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Hurricane Gracie was a major hurricane that formed in September 1959, the strongest during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season and the most intense to strike the United States since Hurricane Hazel. The system was first noted as an area of thunderstorms east of the Lesser Antilles which moved just north of the Greater Antilles, quickly intensifying into a hurricane on September 22. Gracie was a storm that was very difficult to forecast, with its movement unpredictable. After five days of looping, Gracie became a major hurricane which struck South Carolina, and weakened as it moved up the Appalachians, bringing much needed rain to a drought-plagued region. Much of the destruction related with Gracie was centered on Beaufort, South Carolina. Gracie became an extratropical cyclone on September 30 while moving through the Eastern United States.

Storm history

An area of squally weather was first noted a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles on September 18. The convective area organized into a tropical depression near the north coast of Hispaniola on September 20. After moving west-northwestward for a day, it turned northeastward, where upper level winds were very favorable and steering currents were very weak. On September 22 Gracie was named as a tropical depression before it developed into a tropical storm, followed by reaching hurricane strength later that night. It turned to the east on September 25, and turned back west on September 27. Then, with a firm anticyclone in place and set steering currents, it moved steadily west-northwestward.

Gracie quickly strengthened and reached its peak of 140 mph (225 km/h) winds on September 29, but cooler air and land interaction weakened it to a 120 mph (195 km/h) Category 3 major hurricane at the time of its landfall at 11:25 a.m. over St. Helena Sound near the south end of Edisto Island. After landfall, Gracie moved inland and north and became extratropical on September 30.

Preparations

Small craft warnings were raised for the Florida east coast southward through the Florida Keys up the west coast to Cedar Key by 10 a.m. on September 21. On the afternoon of September 22, small craft warnings were extended northward to Jacksonville, Florida. Small craft were advised to not venture far from port on the morning of September 23 along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Late on the morning of September 23, small craft warnings were dropped for the Florida west coast, Florida Keys, and coastline south of Miami, Florida. On the morning of September 24, small craft warnings were dropped. Small craft were advised to remain in port from Palm Beach, Florida northward through the South Carolina coast. Small craft were advised to remain near port south of Cape Hatteras along the North Carolina coast. On the morning of September 25, small craft along the northeast Florida and Georgia coasts were advised to remain in port, while small vessels were recommended to remain near port along the coasts of the Carolinas. By the morning of September 27, small craft were advised to remain near port from northeast Florida northward through the Carolinas. By the afternoon of September 27, with Gracie on a definite west-northeast track, small craft were advised to stay in port from the central Florida coast northward through Georgia, with the advice being extended northward through the Carolinas by 8 p.m. A hurricane watch was issued for the coast of the United States from Savannah, Georgia to Wilmington, North Carolina at 11 a.m. on September 28, which were quickly updated to hurricane warnings by 2 p.m. the same day. By 2 p.m., gale warnings were in effect from Daytona Beach, Florida to Savannah, Georgia as well as from Wilmington to Morehead City, North Carolina. At 7 a.m. on September 29, gale warnings were dropped south of Brunswick, Georgia. At 5 p.m., gale warnings were extended northward to Cape May, New Jersey, including Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. At 11 p.m., all warnings south of Cape Hatteras were dropped, leaving gale warnings in effect from Cape Hatteras northward. At 5 a.m. on September 30, small craft were advised to remain in port from Cape May northward to Block Island, Rhode Island. By 11 a.m., due to Gracie's continued weakening, all remaining gale warnings were downgraded to small craft warnings. At 5 p.m., small craft warnings were extended northward, in effect from Cape Hatteras to Block Island. All warnings were dropped by 11 p.m. as winds, even in gusts, fell to under 30 mph (50 km/h)

Impact

South Carolina

Storm surge flooding was minimal due to the storm's landfall near the time of low tide. However, Charleston still recorded their highest tide since 1940. Gracie killed 10 people in South Carolina and Georgia, mainly due to wind and rain-induced automobile accidents, falling trees and electrocution by live wires. Wind damage was quite significant across South Carolina, particularly the city of Beaufort, South Carolina, with many downed trees, telephone poles, and streetlights. Also, numerous windows were shattered and shingles were torn off of roofs. A number of creeks overflowed causing floodwaters that, in areas, were several feet deep. The opening of the Beaufort Center of the University of South Carolina was delayed due to Gracie.

