| 1966 Atlantic Hurricane Season |
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The 1966 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 , 1966 , and lasted until November 30 , 1966 . These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most Tropical Cyclone s form in the Atlantic Basin . The 1966 season was relatively active with eleven tropical storms, two more than an average normal season. It was also unusually active early in the season, with five named storms forming before the end of July. Notable storms of 1966 include Hurricane Alma , which caused death and destruction in Honduras , Cuba , and Florida ; and Hurricane Inez , which killed 1,000 people in its trek across the Greater Antilles , Bahamas , Florida, and Mexico . An unusual storm was Hurricane Faith , which followed an extremely long track from Africa, into the Carribbean , and all the way into the Arctic . 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, most in Honduras , and caused $210 million (1966 dollars) in damage, almost all in Cuba . Hurricane Becky A tropical depression formed 300 miles southeast of Bermuda on July 1 . It moved quickly northeastward where it became a tropical storm and a hurricane on the 2nd. Becky turned to the northwest due to an upper low, and became extratropical on the 3rd near Nova Scotia . No damage was reported. 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 15th. The renmant cloud mass turned northeastward, and on the 20th, it regained enough organizaion 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 23rd. Dorothy was likely subtropical when it first developed, but on the 24th, 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 29th and becoming extratropical on the 30th. 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 24th. Conditions never became very favorable, with the large circulation of Dorothy to the north impeding some development. Ella dissipated on the 28th east of the Bahamas. Hurricane Faith Hurricane Faith was a long-lived storm, maintaining hurricane strength for thirteen days as it travelled the Atlantic. 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 bring 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 4th, the same day it reached its peak of 60 mph. It wasn't able to strengthen further, due to the lack of low level inflow, and Greta dissipated on the 7th 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 the 21st. Hallie reached her peak of 50 mph that day, but cool air weakened the storm prior to hitting the Mexican coast. Hallie dissipated on the 22nd. Hurricane Inez The worst storm of the season was Hurricane Inez. Inez killed an estimated 1,000 and caused over $200 million (1966 dollars) in damage. It tracked up the Greater Antilles , into the Bahamas , across the Florida Keys , approached the Yucatán Peninsula , and after three weeks finally made landfall near Tampico . Inez was the first single storm of 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 didn't strengthen past its peak of 50 mph as it moved through the islands due to outflow from Inez. Judith dissipated on the 30th. 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 the 6th, the depression became a tropical storm, followed by a hurricane on the 8th. Lois moved quickly northeastward, becoming extratropical on the 11th north of the Azores . Other Storms Tropical Depression Two A tropical depression formed in the exact same manner of Hurricane Alma over western Caribbean Sea , only weeks later on June 30 . It moved northeastward, crossing Cuba and later Florida . It caused $50,000 in damage 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 the 26th, causing heavy rain but little damage. Tropical Depression Kendra A tropical depression in the extreme eastern Atlantic was given the name Kendra in October, but post-analysis found the storm never reached tropical storm strength. This makes Kendra the Atlantic basin's only named tropical depression. 1966 STORM NAMES The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1966. Names that were not assigned are marked in . Retirement See Also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes The name Inez was later retired. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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