Archived: Canadian Tropical Cyclone Season Summary for 1964

1964 A (June 2 to June 11, 1964)

During June 2 and 3, a weak tropical depression slowly developed over the extreme northwestern Caribbean just to the east of British Honduras and the Yucatan Peninsula. On July 4, depression began drifting slowly northward and reached the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico by the 5^th. Moving north-northeastward to northeastward, the depression crossed extreme northern Florida the afternoon of July 6 with no significant intensification, but later developed tropical storm intensity on the morning of the 7^th off the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. It then moved on an east-northeastward course and continued to slowly intensify. Reaching a position about 320 kilometres north of Bermuda by June 9, the storm changed to an easterly course. On June 11, the storm turned northward and was soon absorbed by a large extratropical low over the Maritime Provinces.

1964 B (July 28 to August 3, 1964)

The second unnamed tropical storm of the season began on July 28, 1964 as a disturbance in the Cape Verde region. On July 30, the system persisted as it turned toward the north-northwest. On the morning of the 31, the centre was located some 480 kilometres east of Bermuda moving toward the northeast. It is believed that ‘1964b’ met the specifications of a tropical storm beginning midday on July 31. Some further intensification and better organization was noted on August 1. A cold front was beginning to enter the inner portion of the circulation but the centre was still warm. The storm’s subsequent history could not be described completely, due to insufficient data, but it seems likely that it did not become extratropical until late on August 2^nd near 47° North. Strong gales persisted around the centre as it moved south east of Greenland on August 3.

Hurricane Cleo (August 20 to September 5, 1964)

The disturbance in which Cleo later formed appears to have moved off the African coast south of Dakar. On the afternoon of August 20, 1964, the tropical cyclone was in its very early stages of development. The next day the central pressure had deepened and winds had reached hurricane force. The hurricane steadily intensified during the next several days as it moved west-northwestward. Hurricane Cleo reached Guadeloupe early in the afternoon of August 22. The centre crossed the island of Marie Galante and the southern tip of Basseterre. In the French West Indies, Cleo caused 14 deaths and 40 injuries, as well as destruction of the banana crop and damage to homes, roads and communication lines.

The hurricane centre passed about 145 kilometres south of St. Croix at midnight on the August 23 and 130 kilometres south of Cabo Rojo on the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico on the same day. The hurricane remained small and concentrated and destructive winds were confined to a small area near the eye. Cleo passed south of the Dominican Republic early on the 24^th, where seven lives were reported lost as a result of the hurricane. As Hurricane Cleo passed south of Haiti on August 24 it veered northward momentarily, which was enough to move onto the southwestern peninsula. The hurricane entered land just east of the city of Les Cayas, still a very small intense hurricane. Within a short time, the hurricane reached the slopes of the Massif de la Hotte. Damage in Haiti was considerable and 192 people were killed.

Cleo never regained its former intensity. However, as a minimal hurricane, it passed over a narrow peninsula of Cuba, east of Cabo Cruz, and then moved into the Golfo de Guacanayabo. The centre remained a short distance off the southern coast of Cuba until it again re-entered the coast near longitude 79° West. Shortly after emerging from the northern coast of Cuba, Cleo regained hurricane intensity and then moved on a mildly zigzag course north-northwestward to northward toward the lower east coast of Florida. By midday, the hurricane had intensified. Early on August 27, the edge of the eye moved onto Key Biscayne. Cleo was the first hurricane to strike the greater Miami area with full force since October 17, 1950. Total damage from Hurricane Cleo in Florida is estimated to be $125 million. There was no loss of life in Florida and damage to small craft was minimal.

After leaving Florida between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, the centre remained at sea a short time and then re-entered the coastline near Savannah, Georgia, without much increase in intensity. Cleo continued as a weakening tropical cyclone through the interior of the Carolinas, passing out to sea near Norfolk, Virginia. The storm again attained hurricane intensity at sea, but as it passed east of Newfoundland on September 4, it lost its tropical features.

Hurricane Dora (August 28 to September 15, 1964)

Dora originated on August 28, 1964, near the Cape Verde area. By September 1, Dora had developed into a tropical storm with a central pressure of 998 millibars. The storm moved west-northwestward and reached hurricane force on September 2. When over 480 kilometres south of Bermuda, it turned on a course only slightly north of due west. At this time Dora was a large hurricane. Hurricane Dora then slowed considerably before reaching land, and consequently the winds and tides increased slowly.

Hurricane Dora was the first hurricane on record to move inland from the east over extreme northeastern Florida. The eye passed over St. Augustine, and Jacksonville and sustained winds of hurricane force were recorded for the first time in nearly 80 years of record. The strong, long-duration, onshore winds produced unusually high tides along the entire coast from the Daytona Beach area northward into Georgia.

Storm surge caused extensive beach erosion, flooded many coastal communities, washed out beach roads, and swept several residences into the sea. Winds gradually diminished as Dora moved inland on its unusual westward course, but very heavy rainfall spread over interior sections of northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. Wind damage was extensive in coastal areas north of Daytona Beach with the greatest destruction from St. Augustine to the Georgia boarder. Damage resulting from Dora in South Carolina was minor but rains in the eastern part of the state ranged from 7.6 to 20 centimetres.

Hurricane Ethel (September 4 to September 16, 1964)

The first evidence of the beginning stage of Ethel was a cloud mass observed near 18° North, 37° West on September 4, 1964. On September 5, there was evidence of storm development. Ethel moved on a course toward the west-northwest with little development during the next two days. However, on September 7, a period of intensification began, establishing Ethel as a hurricane. The hurricane moved very slowly westward on the 10^th, and then turned northward, and began to accelerate, with the centre passing 160 kilometres west of Bermuda on the afternoon of September 12. Ethel moved rapidly northeastward after passing Bermuda and maintained hurricane force during the conversion to an extratropical cyclone near 45° North, 40° West, on September 15. Ethel then remained at sea and did not have a direct impact on Canada.

Hurricane Gladys (September 13 to September 25, 1964)

A weak low pressure system that was first observed off the west coast of Africa on September 9, 1964, may have been the first indication of the disturbance that later developed into Hurricane Gladys. On the morning of the 13^th, a report of 101 kilometre per hour winds and heavy rain confirmed the existence of a tropical storm near 15.5° North, 46° West. Gladys had intensified to hurricane force by the 14^th and was moving on a west-northwestward course. On September 19, Gladys turned northward and continued slowly in this direction for almost 48 hours, until rising pressures to the north turned the hurricane’s track back to the northwest. This course continued until the 23^rd when Gladys reached its closest point to the United States, about 225 kilometres east of Cape Hatteras. Gladys turned northeastward on September 23. The storm moved rapidly on this course gradually assuming extratropical characteristics.

During the afternoon of September 24, remnants of the storm passed through Newfoundland with no unusually strong winds.