Category 2 Atlantic hurricane in 1943
The
1943 Surprise Hurricane
was the first hurricane to be entered by a
reconnaissance aircraft
. The first tracked
tropical cyclone
of the
1943 Atlantic hurricane season
, this system developed as a tropical storm while situated over the northeastern
Gulf of Mexico
on July 25. The storm gradually strengthened while tracking westward and reached hurricane status late on July 26. Thereafter, the hurricane curved slightly west-northwestward and continued intensifying. Early on July 27, it became a Category 2 hurricane on the modern-day
Saffir?Simpson hurricane wind scale
and peaked with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). The system maintained this intensity until
landfall
on the
Bolivar Peninsula
in Texas late on July 27. After moving inland, the storm initially weakened rapidly, but remained a tropical cyclone until dissipating over north-central Texas on July 29.
Because the storm occurred during
World War II
, information and reports were
censored
by the
government of the United States
and news media. Advisories also had to be cleared through the
Weather Bureau
office in
New Orleans
, resulting in late releases. This in turn delayed preparations ahead of the storm. In Louisiana, the storm produced gusty winds and heavy rains, though no damage occurred. The storm was considered the worst in Texas since the
1915 Galveston hurricane
. Wind gusts up to 132 mph (212 km/h) were reported in the
Galveston
-
Houston
area. Numerous buildings and houses were damaged or destroyed. The storm caused 19 fatalities, 14 of which occurred after two separate ships sank. Overall, damage reached approximately $17 million (equivalent to $299 million in 2023).
Meteorological history
[
edit
]
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir?Simpson scale
Map key
Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
Tropical storm (39?73 mph, 63?118 km/h)
Category 1 (74?95 mph, 119?153 km/h)
Category 2 (96?110 mph, 154?177 km/h)
Category 3 (111?129 mph, 178?208 km/h)
Category 4 (130?156 mph, 209?251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
A partial
atmospheric circulation
was observed over the extreme
Southeastern United States
and the eastern
Gulf of Mexico
as early as July 23. However, an area of disturbed weather went unnoticed until July 25, when wind shifts from southeast to northeast were observed in
Burrwood
and
New Orleans
in Louisiana, as well as
Biloxi, Mississippi
.
[1]
Around 1800
UTC
, a tropical storm developed approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of the
Mississippi River Delta
.
[2]
Moving westward at about 7 mph (11 km/h),
[3]
the storm strengthened and became a hurricane late on July 26. Early on the following day, the storm strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on the modern-day
Saffir?Simpson hurricane wind scale
. Around that time, the storm also attained its
maximum sustained wind
speed of 105 mph (165 km/h).
[2]
Later on July 27, the first ever
reconnaissance aircraft
flight into a hurricane occurred. An
eye feature
with a width of 9?10 miles (14?16 km) was observed during the flight.
[3]
Around 1800 UTC on July 27, the storm made
landfall
on the
Bolivar Peninsula
in Texas with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h).
[2]
The system was described by the
Weather Bureau
as "a small intense storm accompanied by full hurricane winds."
[1]
Around the time of landfall, a
barometric pressure
of 967
mbar
(28.6
inHg
) was observed. Early on July 28, the system weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, then a tropical storm about six hours later. Later that day, the storm began curving northwestward over east-central Texas. Early on July 29, it weakened further to a tropical depression. Around 0000 UTC on the following day, the storm dissipated near
Whitt, Texas
.
[2]
Hurricane hunting
[
edit
]
This was the first hurricane that a reconnaissance aircraft intentionally flew into. During the morning hours of July 27, British pilots were training at
Bryan Field
in
Bryan, Texas
and were alerted about a hurricane approaching the Galveston area. Upon becoming informed that the planes would need to be flown away from the storm, they criticized this policy. Instead, Colonel
Joe Duckworth
made a bet with the British pilots that he could fly his
AT-6 Texan
trainer directly into the storm. Duckworth requested that Lt. Colonel Ralph O'Hair, the only navigator at the field, fly into the hurricane with him. Because neither Duckworth nor O'Hair believed that the headquarters would approve the flight, they decided to proceed without permission. Thus, Duckworth and O'Hair became the first
hurricane hunters
. O'Hair later compared the weather encountered during the flight to "being tossed about like a stick in a dog's mouth". After returning to Bryan Field, Lt. William Jones-Burdick requested to fly into the hurricane with Duckworth, while O'Hair decided to exit the aircraft.
[3]
Censorship
[
edit
]
The hurricane occurred during
World War II
, with activity from a German
U-boat
expected in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, ship reports were silenced. At the time, the Weather Bureau relied primarily on ship and land weather station observations to issue storm warnings. Additionally, advisories had to be cleared through the Weather Bureau office in
New Orleans, Louisiana
, causing them to be released hours late; moreover, the advisories contained no forecast information, which would have allowed for preparation before the storm struck. The news media after the hurricane was heavily censored by the government due to national security, as information could not be leaked to the
Axis powers
about the loss of production of war materials. Reportedly, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
shut down a telegraph office in
La Porte
after a telegram was sent containing information about damage from the hurricane. The only news of this storm was published in Texas and Louisiana. After the loss of life in this storm, the government of the United States has never censored hurricane advisories again.
