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Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season
1972 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1972, and lasted until November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic

Mid-Atlantic can refer to:*Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean separating two tectonic plates*Mid-Atlantic English, a mix between English English and American English...
 region as a tropical storm. The worst damage occurred along a swath from central Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 through central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
 to the southern Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes are a chain of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York that are a popular tourist destination. There are actually eleven lakes in the region, but only seven of the largest are commonly identified as the Finger Lakes....
 region of New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, as illustrated by the rainfall map below. Agnes brought heavy rainfall along its path, killing 129 and causing $11.6 billion (2005 US dollars) in damage, with railroad damage so extensive it contributed to the creation of Conrail.






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Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season
1972 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1972, and lasted until November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic

Mid-Atlantic can refer to:*Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean separating two tectonic plates*Mid-Atlantic English, a mix between English English and American English...
 region as a tropical storm. The worst damage occurred along a swath from central Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 through central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
 to the southern Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes are a chain of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York that are a popular tourist destination. There are actually eleven lakes in the region, but only seven of the largest are commonly identified as the Finger Lakes....
 region of New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, as illustrated by the rainfall map below. Agnes brought heavy rainfall along its path, killing 129 and causing $11.6 billion (2005 US dollars) in damage, with railroad damage so extensive it contributed to the creation of Conrail. At the time, it was the most damaging hurricane ever recorded, surpassing Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy

Hurricane Betsy was a powerful hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana....
, and it would not be surpassed until Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic

Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest and first hurricanes to ever hit the U.S....
 in 1979. Agnes was also the only Category 1 hurricane to be retired at the time, and one of 5 today (The others being Cesar
Hurricane Cesar-Douglas

Hurricane Cesar was the third named storm of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale hurricane formed in late July in the Caribbean Sea and pounded Central America with rain, killing 67 people and causing local governments to deem the region a disaster area....
, Klaus
Hurricane Klaus

Hurricane Klaus was a minimal Atlantic hurricane that dropped heavy rainfall across the Lesser Antilles in October 1990. The eleventh tropical cyclone and sixth hurricane of the 1990 Atlantic hurricane season, Klaus developed from a tropical wave on October 3 a short distance east of Dominica....
, Noel
Hurricane Noel

The name Noel has been used for three tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.* 1995 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Noel - reached hurricane strength far from land, was absorbed by a cold front without threatening land....
, and Stan
Hurricane Stan

Hurricane Stan was the eighteenth named tropical cyclone and eleventh tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the sixth of seven tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico....
).

Meteorological history

The large disturbance was first detected over the Yucatán
Yucatán

Yucat?n is one of the States of Mexico of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucat?n Peninsula. The Yucatan peninsula includes three states: Yucat?n, Campeche, and Quintana Roo; all three modern states were formerly part of the larger historic state of Yucat?n in the 19th century....
 Peninsula of Mexico on June 14. The system drifted eastward and became a tropical depression later that day and a tropical storm over the northwestern Caribbean on the 16th. Agnes turned northward on June 17 and became a hurricane over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
 the next day. A continued northward motion brought Agnes to the Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 Panhandle coast on June 19 as a Category 1 hurricane.

Agnes turned northeastward after landfall and weakened to a depression over Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
. However, it regained tropical storm strength over eastern North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. 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....
 on June 21 and moved into the Atlantic later that day. A northwestward turn followed, and a just-under-hurricane-strength Agnes made a final landfall on June 22 near New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
. The storm merged with a non-tropical low on June 23, with the combined system affecting the northeastern United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 until June 25.

Impact

Agnes was barely a hurricane at landfall in Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
, and the effects of winds and storm surges were relatively minor. The major impact was over the Mid-Atlantic region, where Agnes combined with a non-tropical low to produce widespread rains of 6 to with local amounts up to in western Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

Schuylkill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania where the Schuylkill River starts. It is located in the heart of the anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania....
 in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
 . These rains produced widespread severe flooding from Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 northward to New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, with other flooding occurring over the western portions of the Carolinas. (from Hurricane Agnes Rainfall and Floods, June-July 1972)
Death Tolls by Area
Area Deaths
Canada
Canada

Canada 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....
 2
Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
 9
Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 9
North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. 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....
 2
Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 13
Delaware
Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named....
 1
Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 19
New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
 1
New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
 24
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
 48
Total 128


Some of the worst flooding was along the Genesee River
Genesee River

The Genesee River's name is derived from the Seneca tribe word meaning good valley or pleasant valley. It flows northward through western New York from its source south of the town of Genesee, Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania, near Wellsville , New York and empties into Lake Ontario north of the City of Rochester, New York, New York....
, the Canisteo River
Canisteo River

The Canisteo River is a tributary of the Tioga River , approximately 55 mi long, in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau, a portion of the northern Allegheny Plateau southwest of the Finger Lakes region, in the northwestern reach of the Drainage basin of the Susquehanna River....
, and the Chemung River
Chemung River

The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately 45 mi long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States....
 in southwestern and south central New York. The latter two flow into the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At approximately 444 mi long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States and the 16th longest in the United States....
, and most of the severe flooding took place throughout the Chesapeake/Susquehanna watershed. Flooding set a flood record at, and threatened to overtop, the Conowingo Dam
Conowingo Dam

