1956 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1956 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started June 1, 1956, and lasted until November 30, 1956.
Most of the tropical cyclones of 1956 remained at sea. However, Hurricane Betsy passed directly over Puerto Rico as a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale; it is also remembered as the Santa Clara Hurricane.
Storms
Hurricane Anna
The easterly wave which became Hurricane Anna formed on July 25th in the Bay of Campeche. It became a tropical storm the next day, and a hurricane late on the 26th. Anna moved inland south of Tampico, Mexico on the 26th, and dissipated the next day over Mexico after causing $50,000 in damage (1956 dollars).
Hurricane Betsy
As the Azores-Bermuda high moved northeastward and cold air aloft entered the Tropics, strong divergence led to the formation of Tropical Storm Betsy on August 9th in the Tropical Atlantic. It moved westward, and rapidly intensified to a 120 mph major hurricane on the 10th. Betsy moved through the Lesser Antilles on the 11th, causing major damage to Guadeloupe, and weakened as it moved northwestward. The hurricane hit Puerto Rico on the 12th, and after causing heavy flooding while crossing, re-strengthened to a 110 mph hurricane. Betsy crossed the Bahamas, turned northeastward, and became extratropical on the 18th over the North Atlantic. Betsy was responsible for $35.88 million (1956 dollars) in damage and 27 fatalities.
Tropical Storm Carla
A tropical wave over the Bahamas developed into a tropical depression on September 5th. Upper level winds were fairly strong, but it managed to reach a peak of 50 mph winds before weakening from cool, dry air. Carla continued northeastward, and dissipated on the 11th.
Tropical Storm Dora
Dora developed in the Bay of Campeche on September 10th. It moved westward, gradually strengthening to a peak of 70 mph winds before hitting near Tuxpan, Mexico as a tropical depression. Despite being a weak system, Dora managed to cause 27 deaths, mostly from mudslies and flooding, yet little damage.
Tropical Storm Ethel
Tropical Storm Ethel developed from the southern end of a quasi-stationary cold front on September 11th over the Bahamas. It intensified as it moved northeastward, reaching a peak of 70 mph winds due to the instability of the atmosphere, but cool air caused Ethel to lose her identity on the 14th.
Hurricane Flossy
The origin of Flossy is uncertain; one possibility is it developed from an Eastern Pacific disturbance, while the other is a disturbance moving through the Caribbean. Regardless, a tropical depression formed in the extreme western Caribbean Sea on September 21st. It moved northwestward across the Yucatan Peninsula, and became a tropical storm on the 22nd. Flossy gradually strengthened over the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a hurricane on the 23rd. The hurricane turned northeast in respone to the Westerlies, and hit near Fort Walton Beach, Florida on the 25th. Flossy became extratropical on the 25th over Georgia and continued northeastward, dropping heavy rain throughout its path and breaking a drought in the northeast. Flossy caused nearly $25 million in damage (1956 dollars) and 15 casualties.
Hurricane Greta
The Intertropical Convergence Zone developed a tropical depression on October 30th just southwest of Haiti. It moved northward without intensifying, possibly due to the cold-core nature of the system in the Mid-levels, but as a ridge of high pressure built to the north, the depression was forced southeastward. On the 2nd, it was able to strengthen into a tropical storm, and a warm core developed. Greta rapidly intensified on the 4th and 5th, reaching a peak of 140 mph winds over the open Atlantic. It is theorized that the transfer of energy from upper levels to the surface attributed to the intensification. Nonetheless, Greta gradually weakened over the cooler waters of the Central Atlantic, and became extratropical on the 7th. Greta caused $3,579,806 in damage (1956 dollars), almost half of which occurred in Florida from large waves and storm surge, and one death from drowning in Puerto Rico.
Other Storms
Tropical Storm One
The southern portion of a polar trough, combined with a tropical wave, led to the formation of a Tropical Depression in the Bay of Campeche on June 12th. It moved north-northeastward, and became a tropical storm later that day. It reached a peak intensity of 50 mph winds before hitting south-central Louisiana on the 13th, bringing heavy rain and flooding. Tropical Storm One dissipated on the 15th over Arkansas, after causing $50,000 in damage (1965 dollars) and four deaths from drowning.
Tropical Depression
A circulation developed underneath a cold trough in the mid-troposphere in early July in the Gulf of Mexico, and became a tropical depression on July 4th. It moved north-northwestward, and hit near Pensacola, Florida on the 6th, causing $503,000 in damage (1956 dollars) from flooding, but no deaths.
Subtropical Storm
The formation of a frontal wave on a dissipating cold front led to the development of a Subtropical Depression on October 13th in the western Atlantic. It moved west-northwest, and hit near Miami, Florida on the 15th as a Subtropical Storm. It headed up the Florida coast, turned northeastward, hit near Cape Hatteras, and dissipated on the 19th. It caused heavy flooding, especially in Kissimmee, Florida where damage totaled about $3,000,000. In additon, 2 surfers drowned in the storm.
1956 storm names
- Anna
- Betsy
- Carla
- Dora
- Ethel
- Flossy
- Greta