Hurricane Fox (1952)

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Hurricane Fox (1952)
Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Formed October 20, 1952
Dissipated October 28, 1952
Highest
winds
150 mph (240 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure 934 mbar (hPa; 27.59 inHg)
Fatalities 41
Damage $10 million (1952 USD)
$81 million (2008 USD)
Areas
affected		 Cuba, southeast Florida, the Bahamas
Part of the
1952 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Fox was the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclone of the below average 1952 Atlantic hurricane season. The seventh tropical storm, sixth Atlantic hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the season, Fox was a small and intense Caribbean storm that developed northwest of Cartagena, Colombia in the southern Caribbean Sea. It moved steadily northwest, intensifying to a tropical storm on October 21. On the next day, it rapidly strengthened to a hurricane, and it turned north. The cyclone attained peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) as it struck Cayo Guano del Este off the coast of Cienfuegos. Fox made landfall on Cuba at maximum intensity, producing peak gusts of 170–180 mph (275–290 km/h). It weakened over land, but it re-strengthened as it turned east over the Bahamas. On October 26, it weakened and took an erratic path, dissipating west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.

Hurricane Fox was the second most intense hurricane to strike Cuba until Hurricane Michelle in the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. It was originally believed to have been the second Category 4 hurricane in Cuba prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis. At the time, the cyclone produced the fourth lowest pressure in a landfalling Cuban hurricane; only the 1917, 1924, and 1932 hurricanes were more intense. Hurricane Fox killed at least 40 people across the island, causing severe crop damages in rural areas. The hurricane also ruined 30 percent of the tomato crops on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Across the archipelago, Fox produced wind gusts in excess of 110 mph (175 km/h). Total damages reached $10 million in Cuba. Fox was the second hurricane to hit land during the season, after Hurricane Able struck South Carolina.[1]

Contents

[edit] Storm history

Storm path
Storm path

On October 20, a tropical depression formed in the Caribbean Sea 170 miles (270 km) northwest of Cartagena, Colombia.[2] Fox is believed to have developed from a low pressure area in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, though it was not detected operationally until October 21.[1] The system steadily advanced northwest, and it gradually intensified. On October 21, a reconnaissance mission was flown to the system, and it reported sustained winds in excess of 40 mph (65 km/h).[3] At the time, the system is believed to have strengthened to Tropical Storm Fox.[2] On October 22, the cyclone continued to deepen, and it reached the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane 120 miles (200 km) southeast of the Swan Islands, Honduras.[2] The hurricane rapidly intensified and turned north on October 23, strengthening to the equivalent of a major hurricane. Late on October 24, the cyclone struck the small island of Cayo Guano del Estes in the Archipelago de los Canarreos, located south of Cienfuegos.[1] Maximum sustained winds were near 150 mph (240 km/h),[2] and the island's weather station recorded a minimum pressure of 934 mbar (27.59 inHg).[1] The cyclone crossed the mainland coast of Cuba west of Cienfuegos,[1] and it weakened as it crossed the island.[2]

Early on October 25, Hurricane Fox entered the Atlantic Ocean with sustained winds near 100 mph (155 km/h).[2] It crossed the central portion of Andros and turned east across the archipelago.[2] On October 26, the hurricane briefly re-intensified to a major hurricane with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds[2] as it crossed Cat Island.[4] The center was becoming ill-defined,[4] and the cyclone quickly weakened after leaving the island.[2] It turned north, followed by an erratic northeast turn as it weakened to a tropical storm on October 27.[2] The system gained extratropical characteristics as it merged with an old polar frontal boundary,[1] and it dissipated west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.[2]