The Conowingo Dam is a large hydroelectric dam in the Lower Susquehanna River. The dam, one of the largest non-federal hydroelectric dams in the US, is classified as a medium height, masonry gravity type dam....
 near the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
. The worst urban damage occurred in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York

Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York....
 and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre is a city in Northeastern Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and the central city of the Wyoming Valley....
, but many other communities along the rivers suffered great losses. Dick Baumbach, a reporter for The Elmira Star Gazette, covered the hurricane and almost lost his life while he was attempting to take a photograph of the very rapidly rising flood waters in Wellsburg, New York. He went on to be awarded the Associated Press Meritorious Service Award for his coverage of the hurricane. The Delaware River
Delaware River

The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States.The Delaware was explored by Adriaen Block as part of the New Netherlands Colony, and was named the South River to mark the southernmost reach of that colony....
 and Potomac River
Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a Drainage basin of about 14,700 square miles ....
 basins also had some flooding. So much fresh water was flushed into Chesapeake Bay that its seafood industry was badly damaged for several years; freshwater intolerant species such as jellyfish became largely non-existent in the upper and mid bay.

Rainfall in the Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)

Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south....
 regions of Maryland and Virginia caused extensive flooding in the Patapsco
Patapsco River

The Patapsco is a river in central Maryland which flows into the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore, Maryland. With its South Branch, it forms the northern border of Howard County, Maryland....
, Potomac
Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a Drainage basin of about 14,700 square miles ....
 and James
James River (Virginia)

The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a Drainage basin comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people ....
 River basins. Areas along the James west of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
 and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Physiographic regions of the world of the larger Appalachian Mountains division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap....
 received massive amounts of rainfall that exceeded the rains of Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille

Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane during the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. The second of three catastrophic-level Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century, which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River on the night of Aug...
 three years prior. The river experienced five-hundred year flooding levels, inundating downtown Richmond and causing millions of dollars in damages. The swollen Patapsco River swept away houses and ten miles (16 km) of train tracks, blocking at one point every transportation route southward out of Baltimore into neighboring Anne Arundel County toward Annapolis. Maryland had the highest per capita death toll of all five states declared disaster areas by President Nixon (Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York). Extensive flooding was recorded even as far inland as Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....
 and throughout the Ohio River Valley, where rivers crested above flood stage on June 24 after nearly a foot of rain fell in parts of Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center....
 over the course of three days.

Agnes caused 122 deaths in the United States. Nine of these were in Florida (mainly from severe thunderstorms) while the remainder were associated with the flooding. The storm was responsible for $2.1 billion in damage (1972 US dollars) in the United States, the vast majority of which came from the flooding . Of this, over $2 billion was in Pennsylvania, and $750 million in New York. Agnes also affected western Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
, where seven additional deaths occurred. After adjustment for inflation, Agnes is the seventh costliest storm in United States history with a total of $11.6 billion (2005 US dollars).

In Canada
Canada

Canada 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....
, Hurricane Agnes gave heavy rains and winds over southern Ontario
Ontario

Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
 and southern Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
, causing numerous floodings around lake Erie
Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time....
 and Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The lake is bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and by the U.S....
. In the town of Maniwaki, Quebec, the storm toppled a mobile home, killing two people.

Aftermath

Agnes had a devastating impact on the already-bankrupt railroads in the northeastern United States, as lines were washed out and shipments were delayed. The resulting cost of repairing the damage was one of the factors leading to the creation of the federally financed Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation

Consolidated Rail Corporation, also known as Conrail , began operations on April 1, 1976 as a federally funded takeover of the major railroad companies in the Northeast U.S....
 railroad system.

The severe floods near Lawrenceville, New York were the catalyst for the construction of the Tioga Reservoir
Tioga River (Chemung River)

The Tioga River is a tributary of the Chemung River, approximately 55 mi  long, in northern Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States....
 in 1973.

Retirement

The name Agnes was retired following this storm, so will not be reused for another Atlantic hurricane
Atlantic hurricane

North Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form in summer or autumn. Tropical cyclones can be broken down by intensity. Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph , while hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained exceeding 74 mph ....
. Because the tropical cyclone naming lists were changed in 1979, there was no replacement name selected.

See also

  • List of Atlantic hurricanes
  • List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
  • List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States
    List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States

    This list of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States presents the highest known rainfall totals from tropical cyclones and their remnants....
  • Timeline of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season
    Timeline of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season

    The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season is one of four Atlantic hurricane seasons not to have any major hurricane, the others being the 1968 Atlantic hurricane season, the 1986 Atlantic hurricane season, and the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season....


World Wide Web


Books

J. F. Bailey, J. L. Patterson, and J. L. H. Paulhus. Geological Survey Professional Paper 924. Hurricane Agnes Rainfall and Floods, June-July 1972. United States Government Printing Office: Washington D.C., 1975.

External links

  • . This US government site is in the public domain
    Public domain

    File:PD-icon.svgThe public domain is a range of abstract materials?commonly referred to as intellectual property?which are not owned or controlled by anyone....
    .
  • United States Railway Association final system plan for reconstructing railroads in the northeast and midwest region pursuant to the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973
  • , NOAA, retrieved January 26, 2006.