[3]
Impact and aftermath
[
edit
]
In Louisiana, light winds were observed, with gusts of 36 mph (58 km/h) at both
Burrwood
and
Lake Charles
. Locally heavy rains were reported in some areas, with a 24-hour precipitation total of 7.65 inches (194 mm) in
DeQuincy
on July 28.
[4]
Wind damage in Galveston, Texas
The storm brought strong winds to Texas, with gusts up to 132 mph (212 km/h) reported at the cooling towers at the
Shell Oil Refinery
in
Deer Park
and the Humble Oil Refinery in
Baytown
. Four towers were destroyed at the latter, while other damage there reduced production of
toluene
, which is a precursor to
TNT
. Some towers were also toppled at the Shell Oil Refinery in Deer Park. As these were the primary refineries producing aviation fuel for World War II, it was decided that news about this loss of production should be censored. A number of other oil derricks were destroyed throughout
Chambers
and
Jefferson
counties. At
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base
near Houston, strong winds blew off the top of a
hangar
, destroyed five planes, and injured at least 22 cadets.
[3]
Thousands in the Houston were left without telephone and electrical service,
[5]
which caused all three radio stations in the area to go off air. The nearby Houston Yacht Club also suffered heavy damage. At Point Bolivar, located on the Bolivar Peninsula, nearly all homes were destroyed by the high winds. The high school's physical education building in La Porte, which was originally a three-story building, was reduced to only one floor after windows shattered and the support beams toppled, causing the roof to collapse. At nearby
Morgan's Point
, a water tower was knocked over.
[3]
On
Galveston Island
, a number of brick businesses, buildings, and churches collapsed.
[6]
Street flooding in Galveston, Texas
Heavy rainfall was observed in some areas of eastern Texas, with up to 19 inches (480 mm) in Port Arthur. There, numerous homes were flooded with 6 to 24 inches (150 to 610 mm) of water, which included damage to furnishings, electric motors and automobiles. In downtown Galveston, a number of streets were inundated with rainwater, though flooding damage was relatively minor.
[3]
Two children's polio hospitals suffered leaking roofs and water damage, forcing patients to be evacuated by staff and
University of Texas Medical Branch
students.
[7]
About 90 percent of all house and buildings in
Texas City
suffered either water damage or complete destruction, including plant sites producing war materials. However, they were discouraged from going to shelters due to a polio epidemic there. In Galveston Bay, wind-driven waves flooded the western and southern shores. However, northerly winds across the bay resulted in tides being extremely low. On Galveston Island, a storm surge of 6 feet (1.8 m) was observed. Offshore, the
United States Army Corps of Engineers
’s
hopper
dredge
Galveston
broke up after being smashed against the north jetty, causing 11 fatalities. The tug
Titan
began sinking offshore
Port Arthur
. Three members of the crew drowned after attempting to board a rubber raft, while another person died before the remainder of the crew reached the shore. Overall, the storm killed 19 people and caused $17 million (1943 USD) in damage to the Houston area.
[3]
Following the storm, residents were warned to boil their water and be cautious of potential
food contamination
due to electrical outages. The
War Production Board
regional office in
Dallas
offered relief to the victims of the storm.
[5]
In La Porte, a makeshift hospital was set up in city hall. At Point Bolivar, where nearly all houses were destroyed, the now-destitute residents were transported by the Galveston chapter of the
American Red Cross
to Galveston for housing.
[8]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Howard C. Sumner (November 1943).
North Atlantic Hurricane And Tropical Disturbances of 1943
(PDF)
.
Weather Bureau
(Report). Washington, D.C.:
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. pp. 179?1980
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)"
(Database). United States
National Hurricane Center
. April 5, 2023
. Retrieved
June 15,
2024
.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Lew Fincher and Bill Read (May 24, 2010).
The 1943 "Surprise" Hurricane
.
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston, Texas
(Report). Dickinson, Texas: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
- ^
David M. Roth (April 8, 2010).
Louisiana Hurricane History
(PDF)
.
Weather Prediction Center
(Report). College Park, Maryland: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. p. 35
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
"Severe Storm Hits City"
(PDF)
.
The Daily News
. July 28, 1943. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on July 13, 2004
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
- ^
David M. Roth (January 17, 2010).
Texas Hurricane History
(PDF)
.
Weather Prediction Center
(Report). College Park, Maryland: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. p. 46
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
- ^
Heather Green Wooten (October 25, 2009).
The Polio Years in Texas: Battling a Terrifying Unknown
. Austin, Texas:
Texas A&M University Press
. p. 66.
ISBN
978-1603441650
. Retrieved
January 3,
2014
.
- ^
"Ten Are Drowned As Dredge Sinks"
(PDF)
. The Daily News. July 29, 1943. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on January 18, 2010
. Retrieved
January 1,
2014
.
External links
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