1957 Atlantic hurricane season

Season summary

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The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1957. It was a below-average season in which eight tropical cyclones formed, of which three became hurricanes. By contrast, only one tropical storm formed in October, below the average of two in the month. This tropical storm dissipated on October 27, 16 days before the official end of the hurricane season on November 15.

Five tropical cyclones made landfall during the hurricane season, including one hurricane. All of these storms made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Property damage that resulted from cyclone-related impacts totaled to $152 million in the United States, with most caused by Hurricane Audrey, which made landfall near the border between Texas and Louisiana.

The season's activity was reflective with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 84, which is categorized as being "near normal." However, this was under the 1950–2000 average of 96.1. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of hurricanes 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 (63 km/h), which is tropical storm strength.

Systems

Unnamed June tropical storm

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An area of disturbed weather accompanied by low barometric pressure was first identified near the Yucatán Peninsula on June 7. Reports from the following day in the region reported pressures that were indicative of a developing tropical cyclone, and at 06:00 UTC, the disturbance attained tropical storm strength, the first of the season. Though hurricane reconnaissance flights could not locate a well-defined center, ship observations showed that the tropical storm was moving quickly to the northeast. Due to its fast forward motion, the storm gained little in organization and made landfall near Port Leon, Florida, on June 9 with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). However, the system gradually strengthened as it crossed the Florida peninsula, reentering the North Atlantic later that day. On June 10, the storm reached peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) prior to becoming an extratropical storm. The post-tropical cyclone then strengthened and moved erratically in open seas before entirely dissipating on June 15.

Despite the tropical storm's fast passage over land, heavy rainfall was reported, officially peaking at 14.95 in in Live Oak, Florida. However, unofficial reports of at least 19 in of rain were collected. In Perry, Florida, 100–200 families were evacuated due to the floodwater. Field crops, including tobacco and watermelon, were damaged, with flood damage estimated at $30,000. The storm also spawned ten tornadoes, with nine in northeastern Florida and one on Georgia's Jekyll Island. All of these tornadoes were relatively weak and caused minor damage, totaling to $12,000. At the coast, the tropical storm's strong winds generated waves 2 – high, which caused moderate damage. The cabin cruiser Kinnebar capsized in the Gulf of Mexico due to the waves, and five of the seven crew on board drowned; these were the only deaths associated with the system. Coastal damages due to storm surge amounted to $10,000, and overall the storm caused $52,000 in damages across the southeastern United States.

Hurricane Audrey

Main article: Hurricane Audrey

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An ill-defined tropical wave was first identified in the Caribbean Sea on June 20, and moved westward into the Bay of Campeche. The disturbance slowly strengthened as it developed a low pressure system. A nearby trough aided the intensification of the system, and it developed into a tropical depression on June 24, while remaining generally stationary in the Bay of Campeche. Situated in an area of favorable upper-air divergence and warm waters, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Audrey about six hours later. Audrey began to accelerate northward due to troughing in the upper-levels in the atmosphere. The storm became a hurricane late on September 25. Audrey intensified quicker while in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, reaching peak intensity as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph on June 27. Audrey made landfall at this intensity in extreme southwestern Louisiana very shortly thereafter. The hurricane quickly weakened as it moved inland, becoming an extratropical cyclone by June 28. The extratropical remnants soon dissipated over the Northeastern United States.

Hurricane Audrey caused widespread impacts across a wide swath of the United States and Canada. Heavy rainfall also caused flooding, peaking at 10.63 in west of Basile, Louisiana. Rainfall was concentrated particularly in the Atchafalaya Basin. In Texas, effects of the storm were much less severe, but the storm still caused $8 million in damages, primarily as a result of strong winds. Further inland, the weakening hurricane spawned tornadoes and caused additional flooding in conjunction with a frontal boundary. The effects of Audrey were felt as far north as Canada, where 15 people died due to the strong winds and heavy rain. In total, the storm caused $152 million in damages and at least 416 deaths.

Tropical Storm Bertha

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A weak extratropical low entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 6 and drifted slowly westward. Early on August 10, Bertha came ashore near Cameron, Louisiana. at the same intensity. After landfall, the storm moved northward due to a strong high-pressure system and weakened over land, before degenerating into a remnant low at 0600 UTC on August 11 over Oklahoma. The storm's remnants later moved across the U.S. Interior Highlands before dissipating.

