Archived: Canadian Tropical Cyclone Season Summary for 1965

1965 A (June 11 to June 18, 1965)

On June 11, there was a disturbed weather area along and south of the Guatemalan coast. During the next 48 hours the disturbance moved into the Gulf of Mexico, passing just west of Merida, Yucatan. On the June 14, there was suggestions that intensification was occurring. The storm then turned toward the northeast and increased its forward speed, moving into the Florida Panhandle between Valparaiso and Panama City on the morning of the 15^th. The remnants of the storm moved through the Carolinas and eventually developed into an active wave on a frontal system off the middle Atlantic coast on June 17 and 18.

Damage was confined to the immediate coast in the vicinity of Apalachicola and was mainly the result of high tides as much as 1.8 metres above normal.

Hurricane Anna (August 21 to August 26, 1965)

Anna was of tropical storm intensity on August 21, while located some 1250 kilometres east of Bermuda. By the afternoon of the 23^rd, Anna had probably reached hurricane intensity and was moving on a northerly course. Anna came within 960 kilometres northwest of the western Azores and moved rapidly accelerating on a northeastward course. The hurricane became extratropical west of Ireland on August 26.

Anna was most unusual, since the development into a hurricane occurred at a higher latitude in the Atlantic then ever observed before. There was no known damage or loss of life attributed to Anna.

Hurricane Betsy (August 27 to September 13, 1965)

A weak tropical depression was discovered on August 27, some 560 kilometres east-southeast of Barbados. By midday the central pressure was 1007 millibars and by evening the depression was named Betsy. No intensification occurred until two days later after Betsy had passed through the Lesser Antilles. No significant damage was reported from the islands. By the afternoon of August 29, Betsy had intensified and it remained a mature hurricane through to September 10. Late on the 5^th, Betsy began a rather unusual southwestward movement, and on September 6 the hurricane was just off Great Abaco Island. Betsy continued through the northern Bahamas with the eye passing just to the north of Nassau. Total losses on the islands were equivalent to $14 million American. In spite of the duration and strength of the wind in the islands, there was only one casualty due to a ship wreck in Nassau harbor. After leaving the Bahamas, Betsy moved on a westerly course and passed over the Florida Keys. Damage from winds, high tides, and wave action was confined primarily to the area from Fort Lauderdale southward. Betsy then turned toward the northwest upon entering the Gulf of Mexico. The eye arrived at Grand Isle, Louisiana, on September 9. Great devastation was caused by high water on the Gulf Coast from the point where the centre of the hurricane made landfall to Mobile, Alabama.