1965 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1965 Atlantic hurricane season was the first to use the modern-day bounds for an Atlantic hurricane season, which are June 1 to November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. It was a slightly below average season, with 10 tropical cyclones developing and reaching tropical storm intensity. Four of the storms strengthened into hurricanes. One system reached major hurricane intensity - Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. The first system, an unnamed tropical storm, developed during the month of June in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The storm moved northward across Central America, but caused no known impact in the region. It struck the Florida Panhandle and caused minor impact across much of the Southern United States. Tropical cyclogenesis halted for over two months, until Anna formed on August 21. The storm remained well away from land in the far North Atlantic Ocean and caused no impact.
Hurricane Betsy was the strongest and most devastating storm of the season. Extensive damage from Betsy was reported in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana, particularly the New Orleans area. It was the first hurricane in the history of the United States to result in at least $1 billion in losses. Hurricane Carol meandered in the eastern Atlantic for over two weeks from mid-September to very early October. Impact on land from Carol was minimal. In late September, Tropical Storm Debbie developed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and moved slowly across the region, before later reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The storm dissipated just offshore of Louisiana, which resulted in only minor impact along the Gulf Coast of the United States. The final tropical cyclone, Hurricane Elena, formed on October 12. Elena remained at sea for nearly a week and caused no damage on land. Collectively, the storms of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season caused 76 fatalities and $1.45 billion in damage, almost entirely due to Hurricane Betsy.
Season summary
ImageSize = width:800 height:200
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20
Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270
AlignBars = early
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/06/1965 till:31/12/1965
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/06/1965
Colors =
id:canvas value:gray
id:GP value:red
id:TD value:rgb legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_
id:TS value:rgb legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_
id:C1 value:rgb legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_
id:C2 value:rgb legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_
id:C3 value:rgb legend:Category_3_=_111–130_mph_
id:C4 value:rgb legend:Category_4_=_131–155_mph_
id:C5 value:rgb legend:Category_5_=_>=156_mph_
Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData =
barset:Hurricane
bar:Month
PlotData=
barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift: anchor:till
from:11/06/1965 till:12/06/1965 color:TD text:"Unnumbered "
from:13/06/1965 till:15/06/1965 color:TS text:"One "
from:08/08/1965 till:08/08/1965 color:TD text:"Unnumbered "
from:21/08/1965 till:28/08/1965 color:C2 text:"Anna "
from:27/08/1965 till:12/09/1965 color:C4 text:"Betsy "
from:07/09/1965 till:09/09/1965 color:TS text:"Four "
from:16/09/1965 till:01/10/1965 color:C1 text:"Carol "
barset:break
from:24/09/1965 till:25/09/1965 color:TD text:"Unnumbered "
from:24/09/1965 till:30/09/1965 color:TS text:"Debbie "
from:02/10/1965 till:03/10/1965 color:TS text:"Seven "
from:15/10/1965 till:18/10/1965 color:C2 text:"Elena "
from:16/10/1965 till:19/10/1965 color:TS text:"Nine "
from:29/11/1965 till:02/12/1965 color:TS text:"Ten "
bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift: anchor:middle color:canvas
from:01/06/1965 till:01/07/1965 text:June
from:01/07/1965 till:01/08/1965 text:July
from:01/08/1965 till:01/09/1965 text:August
from:01/09/1965 till:01/10/1965 text:September
from:01/10/1965 till:01/11/1965 text:October
from:01/11/1965 till:01/12/1965 text:November
from:01/12/1965 till:31/12/1965 text:December
TextData =
pos:
text:""
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1965. This was the first Atlantic hurricane season to start on June 1 and end on November 30, which is the modern-day season bounds. It was a below average season in which six tropical depressions formed. All six of the depressions attained tropical storm status, and four of these attained hurricane status. Furthermore, one storm reached major hurricane status - Category 3 or greater on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Two tropical storms and one hurricane made landfall during the season and caused 76 fatalities and about $1.45 billion in damage.
