1961 Atlantic hurricane season
| 1961 Atlantic hurricane season |
Season summary map
|
| Seasonal boundaries |
| First system formed |
July 20, 1961 |
| Last system dissipated |
November 8, 1961 |
| Strongest storm |
|
| Name |
Hattie |
| • Maximum winds |
160 mph (260 km/h)
(1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure |
920 mbar (hPa; 27.17 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics |
| Total storms |
11 |
| Hurricanes |
8 |
Major hurricanes
(Cat. 3+) |
7 (record high, tied with 2005)
|
| Total fatalities |
348 |
| Total damage |
$391.6 million (1961 USD) |
|
|
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963
|
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
July 20 – July 24 |
| Peak intensity |
115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min) 976 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 2 – September 11 |
| Peak intensity |
140 mph (220 km/h) (1-min) 945 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 3 – September 13 |
| Peak intensity |
175 mph (280 km/h) (1-min) 931 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 6 – September 16 |
| Peak intensity |
120 mph (195 km/h) (1-min) ≤ 970 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 10 – September 26 |
| Peak intensity |
145 mph (230 km/h) (1-min) 927 mbar (hPa) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 12 – September 15 |
| Peak intensity |
40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min) 994 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 30 – October 9 |
| Peak intensity |
125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min) 948 mbar (hPa) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
October 16 – October 20 |
| Peak intensity |
70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min) ≤ 982 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
October 27 – November 1 |
| Peak intensity |
160 mph (260 km/h) (1-min) 920 mbar (hPa) |
The 1961 Atlantic hurricane season featured the highest number of major hurricanes – Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale – until being tied by 2005. The season officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. It was an above average season in terms of tropical storms, with a total of 11 named storms. The first system, Hurricane Anna, developed in the eastern Caribbean Sea near the Windward Islands on July 20. It brought minor damage to the islands, as well as wind and flood impacts to Central America after striking Belize as a hurricane. Anna caused one death and about $300,000 (1961 USD) in damage. Activity went dormant for nearly a month and a half, until Hurricane Betsy developed on September 2. Betsy peaked as a Category 4 hurricane, but remained at sea and caused no impact.
One of the most significant storms of the season was Hurricane Carla, which peaked as a Category 5 hurricane, before weakening slightly and striking Texas. Carla caused 43 deaths and approximately $325.74 million in damage. Hurricane Debbie was a Category 3 storm that existed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Early in its duration, unsettled weather from Debbie in Cape Verde resulted in a plane crash that killed 60 people. Debbie then brushed Ireland as either a Category 1 hurricane or shortly after becoming extratropical. The next storm, Hurricane Esther, threatened to strike New England as a major hurricane, but rapidly weakened and made landfall in Massachusetts as only a tropical storm. Impact was generally minor, with about $6 million in damage and seven deaths, all of which from a United States Navy plane crash. An unnamed tropical storm and Hurricane Frances caused minimal impact on land. In mid-October, Tropical Storm Gerda brought flooding to Jamaica and eastern Cuba, resulting in twelve deaths.
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