Hurricane Cindy (1963)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Cindy
Type=hurricane
Year=1963
Basin=Atl
Image location=Cindy1963rdar.jpg


Formed=September 16, 1963
Dissipated=September 20, 1963
1-min winds=70
Pressure=996
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=3 direct
Areas=Texas, western Louisiana
Hurricane season=1963 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Cindy was a Category 1 hurricane that struck southeastern Texas in September 1963. The fourth tropical cyclone, third named storm and third hurricane of the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season. The first storm of the 1963 season to make landfall along the United States coastline and the first hurricane to form in the Gulf of Mexico since 1960,cite web|author=Gordon E. Dunn|year=1964|title=The Hurricane Season of 1963|publisher=American Meteorological Society|accessdate=2007-01-05|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/092/mwr-092-03-0128.pdf] Cindy on September 16 and moved northeastward where it reached hurricane strength before making landfall near High Island, Texas on September 17. Cindy then turned southwestward and weakened into a tropical depression a day later. Cindy then dissipated on September 20 over southern Texas. Cindy brought heavy rainfall across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. The heavy rainfall and high winds from Cindy left US$12.5 million (1963 dollars) and three fatalities.

Meteorological history

Cindy formed on September 16, from a trough of low pressure 200 miles (322 km) east-northeast of Brownsville, Texas. Moments after its formation, a ship reported tropical storm force winds prompting forecasters at the National Hurricane Center to name the storm "Cindy". By 2:00 p.m. an eye was detected on radar as the storm was located 200 miles (322 km) east of Corpus Christi. On the same day Cindy was upgraded to hurricane status based on ship reports as the storm moved northward at 8 mph (13 km/h). At 0000 GMT, Cindy reached a peak intensity of 80 mph (135 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 996 millibars before making landfall near Port Arthur on September 17. After landfall, the storm stalled out over eastern Texas for 18 hours before drifting slowly westward. The southwestward drift caused Cindy to rapidly weaken to a weak tropical storm on September 18 and later to a tropical depression a day later. After drifting slowly for two days over southeastern Texas, Cindy finally dissipated on September 20 northwest of Brownsville. [cite web|author=Weather Underground|year=2007|title=Hurricane Cindy Weather Underground Archive|accessdate=2007-01-08|url=http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at196304.asp]

Preparations

The Weather Bureau in New Orleans issued gale warnings (or tropical storm warnings) and a hurricane watch from Freeport, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana in its second advisory. In its next advisory, the tropical storm warnings were changed to hurricane warnings as Cindy reached hurricane status. The warnings were extended to include Galveston, Texas and Vermillion Bay, Louisiana and small boats were told to remain in port while shipping traffic in the path of Hurricane Cindy were warned of the deteriorating conditions. Inland, the Weather Bureau stated in their advisory that flood warnings will be issued since the storm was forecast to bring heavy rain to eastern Texas and western Louisiana. [cite web|author=Conner|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 3|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-08|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim03.gif] [cite web|author=Conner|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 4|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-08|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim04.gif] In Lake Charles, Louisiana, forecasters advised residents to take preparations and evacuate in anticipation that Cindy will cause flooding in low lying areas. Another Weather Bureau center in Corpus Christi, Texas, stated in its advisory that Cindy was no threat to the city as the center of the storm was moving northeastward. However, the Bureau warned residents about the threat of high surf along the southeastern Texas coast. A weather station in Galveston issued gale warnings and meteorologists predicted that the storm will bring high tides and squalls five feet above normal to the city. The Galveston weather center also advised residents to go to storm shelters until the rough seas subsided. [cite web|author=Taylor and Volberecht|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 9|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-09|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim09.gif]

Forecasters at the Weather Bureau forecast center in Port Arthur, Texas, predicted that Cindy will bring tides four feet above normal and advised residents in Port Arthur to take precautionary measures. In its 7 p.m. (cst) advisory, forecasters expected the flooding from Hurricane Cindy to be limited to coastal sections of Port Arthur and not significantly affect inland areas stretching from the Intercoastal Channel Bridge to the Sabine Pass Highway. In addition, forecasters predicted that the storm will bring severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and thus prompted a tornado watch in a 60 mile radius, stretching from College Station, Texas to Lafayette, Louisiana. [cite web|author=National Weather Bureau|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 10|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-09|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim10.gif] [cite web|author=National Weather Bureau|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 12|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-09|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim12.gif]

Overall, 9,600 residents in Louisiana and eastern Texas were evacuated in response to the warnings. Offshore, many oil rigs were evacuated.cite web|author=National Hurricane Center|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy report page 2|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-09|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/prenhc/prelim02.gif] [cite web|author=E.J. Saltsman|year=1963|title=U.S. Dept. of Commerce Report on Cindy|publisher=United States Government|accessdate=2007-01-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/new1016b.gif]

Impact

Making landfall as a category 1 hurricane, Cindy left $13.5 million (equivalent to $76 million in 2005) most of it from flooding and three fatalities from drowning incidents.

