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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. Gracie was a storm that was very difficult to forecast, with its movement unpredictable.

Storm history

A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression near the north coast of Hispaniola on September 20th. After moving west-northwestward for a day, it turned northeastward, where upper level winds were very favorable and steering currents were very weak, which turned out to be a deadly scenario. On the 22nd it became a tropical storm, followed by reaching hurricane strength later that night. It turned to the east on the 25th, and turned back west on the 27th. 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 the 29th, but cooler air and land interaction weakened it to a 120 mph Category 3 major hurricane at the time of its Beaufort, South Carolina landfall that night. After landfall, Gracie moved inland and north and became extratropical on the 30th.

Preparations

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.

Impact

Several tornadoes accompanied the dissipating storm through Virginia and twelve people were killed near Charlottesville, Virginia. Gracie also 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 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.

Gracie was the last major hurricane to strike South Carolina before Hurricane Hugo 30 years later.

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

External links

• Hurricane Gracie Information

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. Weather Underground (2007). "Hurricane Gracie". Wunderground.com. Retrieved 2007-11-08.

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