1943 Surprise Hurricane
Encyclopedia
The 1943 Surprise Hurricane struck the Houston, Texas
area on July 27, 1943. While not a major hurricane, the storm was described as the worst since the 1915 hurricane, which tested the newly constructed seawall at Galveston
.
s in the Gulf
, all radio traffic from ships was silenced, including storm reports.
The storm struck the Bolivar Peninsula, crossed Galveston Bay
, and made landfall a second time near the Houston Ship Channel. Because of the distraction of the war, and the lack of ship reports, warnings were few, and residents were caught off guard.
By 27 July, the storm had weakened to tropical storm strength, and was northwest of Houston.
The hurricane produced little storm surge, and rainfall was quite variable. Most rainfall reports were around 6", but 80 miles east of Houston in Port Arthur
, the storm produced over 19" of rain.
trainer directly into the storm, becoming the first hurricane hunter. On his return, he would make a second flight, this time carrying the base weather officer as a passenger.
and the Humble Oil Refinery in Baytown
, shutting the two facilities down. 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.
Censorship in relation to hurricane advisories has been called the most tragic aspect of this hurricane. Advisories had to be cleared through the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans
, causing them to be hours late; moreover the advisories contained no forecast information, which would have allowed for preparation before the storm hit. After the loss of life in this storm, U.S. hurricane advisories have never been censored again.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
area on July 27, 1943. While not a major hurricane, the storm was described as the worst since the 1915 hurricane, which tested the newly constructed seawall at Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
.
Meteorological history
This hurricane was first detected on July 26, 1943. There were no satellites, and weather radar was a decade away. Because of the fear of U-boatU-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s in the Gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, all radio traffic from ships was silenced, including storm reports.
The storm struck the Bolivar Peninsula, crossed Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
, and made landfall a second time near the Houston Ship Channel. Because of the distraction of the war, and the lack of ship reports, warnings were few, and residents were caught off guard.
By 27 July, the storm had weakened to tropical storm strength, and was northwest of Houston.
Impact
Although the officially recorded sustained winds were only in the 70-90 mph range, damage was heavy, and primarily wind-related. The storm killed 19 people, and caused $17 million (1943 dollars) in damage to the Houston area.The hurricane produced little storm surge, and rainfall was quite variable. Most rainfall reports were around 6", but 80 miles east of Houston in Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
, the storm produced over 19" of rain.
Hurricane hunting
This storm also marked the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. On a bet with British pilots at Bryan Field, flight instructor Colonel Joe Duckworth flew his AT-6 TexanT-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
trainer directly into the storm, becoming the first hurricane hunter. On his return, he would make a second flight, this time carrying the base weather officer as a passenger.
Censorship
News of this storm was heavily censored. The U.S. Weather Bureau destroyed their barometric readings, as well as many other measurements. News that the storm even existed was censored outside of Texas and Louisiana. The storm destroyed the cooling towers at the Shell Oil Refinery in Deer ParkDeer Park, Texas
Deer Park is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Deer Park was 32,010....
and the Humble Oil Refinery in Baytown
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
, shutting the two facilities down. As these were the primary refineries producing aviation fuel for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was decided that news about this loss of production should be censored.
Censorship in relation to hurricane advisories has been called the most tragic aspect of this hurricane. Advisories had to be cleared through the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, causing them to be hours late; moreover the advisories contained no forecast information, which would have allowed for preparation before the storm hit. After the loss of life in this storm, U.S. hurricane advisories have never been censored again.
See also
- List of tropical cyclones
- List of Atlantic hurricanes