Season activity began with the development of an unnamed tropical storm on June 13. However, the season briefly became dormant after the storm dissipated on June 15, and there were no other tropical cyclones in June or July. The next system, Hurricane Anna, formed on August 21, more than two months later. Later in August, Hurricane Betsy developed and eventually became the most intense tropical cyclone of the 1965 season. In mid-September, Hurricane Carol formed in the eastern Atlantic and meandered for over two weeks. The next system, Tropical Storm Debbie, developed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on September 24. Hurricane Elena, the final tropical cyclone, developed on October 12 and dissipated on October 18, slightly less than two weeks before the official end of the season on November 30.
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy rating of 84, which was below the 1950-2000 average of 96.1. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical cyclones with winds exceeding 39 mph, which is tropical storm strength.
Systems
Tropical Storm One
A cut-off low pressure area developed from a shear trough in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on June 9. The low caused the detachment of a disturbance from the Intertropical convergence zone, which was located near the south coast of Guatemala. After moving across Guatemala and Mexico, the low emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on June 13. The low intensified on the following day, reaching tropical storm status at 0000 UTC. It likely was a subtropical storm, however, the lack of consistent satellite data precludes such a classification. Operationally, the system was considered a tropical depression for its entire duration, thus, this went unnamed. The storm began curving northeastward, and by early on June 15, it peaked with winds of 50 mph.Later that day at 1200 UTC, the storm made landfall near Santa Rosa Beach, Florida at the same intensity. Inland, the storm continued northeastward and became extratropical over eastern Georgia at 0000 UTC on June 16. Tides along the coast of the Florida Panhandle were above normal. The storm brought sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph with gusts up to 75 mph at Alligator Point. Winds blew the roof off of two beach cottages on St. George Island, while tides sank or washed ashore several small boats. The storm also produced rainfall up to in Wewahitchka, but no flooding occurred. Two tornadoes were spawned in Florida, with one damaging houses and a mobile home in Live Oak. The storm also brought rainfall to several other states.
Hurricane Anna
A weak circulation was noted by Television Infrared Observation Satellite near Cape Verde on August 16. During the next five days, the system tracked west-northwestward or northwestward, while conditions gradually became favorable for tropical cyclogenesis. At 0600 UTC on August 21, it is estimated that the system became Tropical Storm Anna. While Anna was tracking north-northeastward on August 23, an eye feature appeared on TIROS. After another aircraft reported an eye on its radar, Anna was upgraded to a hurricane later that day. Late on August 24, Anna reached maximum sustained winds of 100 mph while accelerating northeastward. Anna began losing tropical characteristics, and early on the following day, it transitioned into an extratropical storm while about halfway between the Azores and Greenland.Hurricane Betsy
A tropical disturbance developed into a tropical depression on August 27, while well east of the Windward Islands. It tracked generally west-northward until crossing the Leeward Islands on August 28. No impact was reported in the islands. After re-curving to the northwest, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Betsy on August 29. Betsy then rapidly intensified and became a Category 1 hurricane later that day. It executed a small cyclonic loop, before turning west on September 1. Significant intensification resumed later that day. By late on September 3, Betsy became a Category 4 hurricane. While northeast of the Bahamas, Betsy moved erratically and executed another cyclonic loop. The storm steadily weakened, and was briefly downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane early on September 6. However, it promptly re-strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane. Betsy then tracked southwestward and then westward through the Bahamas. The storm produced very strong winds and rough seas in the Bahamas. Damage reached $14 million and 1 death occurred in the island chain.By early on September 8, Betsy made landfall on Key Largo as a Category 3 hurricane. In South Florida, the storm brought strong winds and significant storm surge. In the Upper Florida Keys, water reached several feet in height, which inundated highways and the first floor of buildings. Nearly all of the land south of Homestead Air Force Base and east of U.S. Route 1 was covered by water. There were 8 deaths and $120 million in losses, which included both property and agriculture. Betsy entered into the Gulf of Mexico and re-strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on September 9. While approaching the Gulf Coast of the United States, Betsy peaked with winds of 155 mph, slightly below the threshold for Category 5 hurricane status. However, further intensification was halted after Betsy made landfall in Grand Isle, Louisiana later on September 9. In Louisiana, strong winds and rough seas caused extensive damage. Storm surge inundated the levees in New Orleans, flooding much of the city. Throughout the state, more than 22,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed, and 168,000 people were left without electricity. The storm caused more than 17,000 injuries and resulted in 58 deaths. Damage in the state of Louisiana reached $1.2 billion. Once inland, the storm rapidly weakened, and became extratropical over Ohio on September 12. Impact in other states ranged from minor to moderate. Overall, Betsy caused about $1.43 billion in damage and 76 fatalities. Betsy was the first hurricane in the United States to cause at least $1 billion in losses.
