Hurricane Cindy (1959)

Hurricane Cindy

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
A daily weather map for July 8, 1959, depicting Hurricane Cindy approaching South Carolina
Formed	July 5, 1959
Dissipated	July 11, 1959
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 75 mph (120 km/h)
Lowest pressure	996 mbar (hPa); 29.41 inHg
Fatalities	1 direct, 5 indirect
Damage	$75,000 (1959 USD)
Areas affected	The Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Canadian Maritime Provinces
Part of the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Cindy impacted the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic states, New England, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season. The third storm of the season, Cindy originated from a low-pressure area associated with a cold front located east of northern Florida. The low developed into a tropical depression on July 5 while tracking north-northeastward, and became Tropical Storm Cindy by the next day. Cindy turned westward because of a high-pressure area positioned to its north, and further intensified into a weak hurricane off the coast of the Carolinas on July 8. Early on July 9, Cindy made landfall near McClellanville, South Carolina, and re-curved to the northeast along the fall line as a tropical depression. It re-entered the Atlantic on July 10, quickly restrengthening into a tropical storm while it began to move faster. On July 11, Cindy passed over Cape Cod, while several other weather systems helped the storm maintain its intensity. Cindy transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on July 12 as it neared the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Overall structural damage from Cindy was minimal. One driver was killed in Georgetown, South Carolina after colliding with a fallen tree, and five indirect deaths were caused by poor road conditions wrought by the storm in New England. Many areas experienced heavy rains, and several thousand people evacuated. Other than broken tree limbs, shattered windows and power outages, little damage occurred. Cindy brought a total of eleven tornadoes with it, of which two caused minor damage in North Carolina. The heaviest rainfall occurred in north central South Carolina, where rainfall amounted to 9.79 inches (249 mm). Tides ranged from 1 to 4 feet (0.30 to 1.22 m) above normal along the coast. As drought-like conditions were present in the Carolinas at the time, the rainfall produced by Hurricane Cindy in the area was beneficial. After becoming extratropical over the Canadian Maritimes, the cyclone produced heavy rains and strong winds that sunk one ship. Damage caused by Cindy was estimated at $75,000 (1959 USD).