Elsewhere in the United States

The storm spawned seven tornadoes in all. A few of the tornadoes which accompanied the dissipating storm through Virginia killed twelve people near Charlottesville, Virginia. Other tornadoes touched down in the Carolinas and Pennsylvania. For the most part, rainfall from Gracie was beneficial as it moved up the Appalachians since the area had been in a drought preceding the cyclone. It would be 30 years before another major hurricane stuck South Carolina; Hurricane Hugo in September 1989.

Long term impact

Edisto Beach, South Carolina was changed forever by Gracie, due to human efforts to renourish the beach after its passage. Most of the shell hash beach currently at Edisto was placed there after Gracie. In order to expand the beach, an inland marsh was excavated and moved to the shoreline. This created highly desirable beach front property which led to new development along the coast seaward of Palmetto Boulevard, but also created an environmental catastrophe along the nearby ocean floor. A species of isopod which grows in coastal estuaries, the Cyathura Polita, disappeared after the passage of this hurricane from the Ashepoo River in South Carolina. The Kermadec Petrel, a bird, was swept to Lookout Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania during Gracie, marking the first time it appeared in North America.

Retirement

The name Gracie was retired and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again; this was before the formal lists were created, so it was not replaced with any particular name.

See also

Template:Tcportal

• List of notable tropical cyclones
• List of notable Atlantic hurricanes

References

1. ^ National Hurricane Center. Preliminary Report on Hurricane Gracie: September 22-October 1, 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
2. ^ Allan Huffman Hurricane Gracie. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
3. National Hurricane Center. San Juan Weather Bureau Weather Bulletin for Press Radio and Television 3 PM September 18 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
4. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 1 Tropical Depression Gracie 1030 AM EST September 22 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
5. Weather Underground (2007). "Hurricane Gracie". Wunderground.com. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
6. National Hurricane Center. Local Statement from Weather Bureau Charleston South Carolina Hurricane Gracie 12 Noon EST September 29 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
7. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Bulletin For Press Radio and Television 10 AM Monday September 21 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
8. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 2 Hurricane Gracie 5 PM EST September 22 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
9. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Hurricane Advisory Number 4 Gracie 5 AM September 23 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
10. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 8 Hurricane Gracie 5 AM September 24 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
11. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 13 Hurricane Gracie 5 AM September 25 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
12. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 20 Hurricane Gracie 5 AM September 27 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
13. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 22 Hurricane Gracie 5 PM September 27 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
14. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 25A Hurricane Gracie 2 PM September 28 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
15. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Hurricane Gracie Bulletin For Press Radio and Television 7 AM September 29 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
16. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 30 Hurricane Gracie 5 PM September 29 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
17. National Hurricane Center. Miami Weather Bureau Advisory Number 31 Hurricane Gracie 11 PM September 29 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
18. National Hurricane Center. Washington Weather Bureau Advisory Number 32 Storm Gracie 5 AM September 30 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
19. National Hurricane Center. Washington Weather Bureau Advisory Number 33 Storm Gracie 11 AM September 30 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
20. National Hurricane Center. Washington Weather Bureau Advisory Number 34 Storm Gracie 5 PM September 30 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
21. National Hurricane Center. Washington Weather Bureau Advisory Number 35 Gracie 11 PM September 30 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
22. National Hurricane Center. Tide Statement Weather Bureau Office Charleston South Carolina 2:30 PM EST September 29 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
23. University of South Carolina. USC Beaufort. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
24. Tom Grazulis and Bill McCaul. List of Known Tropical Cyclones Which Have Spawned Tornadoes. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
25. Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Virginia's Weather History: Virginia Hurricanes. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
26. National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Gracie Preliminary Storm Report, page 2. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
27. Gered Lennon. Living With the South Carolina Coast. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
28. William D. Burbanck. The Disappearance of Cyathura Polita from the Ashepoo River, South Carolina, After Hurricane "Gracie" in 1959. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
29. University of New Mexico. Kermadec Petrel in Pennsylvania. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.

External links

• Hurricane Gracie Information

v t e Tropical cyclones of the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season
	TSArlene TSBeulah 1Escuminac Hurricane 1Cindy 1Debra TSEdith 1Flora 4Gracie 3Hannah TSIrene 1Judith
Category

• 1959 Atlantic hurricane season
• Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
• Retired Atlantic hurricanes
• Hurricanes in the Bahamas
• South Carolina hurricanes