Louisiana

The outer rainbands of Hurricane Cindy produced torrential downpours along the Louisiana coast. Rainfall of 7-10 inches (177.8-254 mm) was reported across southeastern Louisiana. Inland, rainfall of 1-3 inches (25.4-76.2 mm) was reported.cite web|author=David Roth|year=2007|title=HPC report on Hurricane Cindy|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-11|url=http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/cindy1963.html] Four weather stations in Cameron, Louisiana received 2.21-5.5 inches (50.8-127 mm) of rain on September 17 and 2.5-4.1 inches (50.8-101.6 mm) the next day. On the same day, Cameron's local newspaper reported winds gusting to 45 mph (72 km/h) and a tide gauge reported sea levels 5.5-6 feet above normal. In Lake Charles, a weather station reported 4.07 inches (101.6 mm) of rain over a three day span and winds of 23 mph (37 km/h), gusting to 35 mph (56 km/h). The weather station also reported a pressure reading of 28.85 inches (976 mbar. In Lafayette, the airport reported rainfall of 1.2 inches (25.4 mm) on September 17. In addition, the airport reported winds of 28 mph (45 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 29.97 inches (1014 mbar).cite web|author=National Weather Service|year=1963|title=Rainfall Observation of Hurricane Cindy|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-11|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/new1016e.gif] cite web|author=E.J. Saltsman|year=1963|title=U.S. Dept. of Commerce Report on Cindy|publisher=United States Government|accessdate=2007-01-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/new1016c.gif] cite web|author=National Weather Service|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy Wind Totals|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/new1016d.gif] The heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding along the Louisiana coastline as floodwaters covered two highways leading away from the coastline and caused Calcasieu River to overflow its banks. Elsewhere in Louisiana, there was moderate damage to roads and crops. Offshore, an oil worker drowned after falling off a lifeboat while evacuating personnel from two oil rigs.

Texas

In Texas, the eye of Hurricane Cindy made landfall between the towns of Galveston and Port Arthur, with the eye passing over High Island at 7 a.m. (CDT). Offshore, sustained winds were clocked at 80 mph (135 km/h) while a weather station in Galveston reported sustained winds of 54 mph (87 km/h) with gusts up to 74 mph (119 km/h). A tide gauge in Galveston reported water levels 4.6 feet above normal.cite web|author=United States Government|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy Texas Report|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-20|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/wbc1011a.gif] Damage in Galveston-Sabine Pass area was limited to piers and small boats. In addition, strong winds caused moderate roof damage in Gilchrist and Winnie. As the storm moved inland, it produced heavy rainfall across central, interior portions of south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. In Deweyville, the storm dropped rainfall that totaled up to 23 inches (584.2 mm) over a three day period. Storm totals ranging 20.15-23.50 inches (508-584.2 mm) were reported in other counties in Texas. The heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in much of the inland counties in Texas. In Jefferson County, a levee protecting a suburb of Port Arthur broke on the morning of September 18 but was under control hours later. Volunteer workers packed over 50,000 sandbags to reinforce the levee to preventing it from breaking further. Another canal however overflowed its banks causing moderate flooding that covered Highway 365 and inundated a few homes. In Beaumont, floodwaters inundated 2,000 homes. Overall, damage in Jefferson County amounted to $9.18 million. The flooding also killed two people.cite web|author=United States Government|year=1963|title=Hurricane Cindy Report|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-20|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/wbc1011b.gif]

In Orange County, floodwaters forced the evacuation of 500 residents and inundated houses in waters up to 18 inches (457.2 mm). Damage in Orange County amounted to $2 million. Newton County sustained only $125,000 in flood damage because, most of the rainwater ran off into the Sabine River.

Oklahoma and Arkansas

Oklahoma received moderate to heavy rainfall from the outer bands of Cindy. The highest rainfall total in Oklahoma was at Saddle Mountain where a rain gauge reported rainfall of 5.65 inches (500 mm) over a four day period although that report was incomplete. The town of Carnegie also reported rainfall of 5 inches (127 mm). Elsewhere in Oklahoma, rainfall between 1-3 inches (25.4-76.2 mm), much of it concentrated in the central and southwestern portion of the state. The heavy rainfall caused moderate flooding which forced an evacuation of 300 people and damaged 90 homes and businesses. A damage figure in Oklahoma was unknown. [cite web|author=United States Government|year=1963|title=Report from Oklahoma|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-20|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/okc0926.gif]

In Arkansas, the effects from Cindy was minimal and limited to light rainfall, the highest rainfall from Cindy was 0.55 inches (13.9 mm) near El Dorado, Arkansas. Elsewhere, the storm dropped 0.04-0.40 inches (1.01 mm-10.1 mm) of rain. There was no reported damage from Cindy's impact on Arkansas. [cite web|author=United States Government|year=1963|title=Arkansas Report|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2007-01-20|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1963/cindy/preloc/lit0923.gif]

Aftermath

President John F. Kennedy declared much of eastern and central Texas a disaster area on September 24, 1963. The declaration allowed state and local governments to receive federal aid. [cite web|author=FEMA|year=2004|title=1963 Disaster Declaration after Cindy|publisher=U.S. Federal Government|accessdate=2007-01-20|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=1360] Because the damage was not severe, the name Cindy was not retired by the National Hurricane Center (which was controlling the naming of Atlantic hurricanes during that time period). As a result, the name was reused again in future years and is on list for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season.

ee also

*Tropical cyclone
*List of Atlantic hurricanes
*List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States

References