Hurricane Carol Pictures

Hurricane Carol Pictures

published by Fall River Herald News Publishing Co.   copyright 1954

Paperback

8.3 x 5.3 inches

Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island in the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and slowly strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), but weakened as its motion turned to a northwest drift. A strong trough of low pressure turned the hurricane northeastward, and Carol later intensified into a major hurricane. While paralleling the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, the storm produced strong winds and rough seas that caused minor coastal flooding and slight damage to houses in North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, and New Jersey. The well-organized hurricane accelerated north-northeastward and made landfall on eastern Long Island, New York, and then over eastern Connecticut on August 31 with sustained winds estimated at 110-mph and a barometric pressure near 956 mb. Carol transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over New Hampshire later on August 31, 1954.

In New York, strong winds on Long Island damaged about 1,000 houses, left 275,000 people without electricity, downed many trees, and resulted in heavy crop losses. Storm surge flooded LaGuardia Airport and inundated the Montauk Highway, which left the eastern portion of Long Island isolated. Carol also brought strong winds and rough seas to coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southeastern Massachusetts. Throughout the region, about 150,000 people were left without electricity and telephone service. 1,545 houses were destroyed and another 9,720 were damaged. Approximately 3,500 cars and 3,000 boats were destroyed. There were 65 deaths and 1,000 injuries in New England. The storm caused an additional $1 million in damage in Canada as well as two deaths. Overall, Carol caused 72 fatalities and damage totaled $462 million (1954 USD), making it the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States, at the time. Following the storm, Carol was retired, becoming the first name to be removed from the naming lists in the Atlantic basin.

A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression over the northeastern Bahamas on August 25. It moved to the north-northwest and intensified into a tropical storm early on August 26. Receiving the name Carol, the storm gradually turned to the north, and strengthened under generally favorable conditions. On August 26, the Hurricane Hunters reported an eye, 23 miles (37 km) in diameter despite Carol being a tropical storm.The next day, Carol strengthened to attain hurricane status while located about 345 miles (545 km) east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. With a large anticyclone persisting across the southeastern United States, the motion of Carol turned to a northwest drift. The hurricane continued to strengthen, and Carol reached an initial peak intensity of 105 mph (165 km/h) on August 28. By that time, it was a small hurricane, and the radius of maximum winds was smaller than normal for its latitude and central pressure. After maintaining peak intensity for 30 hours and moving a distance of about 75 miles (120 km), Carol weakened slightly off the coast of Georgia.

An eastward moving deep-wave trough intensified as it moved through the eastern United States. This caused Carol to accelerate as it turned to the north and north-northeast. On August 30, the hurricane again strengthened to reach Category 2 status while located 180 miles (290 km) east of Savannah, Georgia. Early on August 31, Carol passed very near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina with reconnaissance aircraft intensity estimates from 75–125 mph (120–200 km/h). The hurricane continued north-northeastward with a forward motion of up to 39 mph (63 km/h), and Carol intensified further to make landfall on eastern Long Island a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 111 mph (185 km/h). After quickly crossing Long Island Sound, the hurricane made landfall again near Groton, Connecticut,. Carol had maintained its small structure and well-defined eye, and observers on both eastern Long Island and Groton, Connecticut reported blue skies and light winds as the eye passed overhead, followed by strong hurricane force winds. The landfall intensity was based on a pressure of 957 mbar (28.3 inHg) recorded in Groton, Connecticut. Ninety percent of homes in the Groton Long Point area were destroyed by the storm surge and winds in Hurricane Carol. Carol quickly lost tropical characteristics while crossing into inland eastern Massachusetts, and became extratropical over southwestern New Hampshire late on August 31. The powerful extratropical storm continued northward, and after entering Canada lost its identity over southern Quebec.

Governor of Rhode Island Dennis J. Roberts declared martial law for the state after Carol caused heavy damage. In Massachusetts, the National Guard were deployed to six towns to prevent looting. National Guardsmen flew a plane of dry ice from Newark, New Jersey to Boston to assist the widespread areas without power and refrigeration. Widespread areas were without power for days, and in some areas for up to a week, until crews could repair downed lines. Spoiled food due to lack of refrigeration resulted in about $1 million in losses. Power crews from elsewhere in the United States arrived to assist in the restoration. Workers quickly removed trees from highways. Damaged factories in Rhode Island prevented employees from working for three weeks after the storm. The steeple of the Old North Church in Boston was rebuilt in 1955, after residents throughout the country provided $150,000 in donations. Governor of Maine Burton M. Cross declared a state of emergency for the state. The Small Business Administration declared six counties in Maine as disaster areas. In the days after the storm, President of the United States Dwight Eisenhower declared Massachusetts and Rhode Island as federal disaster areas. The federal government provided financial aid, amounting to $1.5 million in Massachusetts. The president ordered for troops to assist in the aftermath. The American Red Cross quickly deployed teams to the most affected areas, feeding hundreds of families. About 12 days after Carol struck New England, Hurricane Edna struck eastern Massachusetts, causing an additional $40 million in damage and 20 deaths. More disaster aid was provided after the second hurricane.

The high damage caused by Hurricane Carol and other hurricanes in 1954 prompted the United States government to devote research to set up the National Hurricane Research Project. Hurricane Hunters and the Weather Bureau collected data on subsequent hurricanes to determine their structure, as well as attempted to weaken storms with silver iodide via Project Stormfury.

Due to the high damage, the name Carol was removed from the naming list for 10 years. The name was reused in the 1965 season, but was retroactively retired, and it will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. Carol was the first Atlantic hurricane name in history to be retired.