The
1975 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1975, and lasted until November 30, 1975. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air...
s form in the
Atlantic basinAtlantic Basin may refer to:* Atlantic Ocean* Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn, site of:** Brooklyn Cruise Terminal** Atlantic Basin Iron Works...
. The activity level of the season was average, with nine storms forming of which five reached hurricane strength.
The only notable storm of the season was September's
Hurricane EloiseHurricane Eloise was the fifth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. The most destructive hurricane of the season, it caused 80 deaths and $2.2 billion in damage as it dumped heavy rain along its path through the Greater Antilles...
, which caused heavy damage and 80 deaths in
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
,
HispaniolaHispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is located between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east, directly within the hurricane belt...
, and
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
.
Tropical Depression One
The first tropical cyclone of the season formed late on June 5 to the northeast of the Bahamas. Steadily tracking northeast, the system did not intensity and was last noted on June 7 over open waters.
Tropical Depression Two
On June 24, the season's second tropical depression developed over the central Atlantic. The depression tracked westward for two days before executing a counter-clockwise loop. By June 28, the system had completed the loop and was tracking north. The depression was last noted early on June 29 over open waters.
Tropical Storm Amy
The third tropical depression of the season developed from a weak surface trough of low pressure. A circulation developed on the 26th, and on June 27, it had become organized enough to be classified a tropical depression. The cyclone moved northward initially, but turned sharply to the east, preventing a
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
landfall. On the 29th, the depression finally organized enough to become a tropical storm, Amy. Upper-level shear prevented this storm from becoming fully tropical, but the storm strengthened to a tropical storm on the 30th. Amy maintained that intensity for the next two days, but on July 3, a major trough developed over southeastern
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, pulling Amy rapidly out to sea. The storm lost tropical characteristics on July 4.
Tropical Depression Four
On July 4, a tropical depression formed northeast of the Bahamas. Tracking northeastward, the system did not intensify and was last noted over open waters midday on July 5.
Tropical Depression Five
On July 12, a slow moving depression formed over the central Atlantic. Tracking southwestward, the cyclone dissipated the following day.
Tropical Depression Six
A brief depression existed in the Gulf of Mexico between July 18 and 19. Before dissipating, the system made landfall near
Veracruz, MexicoThe city of Veracruz is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The metropolitan area is Mexico's 2nd largest on the Gulf coast and an important east coast port...
.
Hurricane Blanche
The tropical depression that became hurricane Blanche formed from a tropical wave on July 24 while north of Hispanola. It moved northwestward for the following days, but as it turned northeastward, it rapidly intensified, first to a tropical storm on the 26th, then to a hurricane on the 27th. The hurricane crossed the
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
n coast on the 28th, and lost all tropical characteristics later that day.
In
Atlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada, also known as the Atlantic provinces, is the region of Canada comprising four provinces located on the Atlantic coast: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
, the remnants of Blanche produced high winds, gusting up to 70 mph (110 km/h) and moderate rainfall, peaking at in
Chatham, New BrunswickChatham is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, Chatham was an incorporated town in Northumberland County along the south bank of the Miramichi River opposite Douglastown...
.
Tropical Depression Eight
On July 24, the eighth tropical depression of the season formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Deep convection associated with the system persisted around the center of circulation. Forecasters at the time anticipated the depression to intensify into a tropical storm before moving over land. Not long after forming, the depression made landfall in Tampico, Mexico at peak intensity; a barometric pressure of 1007 mbar (hPa) was recorded in the city with sustained winds of 37 mph (60 km/h). Just prior to this, an air force reconnaissance mission into the cyclone found 50 mph (85 km/h) winds; however, due to the interaction with land, the NHC did not upgrade the depression. The system was no longer monitored by the NHC after landfall.
Tropical Depression Nine
A tropical depression formed in the northeast Gulf of Mexico on July 28, moving west-northwest into the Mouth of the Mississippi river at the end of the month. The system slowly tracked through Louisiana and Arkansas over the next couple days, dropping heavy rains primarily to the right of its track across southern Alabama and the western Florida panhandle.
Hurricane Caroline
Hurricane Caroline began as a tropical depression on August 24 from a tropical wave, located north of Hispanola. As it moved west-southwestward, it failed to strengthen further, and after it crossed
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, it had only minor evidence of a surface circulation. After the storm moved through the northwestern
Caribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the tropics of the Western hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the American landmass, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest...
