 115 mph (185 km/h) as it moved west-northwest, briefly briefly achieving Category 5 strength.[2] Donna passed through the northeasternmost Leeward Islands, subsequently missing Puerto Rico by 70 miles (110 km) to the north.[3] The hurricane then skirted the Cuban coast on the 9th before heading for the Florida Keys.[1]

Hurricane Donna approaching the Florida Keys

The storm made its first Florida landfall in the community of Marathon, centered on Key Vaca in the middle Florida Keys. At the time, Donna was a Category 4 hurricane with estimated maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) and gusts of up to 180 mph (290 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 27.46 inHg (930 mbar).

The storm crossed into the Gulf of Mexico and its course shifted northward. Donna paralleled the southwest coast of Florida until it made a second Florida landfall between Naples and Fort Myers, again as a Category 4 hurricane.[2]

After crossing the Florida peninsula, it continued and moved back out into the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona Beach. Donna headed up the East Coast, and made another landfall at Topsail Beach, North Carolina. It then finished its trip by heading into New England, with a final landfall across Long Island, New York. Template:Highest ACE Atlantic hurricanes Donna, unlike Hurricane Charley which followed a similar track in 2004,[4] was a slow-moving storm. Donna dumped 10 inches (250 mm) to 12 inches (300 mm) of rain in the southern half of Florida, along with about seven inches in the northern half. The three weeks prior to Donna's landfall produced a 6 inches (150 mm) to 7 inches (180 mm) surplus in rain before the hurricane hit, exacerbating the problem. From the moment it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days.[2]

Impact

Donna's Rainfall around Puerto Rico

Hurricane Donna was a very destructive storm given that it affected numerous countries and island groups. About 364 people were killed by the hurricane, 148 direct and 216 indirect.

Leeward Islands

A weather station in St. Maarten reported wind gusts up to 110 mph (180 km/h) and a 952 pressure reading while St. Thomas reported a 66 mph (52 knot) gust as the center of Donna passed 35 miles (56 km) north of the island. In Puerto Rico, Donna produced storm tides between four to six feet. [1]

Donna killed seven people and caused minimal damage when it passed though the Virgin Islands, in Puerto Rico, although the center of the storm was 85 miles (137 km) offshore, the outer rain bands brought heavy rains that caused serious flashflooding which killed 107 people (85 of them in Humacao). [1]

Donna's Rainfall in the United States

Bahamas

Turks Island escaped the brunt of the hurricane, receiving only 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) winds and 12 inches (300 mm) of rain which fell in a twelve hour period. However the rest of the Bahamas were not as lucky as the hurricane tore away the anemometer in Ragged Island and forced several people to seek shelter at a missile base. Despite the damage there were no deaths and damage estimates are not available.[1]

Florida

Costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricanes, 1900–2017
Direct economic losses, normalized to societal conditions in 2018[5]
Rank Hurricane Season Cost
1  4  "Miami" 1926 $235.9 billion
2  4  "Galveston" 1900 $138.6 billion
3  3  Katrina 2005 $116.9 billion
4  4  "Galveston" 1915 $109.8 billion
5  5  Andrew 1992 $106.0 billion
6  ET  Sandy 2012  $73.5 billion
7  3  "Cuba–Florida" 1944  $73.5 billion
8  4  Harvey 2017  $62.2 billion
9  3  "New England" 1938  $57.8 billion
10  4  "Okeechobee" 1928  $54.4 billion
Main article: List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes

Donna was the first hurricane to affect Miami since October 1950.[3] Highest sustained winds were 92 miles per hour (148 km/h) at Fort Myers and 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) at Key West.[6] Florida suffered significant losses from Donna, more than any other state. Damage in the Keys at the original point of landfall was most severe, where Donna's winds and storm surge destroyed many buildings and vessels. A storm surge of 13 feet (4.0 m) was reported from Marathon. A total of 35% of the state's grapefruit crop was lost, 10% of the orange and tangerine crop was lost, and the avocado crop was almost completely wiped out. The day after the storm hit, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared a disaster area from the Keys up to Central Florida.[7]

Elsewhere in the East

Although weaker, it caused considerable and widespread damage in North Carolina and New York. Donna was one of the few hurricanes to affect every state along the East Coast. Wind gusts of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) were reported from the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. Maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) with gusts of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) were reported from Long Island and Rhode Island. Blue Hill Observatory in Massachusetts reported gusts to over 145 miles per hour (233 km/h).[1] Fifty people were reported dead in the United States, with damages totalling to $3.04 billion (2004 USD).[8] Donna crossed directly over Texas Tower #4, causing severe damage to the structure.

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

Because of its devastating impacts and high mortalities, the name Donna was retired and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again; the name was replaced by Dora in 1964.

See also

Template:Tcportal

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Gordon E. Dunn. The 1960 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  2. ^ a b c National Hurricane Center. Atlantic Hurricane Database. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  3. ^ a b National Climatic Data Center. Climatological Data: Florida - September 1960, pp. 2. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  4. ^ National Hurricane Center (2004). "Hurricane Charley Tropical Cyclone Report". Retrieved 2006-05-24.
  5. ^ Weinkle, Jessica; et al. (2018). "Normalized hurricane damage in the continental United States 1900–2017". Nature Sustainability. 1: 808–813. doi:10.1038/s41893-018-0165-2.
  6. ^ National Climatic Data Center. Climatological Data: Florida - September 1960, pp. 9. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  7. ^ Public Entity Risk Institute. Presidential Disaster Declarations for Florida in 1960 By Type. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  8. ^ Eric S. Blake, Jerry D. Jarrell(retired), Max Mayfield, and Edward N. Rappaport. Costliest U.S. Hurricanes 1900-2004 (adjusted). Retrieved on 2008-10-10.

Further reading

  • Tabb, Durbin C. (1962). "Effect of Hurricane Donna on the Aquatic Fauna of North Florida Bay". Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 91 (4): 375–378. doi:10.1577/1548-8659(1962)91[375:EOHDOT]2.0.CO;2. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hurricane_Donna&oldid=244447234"