Hurricane Florence (1953)
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 September 26, 1953 weather map featuring Hurricane Florence | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 23, 1953 |
| Dissipated | September 26, 1953 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 968 mbar (hPa); 28.59 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | $200,000 (1953 USD) |
| Areas affected | Jamaica, Cuba, Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeast United States |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Florence was a strong Atlantic hurricane that struck the Florida Panhandle in September of the 1953 season. The eighth storm and fifth hurricane of the season, Florence developed in the western Caribbean from a tropical wave near Jamaica on September 23. It produced heavy rainfall on the nearby island, and later caused damage in western Cuba. The storm quickly intensified into a hurricane over the Yucatán Channel, and as it moved north through the Gulf of Mexico, Florence's maximum sustained winds reached 125 mph (201 km/h). On September 26, the hurricane hit in a sparsely populated region of western Florida, and shortly after landfall became an extratropical cyclone.
Damage from Florence, with 421 houses damaged and another three destroyed. The winds destroyed the roofs of three evacuation shelters, resulting in one injury. The city of Apalachicola, Florida was temporarily isolated due to the storm's impact. There were no deaths associated with Florence, and damage totaled $200,000 (1953 USD, $2.35 million 2025 USD). After becoming extratropical, the remnants continued to the northeast, producing rainfall along its path before dissipating on September 28 southeast of New England.
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
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionThe origins of Hurricane Florence were from a tropical wave that moved through the Lesser Antilles into the eastern Caribbean on September 21. The wave tracked generally westward, and spawned a tropical storm on September 23 about 100 mi (160 km) southeast of Jamaica. Given the name Florence, the storm steadily intensified after developing, although a well-defined circulation was not observed until September 24. That day, Florence attained hurricane status in the Yucatán Channel between the Yucatán Peninsula and the western tip of Cuba.[1]
After turning north and entering the Gulf of Mexico, Florence quickly intensified, with the Hurricane Hunters estimating winds of 125 to 140 mph (201 to 225 km/h).[1] However, the official peak intensity was later reanalyzed as 115 mph (185 km/h), along with a pressure of 968.0 mb (28.59 inHg),[2] as the estimate of the peak winds was considered to have been too high, as ships in the region did not confirm them.[1] On September 26, it began quickly weakening, due to a combination of colder water temperatures and cool air.[3] At around 1800 UTC that day, Florence made landfall in a sparsely populated area between Fort Walton and Panama City Beach, Florida with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). Within six hours after moving ashore, the hurricane had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone near the borders of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.[1][2] The remnants of Florence turned the northeast along a cold front, crossing Georgia before emerging near Savannah. The storm paralleled the Carolinas just offshore, dissipating on September 28 southeast of New England.[4][2]