, it started to become more organized, with the depression becoming Tropical Storm Caroline on the 29th. Intensification became steadier, with Caroline reaching hurricane strength on the 30th. Just prior to its landfall south of
Brownsville, TexasBrownsville is a city in and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, United States. Brownsville is the 15th largest city in the state of Texas and the 129th largest in the United States. The population was 139,722 at the 2000 census...
, Caroline rapidly strengthened to a major hurricane, but dissipated over land on September 1.
Hurricane Doris
The subtropical storm that became Hurricane Doris formed from a frontal low on August 28 over the north-central Atlantic. Subtropical Storm One moved to the northwest, where it gained tropical characteristics. On August 31, it was designated Hurricane Doris. It peaked as a hurricane, but a nontropical low-pressure system caused the storm to lose its tropical characteristics on September 4.
Doris made meteorological history when, on August 31, it became the first Atlantic hurricane ever to be upgraded to hurricane intensity solely on the basis of satellite pictures.
Tropical Depression Twelve
On September 3, an unusual tropical depression developed near the coast of southern
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
. Tracking generally westward, the cyclone eventually dissipated on September 6.
Tropical Depression Thirteen
Hours after Tropical Depression Twelve formed near the African coast on September 3, another tropical depression developed near the southwestern Cape Verde Islands. Generally tracking west, the depression eventually dissipated near the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
on September 9.
Tropical Depression Fourteen
On September 5, the season's fourteenth tropical depression formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Tracking northwestward, the system nearly attained tropical storm-status; however, it made landfall later that day near Tampico, Mexico and dissipated not long after.
Tropical Depression Fifteen
The fifteenth cyclone of the year developed near Bermuda on September 11. Initially, the depression drifted northeastward but later accelerated and dissipated by September 14.
Hurricane Eloise
Hurricane Eloise formed from a tropical wave on September 13. As it moved westward north of the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
, it strengthened to a hurricane, but land interaction with Hispanola weakened it to a tropical storm. Eloise moved through the Caribbean and
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an 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...
, where it hit near
Panama City, FloridaThe City of Panama City is a city located along U.S. Highway 98 in Bay County, Florida, United States. Between Tallahassee, Florida and Pensacola, Florida it is the largest city between Pensacola and Tallahassee. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Panama City-Lynn Haven, Florida...
as a major hurricane.
Eloise caused roughly $490 million ($1.5 billion in 2000 US dollars) in damage and killed 80. Most of the deaths occurred in
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
and
HispaniolaHispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is located between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east, directly within the hurricane belt...
, and were the result of torrential rain. Property damage was concentrated in the heavily developed shoreline at
Panama City Beach, FloridaThe City of Panama City Beach is a city in the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico in Bay County, Florida, United States...
, where Eloise caused a
storm surgeStorm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone. Storm surge is caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level...
.
Hurricane Faye
The tropical depression that became Hurricane Faye developed from a tropical wave on September 18, located west of
Cape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago located in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa, opposite Mauritania and Senegal....
. The depression reached tropical storm strength on 19th, but couldn't strengthen much further due to increasing upper-level shear. It weakened to a tropical depression on the 23rd, but managed to become a tropical storm again on the 25th and a hurricane on the 26th due to more favorable conditions. It passed by
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
on the 27th, but the island was spared from major damage. Later that day it turned eastward, and after 2 days became extratropical.
As the eye of Faye passed roughly 40 mi (65 km) northeast of Bermuda, winds up to and heavy rains were recorded on the island. Up to of rain fell in Bermuda from the hurricane. Already severely impacted by flooding from Eloise days earlier,
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
prepared for additional flooding from Faye. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches, resulting in more evacuations.
Hurricane Gladys
A tropical depression formed from a tropical wave on September 22 in the tropical
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
. On the 24th, it became Tropical Storm Gladys, and on the 25th, Hurricane Gladys. Intensification stopped due to the same upper level shear Faye experienced less than a weak earlier. After the next week it moved to the northwest. On October 1, as Gladys moved more to the north and northeast, intensification became much more rapid, reaching winds at 35º North, an extreme intensity for such a latitude. Not long after did it succumb to cooler waters and upper level shear, and Hurricane Gladys became extratropical on October 4.
Tropical Depression Nineteen
A slow moving depression formed near the
Gulf of HondurasThe Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras....
on September 25 and tracked westward. By September 28, the depression made landfall in northern Belize before dissipating two days later.