In the Gulf of Mexico, 1,350 workers on offshore oil drilling platforms were evacuated in preparation for the storm. The oil drilling tender Murmanill No. 1 sunk due to the strong waves, though the two people on board at the time were evacuated by helicopter. At the coast, the maximum storm surge height measured was 4.7 ft at the Schooner Bayou Control Structure. Bertha dropped heavy rainfall primarily as a remnant low across much of The Ozarks. Rainfall peaked at 13.77 in near Damascus, Arkansas, which set a 24-hour rainfall record for the city and made August 1957 the wettest month on record. Across Arkansas, the heavy rains triggered flash floods after numerous rivers exceeded flood stage. The flash floods caused property damage in cities adjacent to rivers. Though damage estimates were difficult to accurately obtain, four Arkansas counties reported combined losses of $925,000, and two deaths were reported.

Hurricane Carrie

Main article: Hurricane Carrie

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An easterly tropical wave spawned a tropical depression near the Cabo Verde Islands on September 2. The depression moved generally west-northwestward and became Tropical Storm Carrie on September 3, before becoming a hurricane on September 5. Carrie intensified further, before reaching peak intensity on early September 8 as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph in the open Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane curved northward and fluctuated in intensity, bottoming out at Category 1 intensity early on September 10. After turning northward on September 11, the storm began re-strengthening, reaching a secondary peak as a Category 3 hurricane on September 13. However, the storm soon began slowly weakening, falling to Category 2 intensity shortly before curving west-northwestward on September 14. Although Carrie threatened Bermuda, the storm passed northeast of the island and then turned in a general eastward direction by September 17. Carrie accelerated northeastward by September 22 and passed through the Azores over of close to Terceira Island as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 23, prior to affecting areas of the British Isles. The extratropical system dissipated near the southwestern tip of England on September 25.

Due to its distance away from any major land masses, Carrie caused relatively minor damage along its path. On September 16, the hurricane passed well north of Bermuda, causing minimal damage despite its intensity at the time, though hurricane reconnaissance flights in the area were postponed due to damage sustained by one of the aircraft. As it was transitioning into an extratropical cyclone southwest of the Azores, the German ship Pamir encountered the storm and capsized on September 21, resulting in the deaths of 80 crew members on board. The hurricane's long duration and path in open water also helped it attain a number of Atlantic hurricane records.

Tropical Storm Debbie

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On September 5, a weak easterly wave moved into the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea due to the influence of an upper-level trough. The wave organized and spawned a weak area of circulation which developed into a tropical storm by 0600 UTC on September 7. Moving steadily towards the northeast at roughly 15 mph, Debbie only marginally strengthened due to the presence of cooler air entrainment. Late on September 8, Debbie made landfall near Fort Walton Beach, Florida as a minimal tropical storm with winds of 40 mph. A minimum barometric pressure of 1005 mbar (hPa; 29.68 inHg) was recorded in Pensacola, Florida. The tropical storm weakened as it moved over land, degenerating to a tropical depression on September 9. The system became increasingly diffuse, and later merged with strong weather systems by 0600 UTC later that day.

Offshore, the tropical storm generated high tides 2.5 – above average in Apalachee Bay, located about 150 mi east of where Debbie made landfall. The strong surf caused some localized flooding. In St. Marks, Florida, a station recorded maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the highest measured in association with the storm. However, a station in Tampa, Florida recorded a peak wind gust of 52 mph in a squall. The tropical storm only caused minor damage, but was indirectly responsible for four deaths.

Tropical Storm Esther

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On September 12, a mid-level circulation area formed over Nicaragua and slowly drifted northeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. As it entered the Gulf, the system developed thunderstorm activity and an area of low pressure, and as a result the Weather Bureau began initiating advisories on a newly formed tropical depression on September 16. The depression quickly intensified and attained tropical storm strength. Esther continued to strengthened, reaching a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) early on September 18, as reported by a hurricane reconnaissance flight. Shortly thereafter, the large tropical storm peaked with sustained winds of 65 mph as it made landfall to the southwest of Dulac, Louisiana. Esther weakened over land and later dissipated over the Mississippi Valley by 1200 UTC on September 19.

Like Tropical Storm Debbie, which had made landfall just a week prior in the same area, Esther's wind impacts were minimal. The strongest gust measured associated with the storm was 75 mph, as recorded at Pensacola International Airport. Other locations reported similar gusts and strong winds in squalls. Heavy rains persisted in the region well after Esther moved inland, resulting in high rainfall amounts. Rainfall peaked at 18.39 in in Quarantine, Louisiana, near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The heavy rains breached several levees, resulting in severe flooding, particularly in Buras, Louisiana. Although rainfall was beneficial in many places due to an existing drought, cotton, pecan, and peanut crops were damaged by the floods. While crop damage amounted to $1 million, property damage amounted to $1.5 million. Esther also caused three indirect deaths, all of which were in Louisiana.