[edit] Preparations

Advance warnings, along with coordination between the National Observatory at Havana and U.S. Weather Bureau, were credited for the reduced number of deaths in Cuba. Weather observations were also readily available from Cuban meteorological stations.[1] On October 25, the cyclone's hurricane force winds were expected to remain off the Florida east coast, but gale force winds were anticipated from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach, Florida. Accordingly, storm warnings were issued from Key West, Florida to Vero Beach, Florida.[5] Military aircraft were transported to safer locations, while watercraft were stored in harbors and rivers.[5] Hotels and resorts were boarded up on the barrier islands.[6] The Bahamas received warnings well in advance of the hurricane.[7] The hurricane turned quickly to the east, which reduced the threat to Bimini, Cat Cay, Grand Bahama, and the Abaco Islands.[8]

[edit] Impact

A flight into the storm experienced severe turbulence, and wind driven rain reportedly stripped paint from the plane's surfaces.[1] After the storm, 70 people were injured in Cuba. Severe damages to properties and crops occurred in rural areas.[1][5] In Zulueta, 30 structures were destroyed, while a Japanese freighter was washed ashore on the reefs near Cayo Breton. The crew survived,[9] though another ship was disabled during the storm.[5] Wave heights purportedly reached 200 feet.[5] The fringes of the storm produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, flooding low areas as several rivers overflowed their banks.[9] Strong winds uprooted large trees in Santa Isabel, and winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) were reported in the city of Cienfuegos.[9] In Aguada de Pasajeros, 600 buildings were demolished, while 36 of 261 sugar mills across the island were damaged by Hurricane Fox.[1] In the end, Hurricane Fox killed 40 people in Cuba and caused $10 million in damages.[10]

The cyclone produced peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) in Nassau, Bahamas, causing no damage.[8] Crops were damaged from winds and heavy precipitation on Eleuthera. 30 percent of the tomato crops were destroyed during the passage of the storm.[1] A man who attempted to secretly seed and weaken the storm was missing and presumed dead after his plane disappeared off Miami, Florida. Multiple searches by the Coast Guard were unsuccessful.[11][12]

In the early 1950s, Atlantic tropical cyclones were named via the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, and the name Fox was not retired. Hurricane Fox of 1952 was the last Atlantic tropical cyclone to be named from this system, and a female list of tropical cyclone names was utilized in the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season.[13] After the stronger 1917 Pinar del Río hurricane, Hurricane Fox was Cuba's second most intense landfall until Hurricane Michelle struck the island in 2001.[2] Originally, the 1917 hurricane was believed to have been a Category 3 hurricane prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis, which made Fox the second Category 4 landfall after the 1932 Cuba Hurricane.[14] At the time, Fox was the fourth most intense hurricane to strike Cuba in terms of atmospheric pressure; only the 1917, 1924, and 1932 storms were stronger at one point in their life spans.[15]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Norton, Grady (1952). Hurricanes of 1952. U.S. Weather Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hurricane Research Division (2008). Atlantic hurricane best track. NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  3. ^ United Press (1952). Nor'easter Slams Florida Peninsula. The Galveston Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  4. ^ a b The Associated Press (1952). Hurricane Losing Force. The Daily Record. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  5. ^ a b c d e The Associated Press (1952). Storm Veers To Eastward. The Lima News. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  6. ^ Lebanon Daily News (1952). Hurricane Cuts Across Cuba; Bahamas Next. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  7. ^ Charleston Daily Mail (1952). Bahamas Storm. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  8. ^ a b The Associated Press (1952). Hurricane Shuns Florida, Whirls at Bahama Isles. Panama City News-Herald. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  9. ^ a b c The Associated Press (1952). Florida Braces as Winds Sweep Out Into Gulf. San Antonio Express. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  10. ^ Landsea, Cristopher Landsea (2003). Hurricane Vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean. NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  11. ^ The Associated Press (1952). Norman Pilot May be Victim of Hurricane. The Ada Evening News. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  12. ^ The Associated Press (1952). Failure Marks Try to Seed Hurricane. Nevada State Journal. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  13. ^ National Hurricane Center. Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names. NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
  14. ^ Hurricane Research Division (2008). HURDAT Meta-Data. NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  15. ^ Partagas, Jose Fernandez (1993). Impact on Hurricane History of a Revised Lowest Pressure at Havana (Cuba) During the October 11, 1846 Hurricane. NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.