1950 Atlantic hurricane season
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The 1950 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1950, and lasted until November 30, 1950. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. 1950 was a very active season, with 13 tropical storms, 11 hurricanes, and 8 major hurricanes, the most major hurricanes in a single season. 1950 was also the first year in which tropical cyclones were given official names in the Atlantic basin. Names were taken from the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, with the first named storm being designated "Able", the second "Baker", and so on, supplanting the numbering system previously used.
Notable storms of the 1950 season include Hurricane Dog, which had some of the strongest winds of any hurricane in the Atlantic. Since no pressure readings are available (as it never threatened land), it is impossible to know whether this storm rivaled Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 and Hurricane Wilma of 2005 in intensity. Hurricane Easy twisted and twirled its way ashore on Florida's Apalachee coast as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hurricane King stormed straight through downtown Miami as a Category 2 hurricane.
- 1 Storms
- 1.1 Hurricane Able
- 1.2 Hurricane Baker
- 1.3 Hurricane Charlie
- 1.4 Hurricane Dog
- 1.5 Hurricane Easy
- 1.6 Hurricane Fox
- 1.7 Hurricane George
- 1.8 Tropical Storm How
- 1.9 Hurricane Item
- 1.10 Hurricane Jig
- 1.11 Hurricane King
- 1.12 Tropical Storm Twelve
- 1.13 Hurricane Love
- 2 1950 storm names
- 3 See also
- 4 External links
Storms
Hurricane Able
An area of disturbed weather northeast of the Lesser Antilles, likely from a tropical wave, developed into a tropical storm on August 12. It moved northwestward, bypassing the islands, and reaching hurricane strength on the 13th. As it strengthened, Able turned westward, threatening the Florida coast, but a turn to the north spared the state. Able passed 100 miles (160 km) east of Cape Hatteras as a 140 mph hurricane, but it remained offshore. The hurricane then steadily weakened, and hit Nova Scotia as a tropical storm on the 21st. It dissipated the next day, causing only minor damage.
Hurricane Baker
Hurricane Baker likely developed from a tropical storm on August 20, east of the northern Lesser Antilles. It rapidly intensified to a 115 mph hurricane before striking Antigua, but unfavorable conditions weakened it to a tropical storm at the time of its Puerto Rico landfall on the 23rd. After crossing the island, it dissipated, leaving behind an area of disturbed weather that passed north of Hispaniola and Cuba. When it reached the Caribbean Sea on the 26th, it reorganized into a tropical storm. Baker reached hurricane intensity again on the 28th while moving northward through the Gulf of Mexico, followed by a secondary peak of 110 mph winds on the 30th. It weakened to a minimal hurricane at the time of its Mobile, Alabama landfall on the 31st, and dissipated the next day over southeastern Missouri. Baker caused $2,550,000 in damage (1950 US dollars) and one death.
Hurricane Charlie
Tropical Storm Charlie formed on August 21 in the tropical Atlantic, likely from a tropical wave. For the four days, it moved westward without strengthening. As it moved northwestward, it intensified, reaching hurricane force on the 28th and its peak of 115 mph on the 29th. A high pressure system to the north blocked Charlie's progress, and it made a clockwise loop back to the west, weakening to a minimal hurricane on the way. As it moved northward on September 2, it briefly restrengthened, but cooler waters and upper level shear transformed Charlie to an extratropical storm on the 5th over the north Atlantic.
Hurricane Dog
- Main article: Hurricane Dog (1950)
Hurricane Easy
Hurricane Easy of was the fifth hurricane in the season and was described by literature at the time as the Cedar Keys Hurricane. It developed over the western Caribbean Sea from a trough of low pressure left behind by Baker. It formed on September 1 south of the western tip of Cuba, and drifted northeastward, crossing Cuba on the 3rd as a minimal hurricane. The next day, it strengthened to a major hurricane while moving north-northwest, which was followed by a tight loop where Easy reached its peak of 130 mph winds. Easy again moved to the northeast, approaching the coast of Florida. It again looped, this time near Cedar Key, Florida. It slowly moved southeastward through Florida, weakening to a tropical storm on the 6th. Easy finally moved northwestward through the state, and on the 9th, it dissipated over extreme eastern Arkansas. It caused $3.3 million dollars in damage (1950 USD) and 2 deaths. The low damage was due to the sparse population of the area it hit.
Hurricane Fox
A tropical storm developed in the tropical Atlantic on September 8, likely from a tropical wave. It moved west-northwestward, reaching hurricane strength on the 10th. A small hurricane, Fox remained far north not to cause any impact as it strengthened to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane on the 14th. It turned northeastward, and became extratropical on the 17th.
Hurricane George
Tropical Storm George developed from a tropical wave on September 27, moving northward through the central Atlantic. The storm turned northwestward, and remained weak until the 30th, when favorable conditions allowed it to strengthen. George became a hurricane on October 1, and reached its peak of 110 mph on the 4th as it was turning northeastward. It lost its tropical characteristics on the 5th south of Newfoundland, but remained a powerful extratropical cyclone for 2 more days.
Tropical Storm How
A tropical depression formed in the central Gulf of Mexico on October 1. It became a tropical storm later that day as it moved generally westward. On the 3rd, How turned more southward, and after reaching a peak of 60 mph, hit northeastern Mexico as a minimal storm. It dissipated on the 4th.
Hurricane Item
The Gulf of Mexico spawned another tropical storm in early October, this time on October 8 near the Yucatán Peninsula. Item moved westward initially, then southwestward while strengthening to a 110 mph hurricane. It hit Veracruz on the 10th, and dissipated that day.
Hurricane Jig
A small tropical storm developed on October 11 in the Central Atlantic. Jig moved northward, passing 300 miles east of Bermuda while strengthening to a 120 mph major hurricane. It turned northeastward, and became extratropical on the 17th.
Hurricane King
- Main article: Hurricane King
Hurricane King developed over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Honduras. It moved northeastward, hitting south central Cuba on the 17th. King, a small hurricane, was able to maintain its strength while crossing the island, but weakened to a strong Category 2 as it moved north-northwest towards the Florida coast. It hit Miami, Florida directly on the 18th, and continued up the state, dissipating over southern Georgia on the 19th. Well executed hurricane warnings lessened the threat of deaths, but heavy winds and flooding still caused heavy damage. King caused four deaths and a total of $30,000,000 in damage (1950 dollars).
Tropical Storm Twelve
An unnamed tropical storm formed in the eastern Atlantic on October 17. It moved northwestward initially, followed by a northeast course. It reached its peak of 70 mph on the 21st, but cooler waters weakened it as it crossed through the Azores. The storm turned southeastward, and dissipated on the 24th.
Hurricane Love
An area of low pressure, in combination with King, developed into a tropical storm on October 18, south of Louisiana. Though dry air was to the west, Love continued to intensify, reaching hurricane strength later that day as it looped eastward. After reaching a peak of 90 mph, the dry air took its toll, and weakened Love to a tropical storm at the time of its northwestern Florida landfall on the 21st. Love dissipated later that day over the Florida Panhandle.
1950 storm names
These names were used to name storms during the 1950 season. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
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See also
- redirect[[Template:Portal]]
External links
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