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The 1966 Atlantic hurricane season was an above-average Atlantic hurricane season that featured a near normal number of tropical cyclones, and many affected land. There were twelve tropical storms, seven of which became hurricanes. Three of the hurricanes strengthened to the equivalent of a major hurricane, which is a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The strongest hurricane of the season was Inez, a powerful Category 4 hurricane that devastated a large majority of the Caribbean islands and Mexico. The system was among the deadliest hurricanes on record, with over 1,000 total fatalities estimated. In addition, Inez caused $432.5 million (1966 US$) in damage, making it the deadliest and most destructive hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Hurricane Faith was an intense Cape Verde-type hurricane that holds the record as having the longest track of an Atlantic hurricane and the second longest worldwide. The season officially started on June 15, although Hurricane Alma developed eleven days prior. The system later affected the island of Cuba, where 90 fatalities were reported. Tropical Depression Two later in the month followed a similar path before making landfall in Florida, where it produced several tornadoes that dealt minor damage. In late July, a tropical depression struck the U.S. state of Louisiana, causing heavy rainfall but little damage. In mid-September, Hattie made landfall on the Mexican coastline; this area was struck a few weeks later by Inez. Throughout the basin, at least $690 million in damage was dealt, as well as at least 1094 fatalities.
Storms Hurricane Alma Hurricane Alma, which formed on June 4 over Central America, hit Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane. It moved northward and became a major hurricane before weakening and crossing Florida. Alma became extratropical over the northern Atlantic on June 13 after briefly restrengthening to a hurricane near North Carolina. Hurricane Alma killed 90 people, most in Honduras, and caused $210 million (1966 US$; $ USD) in damage, almost all in Cuba. Tropical Depression Two The second tropical depression of the season formed on June 28, in exactly the same manner of Hurricane Alma, developing over western Caribbean Sea. Also nearly following the path of Alma, the depression moved northward, crossing Cuba and then turning northeast across northern Florida. After failing to intensify into a tropical storm, the depression dissipated over southeastern Georgia on July 2.[1] Tropical Depression Two dropped heavy rainfall in some areas of Florida, and the greatest amount of precipitation recorded was in Everglades City, Florida and Jacksonville. Elsewhere in Florida, the depression dropped between of rain. Rainfall was also fell in South Carolina, and was regarded as "beneficial". In addition, the depression spawned two tornadoes, one of which destroyed two aircraft at Palm Beach International Airport; the other tornado touched-down in Vero Beach, Florida. It caused $50,000 (1966 USD; $ USD) in damage.[1] Hurricane Becky A tropical depression formed 300 mi (482.8 km) southeast of Bermuda on July 1, as confirmed by ESSA 2 satellite. The tropical depression intensified as it headed northeastward under an upper-level trough, and became a tropical storm by the following day. Becky rapidly intensified after becoming a tropical storm, and reached hurricane status only six hours later. After becoming under the influence of a cold low, Becky turned to the northwest toward Atlantic Canada on July 3. Becky encountered cooler sea surface temperatures, and became extratropical on July 3 near Nova Scotia. No damage was reported.[1] Hurricane Celia The precursor to Hurricane Celia was an easterly wave moving across the tropical Atlantic. It became a tropical depression on July 13, and a tropical storm the next day. After moving northwestward, Celia turned more westward towards the Bahamas, where it met hostile conditions and dissipated on the July 15. The remnant cloud mass turned northeastward, and on the July 20, it regained enough organization to be called a tropical storm again. Celia rapidly intensified to a hurricane that day, but the following day the storm became extratropical near Nova Scotia. Hurricane Dorothy An upper tropospheric cold low over the north-central Atlantic led to the development of a surface low on July 22. That night it became a tropical depression, followed by becoming a tropical storm on the July 23. Dorothy was likely subtropical when it first developed, but on the July 24, it became more tropical, reaching hurricane strength and attaining a well organized satellite presentation, but without a true eyewall. Dorothy continued northward towards cooler waters, weakening to tropical storm strength on the July 29 and becoming extratropical on July 30. Tropical Storm Ella On July 22, a tropical depression formed in the tropical Atlantic, originating from an African tropical wave. It headed west-northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength on the July 24. Conditions never became very favorable, with the large circulation of Dorothy to the north impeding some development. Ella dissipated on the July 28 east of the Bahamas. Tropical Depression Seven A tropical low moving through the Caribbean became well-organized enough to be called a tropical depression on July 24. It hit the coast of Louisiana on July 26, moving along the coast and dissipating on July 27.[2][3] The depression caused heavy rain but little damage. Hurricane Faith Hurricane Faith was a long-lived storm, maintaining hurricane strength for thirteen days as it travelled the Atlantic. It has the longest recorded track of any hurricane, more than 7,500 mi (12,070 km). Faith started as a typical Cape Verde-type hurricane in mid-August. After approaching the Lesser Antilles, Faith started turning northward, and eventually its track curved enough to take it away from North America. Faith continued on as a tropical system, and was declared extratropical only hours before striking the Faroe Islands. The low that was Faith continued over the Scandinavian Peninsula, and was tracked as far as Franz Josef Land. Tropical Storm Greta Tropical Storm Greta developed from a tropical wave on September 1 in the tropical Atlantic. It moved west-northwestward, encountering favorable conditions. The depression became Tropical Storm Greta on the September 4, the same day it reached its peak of 60 mph (95 km/h). It was not able to strengthen further, due to the lack of low level inflow, and Greta dissipated on September 7 in the southwestern Atlantic. Tropical Storm Hallie The combination of a stationary cold front and a large cloud mass led to the formation of a tropical depression in the Bay of Campeche on September 20. As it separated from the cold front, it strengthened to a tropical storm on September 21. Hallie reached its peak of 50 mph (85 km/h) that day, but cool air weakened the storm prior to hitting the Mexican coast. Hallie dissipated on September 22. Hurricane Inez The deadliest storm of the season was Hurricane Inez. Inez killed an estimated 1,000 and caused over $200 million (1966 USD; $ USD) in damage. Inez had first started out as a weak, tropical depression on the coast of Africa on September 18. It tracked up the Greater Antilles, into the Bahamas, across the Florida Keys, approached the Yucat n Peninsula, and after three weeks finally made landfall near Tampico. Inez was the first single storm on record to strike the islands of the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico. Tropical Storm Judith A tropical wave following Hurricane Inez organized to become a tropical depression on September 27. It moved west-northwestward, becoming a tropical storm the next day. Judith did not strengthen past its peak of 50 mph (85 km/h) as it moved through the islands due to outflow from Inez. Judith dissipated on September 30. Tropical Storm Kendra On October 9, a cyclone 200 mi (320 km) north of Cape Verde was named Kendra and operationally classified as a tropical storm, but post-analysis found the system actually remained an extratropical gale center. This makes Kendra one of two systems in the Atlantic basin to be named and not considered a tropical cyclone;[1] the other system was Mike of 1950.[4] Hurricane Lois A small cloud vortex over the central Atlantic obtained enough convective organization to become a tropical depression on November 4. It meandered, first to the west, then to the east-southeast. On November 6, the depression became a tropical storm, followed by a hurricane on November 8. Lois moved quickly northeastward, becoming extratropical on November 11 north of the Azores. Storm names The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1966. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1972 season. This is the same list used for the 1960 season. Storms were named Dorothy, Faith, Hallie, Inez, Kendra and Lois for the first time in 1966. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray. | | - Hallie
- Inez
- Judith
- Kendra
- Lois
| | Retirement The name Inez was later retired. See also References External links pt:Temporada de furac es no Atl ntico de 1966
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