Hurricane Carla

Encyclopedia : H : HU : HUR : Hurricane Carla

This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 1961; there was also a Tropical Storm Carla during the 1956 Atlantic hurricane season.

Hurricane Carla was one of two Category 5 tropical cyclones during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming one of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States. The storm caused over $2 billion (2005 US dollars) in damages, but due to a massive evacuation the death toll was only 43.

Contents

1 Storm history
2 Impact

2.1 Retirement

3 Trivia
4 See also
5 External links

Storm history

A tropical depression developed in the western Caribbean Sea on September 3 from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. It moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm on the 5th and a hurricane on the 6th. After skimming the Yucatán Peninsula as a weak hurricane, Carla entered the Gulf of Mexico and headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.

As it moved slowly across the Gulf of Mexico, Carla steadily strengthened to its peak of 175 mph (280 km/h) winds (Category 5 intensity) on September 11. Just before landfall, it weakened, but Carla was still a very strong and unusually large Category 4 hurricane at its landfall between Port O'Connor and Port Lavaca on the 11th. Along the entire Texas coast, hurricane warnings were put into effect, causing a large evacuation of low-lying areas.

Impact

Storm surge was measured at 22 feet (6.7 m) near the heads of bays, in some places penetrating 10 miles inland. Because of its large size, the entire Texas coast was affected, and damage was reported as far inland as Dallas. Wind gusts as high as 170mph were recorded at Port Lavaca. Pressure at landfall was measured at 931 mbar (hPa), making it the eighth most intense hurricane to strike the United States in the 20th century.

Rainfall map

Most intense landfalling U.S. hurricanes Intensity is measured solely by central pressure
Rank	Hurricane	Season	Landfall pressure
1	"Labor Day"	1935	892 mbar (hPa)
2	Camille	1969	909 mbar (hPa)
3	Katrina	2005	920 mbar (hPa)
4	Andrew	1992	922 mbar (hPa)
5	"Indianola"	1886	925 mbar (hPa)
6	"Florida Keys"	1919	927 mbar (hPa)
7	"Okeechobee"	1928	929 mbar (hPa)
8	Donna	1960	930 mbar (hPa)
9	New Orleans"	1915	931 mbar (hPa)
10	Carla	1961	931 mbar (hPa)
Source: [U.S. National Hurricane Center]

Much of the damage was done well away from the landfall site, as Carla spawned one of the largest hurricane-related tornado outbreaks on record. One F4 tornado ripped through downtown Galveston, killing several (sources differ on the exact number, varying from 6 to 12). Outside the protection of the Galveston Seawall, structures on the island were severely damaged by storm surge. Damage was reported as far east as the Mississippi River delta.

As Carla weakened, it dropped heavy rain in the Midwest.

Carla killed 43 people, 31 of them in Texas. The low death toll is credited to what was then the largest peacetime evacuation in US history. One half million residents headed inland from exposed coastal areas. Carla caused a total of $325 million ($2.03 billion in 2005 USD) in damage.

Retirement

The name Carla was retired following this storm, and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again. It was replaced by Carol in the 1965 season.

Trivia

The storm marked the first live television broadcast of a hurricane. Then little-known newsman Dan Rather reported live from the Galveston Seawall during the storm, an act that would be imitated by later reporters.

External links

Tropical cyclones of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season |stormname=Anna |strength=Category 3 |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Anna |storminitial=A }} |stormname=Betsy |strength=Category 4 |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Betsy |storminitial=B }} |stormname=Carla |strength=Category 5 |linkname=Hurricane_Carla |storminitial=C }} |stormname=Debbie |strength=Category 3 |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Debbie |storminitial=D }} |stormname=Esther |strength=Category 4 |linkname=Hurricane_Esther |storminitial=E }} |stormname=Six |strength=Tropical Storm |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Six |storminitial=6 }} |stormname=Frances |strength=Category 4 |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Frances |storminitial=F }} |stormname=Gerda |strength=Tropical Storm |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Gerda |storminitial=G }} |stormname=Hattie |strength=Category 5 |linkname=Hurricane_Hattie |storminitial=H }} |stormname=Inga |strength=Tropical Storm |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Tropical_Storm_Inga |storminitial=I }} |stormname=Jenny |strength=Category 1 |linkname=1961_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Jenny |storminitial=J }}