Hurricane Frieda

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On September 20, a low pressure area developed within the same frontal boundary that had curved Hurricane Carrie towards the Azores.

Unnamed October tropical storm

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On October 22, an area of thunderstorm activity developed north of the Lesser Antilles, and barometric pressures fell throughout the region. The following day, a cut-off low developed and strengthened along the edge of a trough extending from Bermuda. This justified the classification of the system as a tropical depression on October 23, 500 mi northeast of Puerto Rico. Moving towards the west, the depression attained tropical storm strength shortly after formation. A ship reported a minimum pressure of 999 mbar (hPa; 29.50 inHg) in the storm's vicinity. The large system gradually strengthened the following day, reaching its peak intensity by 1800 UTC on October 24. A ship reported a minimum pressure of 993 mbar (hPa; 29.33 inHg) early the next day, the lowest pressure measured in association with the tropical storm. At the same time, the tropical storm also recurved towards the northeast. Heading towards more northerly latitudes, a gradual weakening trend began, due to the presence of an extratropical system. The tropical storm was itself absorbed by the same system on October 27. This storm may not have been named operationally due to a lack of discernible tropical characteristics.

Storm names

The following list of names was used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1957. This was a completely new set of names, thus every name used this season was used for the first (and only, in the case of Audrey) time.

Retirement

Due to the extensive damage and high fatalities, the name Audrey was retired by the U.S. Weather Bureau after the 1957 season. The name will never be used to name another Atlantic hurricane.

Explanatory notes

References

References

1. Goldenberg, Sten. "Subject: A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane? What is an intense hurricane?". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division.
2. (August 25, 1957). "Outlook Brighter For East Coast In Midst of '57 Hurricane Season". Cincinnati Enquirer.
3. Ballenzweig, Emanuel M.. (September 1, 1957). "The Weather and Circulation of September 1957". American Meteorological Society.
4. Frazier, Howard M.. (October 1, 1957). "The Weather and Circulation of October 1957". American Meteorological Society.
5. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. (August 2011). "Atlantic basin Comparison of Original and Revised HURDAT". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Servivce.
6. Klotzbach, Philip J. (June 2, 2009). "Extended Range Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and Landfall Strike Probability For 2009". Colorado State University.
7. (March 1, 2013). "Glossary of NHC Terms". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
8. Moore, Paul L.. (December 1, 1957). "The Hurricane Season of 1957". American Meteorological Society.
9. Roth, David M.. "Unnamed Tropical Storm – June 7–9, 1957". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
10. (June 10, 1957). "Tropical Storm Kills Two With Seven Missing". Rome News-Tribune.
11. Ross, Robert B.. (June 1, 1957). "Hurricane Audrey, 1957". American Meteorological Society.
12. Klein, William H.. (June 1, 1957). "The Weather and Circulation of June 1957". American Meteorological Society.
13. Roth, David M.. "Louisiana Hurricane History". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
14. Roth, David M.. "Hurricane Audrey – June 26–29, 1957". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
15. Roth, David M.. "Texas Hurricane History". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
16. (November 12, 2009). "1957-Audrey". Environment Canada.
17. U. S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service. (2004). "History of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry in Southern Louisiana Interim Report: Volume I: Papers on the Evolving Offshore Industry".
18. (2008-04-01). "Public Information Statement...Corrected: Record Rainfall in March in Much of Northern and Western Arkansas". [[National Weather Service]] Forecast Office, [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].
19. Roth, David M.. "Tropical Storm Bertha – August 7–15, 1957". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
20. (September 18, 1957). "New Tropical Storm Picks Up Force". Beaver Valley Times.
21. (September 13, 1957). "Carrie Poses Peril To Bermuda". Sarasota Journal.
22. Weeks, Sinclair. (1958). "Annual Summary 1957". University of Michigan.
23. (September 8, 1957). "Storm Debbie Damage Slight". Lodi-News Sentinel.
24. (June 18, 1957). "Hurricane Nomenclature". Saint Vincent Government Gazette.
25. Gary Padgett. "History of the Naming of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Part 1 – The Fabulous Fifties".
26. (April 13, 2012). "Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names". National Hurricane Center, United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.