Tropical Depression Twenty
On October 1, a fast-moving tropical depression formed in the northern Gulf of Mexico. By the afternoon, the cyclone made landfall near Panama City, Florida before dissipating that evening.
Tropical Depression Twenty-One
On October 3, a tropical depression of the year developed over the northeastern Atlantic. The system tracked in a curved westward track and dissipated on October 5.
Tropical Depression Twenty-Two
A tropical depression formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico on October 14. Rounding the western periphery of the
subtropical ridgeThe subtropical ridge is a large belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during daylight...
, the depression strengthened while moving northeast towards the central Gulf coast ahead of an advancing cold front. Moving inland late on October 16, the depression became an
extratropical cycloneExtratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
as it through the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, before moving offshore New England. Heavy rains fell along the frontal boundary ahead of the system, leading to flooding across eastern Louisiana, central Mississippi, the western Florida panhandle, central Tennessee, western Virginia, and eastern New York.
The heavy rains which fell upon
Jackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County , but the city also contains areas in Madison and Rankin Counties...
established a new daily rainfall record for October 16 and a new 24-hour rainfall record for the month of October. Eight bridges were damaged across
Jackson County, TennesseeJackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 10,984. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 11,072. Its county seat is Gainesboro....
due to the floods. Heavy rains led to extensive damage to the soybean and corn crops in Hickman and Marion counties in Tennessee. Six tornadoes touched down in association with this system, with two reported in Alabama, two across northwest Florida, and two across North Carolina. One died due to flooding in Mississippi.
Tropical Depression Twenty-Three
A short-lived depression formed late on October 15 near the
Leeward IslandsThe Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
. Tracking northwest, the system dissipated on October 17 north of Puerto Rico.
Tropical Depression Twenty-Four
Tropical Depression Twenty-Four formed on October 26 over the southwestern Caribbean Sea and tracked northwest. After turning nearly due west, the depression briefly made landfall near the
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
-
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
border and made another landfall in southern Belize shortly before dissipating.
Tropical Storm Hallie
Tropical Storm Hallie began as a subtropical depression on October 24 off the coast of Florida, forming from the combination of a frontal zone and a tropical wave. The depression paralleled the coasts of
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
and the Carolinas, gaining tropical characteristics and intensity on the way. Hallie, reaching tropical storm strength on the 26th, became extratropical on the 27th.
Tropical Depression Twenty-Six
On November 8, the season's twenty-sixth tropical depression developed off the coast of Honduras. Moving towards the north-northwest, the system gradually intensified. Between November 9 and 10, reconnaissance missions into the depression found winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa); however, the NHC did not upgrade it to a tropical storm as it began to weaken shortly after. Over the following few days, the system gradually turned to the south and made landfall in the southwestern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula on November 12 shortly before dissipating.
Tropical Depression Twenty-Seven
In late November, another tropical depression formed over the central Atlantic. A short-lived system, Tropical Depression Twenty-Seven formed on November 29 and dissipated on December 1.
Subtropical Storm Two
An extratropical low pressure system moved southward in early December, gaining some tropical characteristics on the way. On December 9, it was declared a subtropical storm, and it reached its peak of the next day. After moving southward for the first 3 days, it moved eastward where it met its demise.
Season effects
This is a table of the storms in 1975 and their landfall(s), if any. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but are still storm-related. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical or a wave or low.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1975. Storms were named Amy, Caroline, Doris, Eloise and Faye for the first time in 1975. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
- Amy
- Blanche
- Caroline
Hurricane Caroline was the third named storm, second hurricane and first major hurricane of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. Caroline formed in August 24, 1975 as a tropical depression which crossed Cuba and Gulf of Mexico and became a tropical storm on August 29...
- Doris
- Eloise
Hurricane Eloise was the fifth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. The most destructive hurricane of the season, it caused 80 deaths and $2.2 billion in damage as it dumped heavy rain along its path through the Greater Antilles...
- Faye
- Gladys
For the 1968 storm of the same name, see hereHurricane Gladys was the fifth named storm, sixth hurricane and third major hurricane of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. Gladys formed on September 22 in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean and moved westward where it became a hurricane on September 25...
|
Hallie |
|
Retirement
The name Eloise was later retired.
See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- 1975 Pacific hurricane season
The 1975 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1975 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1975 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1975. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeast Pacific Ocean.The 1975...
- 1975 Pacific typhoon season
The 1975 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1975, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...
- 1975 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1974–75, 1975–76
External links