Tropical Storm Four
A cold front moved eastward from North America into the western Atlantic Ocean on August 28. An extratropical low developed on August 31 over the north Atlantic, which degenerated into a trough three days later. On September 4, another extratropical storm developed, located about 800 mi south of Newfoundland. The system attained gale-force winds a day later, and turned westward on September 6, steered by a building ridge to the north. On September 7, the storm transitioned into a tropical storm, after its wind field became more symmetrical. Later that day, the storm attain winds of 60 mph, recorded by nearby ships. The storm turned to the east and northeast, crossing over its former path. On September 10, the tropical storm again transitioned into an extratropical storm, which later passed southeast of Newfoundland. The storm moved across the northern Atlantic Ocean, dissipating on September 13 southwest of Ireland.Hurricane Carol
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on September 15 and developed into a tropical depression by early on the following day. It headed steadily westward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Carol late on September 17. The storm began curving northwestward by the following day. Operationally, advisories were not initiated until 1900 UTC on September 19, after winds had already reached 50 mph. Carol then slowed and began turning north-northward. Later on September 20, a Navy reconnaissance flight confirmed a circulation and also measured hurricane-force winds. Thus, Carol was upgraded to a hurricane at 1800 UTC on September 20.On September 21, another flight into the storm recorded a minimum pressure of, the lowest in relation to Carol. The hurricane accelerated, before slowing in forward motion on September 22. Between September 24 and September 28, the storm drifted and executed a small cyclonic loop. Thereafter, Carol re-accelerated and was briefly upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane following an Air Force Reconnaissance report of 100 mph winds. While passing northwest of the Azores, a weather station on Corvo Island reported a sustained wind speed of and a gust up to. The storm curved east-southeastward, weakened, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while located west of Portugal on October 1.
Tropical Storm Debbie
A low pressure area in the northwestern Caribbean Sea developed into a tropical depression on September 24. The depression brought locally heavy rainfall to areas of Honduras while tracking northwestward. Despite winds of only 30 mph, the Miami Weather Bureau prematurely named the depression Debbie at 1600 UTC on September 25. Several hours later, Debbie struck the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula. After emerging into the Gulf of Mexico early on September 26, the storm was described as "weaker than before", as the convective activity indicated no organization. However, Debbie began to strengthen, reaching tropical storm status on September 28.After peaked at winds of 50 mph late on September 28, cooler and drier air caused the storm to weaken. Late on September 29, Debbie was downgraded to a tropical depression and dissipated just offshore Mississippi about twenty-four hours later. Despite its demise, Debbie brought heavy precipitation, especially in Mobile, Alabama, where a 24-hour rainfall record was broken after fell. Within the city of Mobile, hundreds of cars were flooded, while more than 200 people fled their inundated homes. Many roads and businesses were also closed in the area. Damage in Mobile alone reached $25 million. Rainfall was reported in seven other states, though no significant impact occurred.