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Hurricane Anna (1961)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Anna was the first named storm and hurricane
of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season
. Anna formed on July 20 and moved westward on a path similar to Hurricane Abby in 1960, where it reached Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
. The storm's winds peaked at 115 mph (185 km/h) before skirting northern Honduras
and making landfall in Belize
(then known as British Honduras). After making landfall, Anna dissipated on July 24.
The storm left minimal damage in the Windward Islands
and Trinidad and Tobago
as a tropical storm. In Honduras
and Belize
, the storm caused $300,000 dollars (1961 USD, $2 million 2006 USD) in damage and one fatality.
and ship reports between 14-17°N and 50-55°W. Satellite imagery later showed the area of disturbed weather at 12°N. At approximately 12 a.m. (EST
) on July 19, the disturbance quickly intensified into a 50 mph (80 km/h) tropical storm and was named Anna by the National Hurricane Center
. After becoming a tropical storm, Anna moved westward due to the interference of a strong high-pressure area to the north. The center of the storm passed 75 miles (121 km) north of Venezuela
. On the following day, Anna's winds reached hurricane intensity as the storm continued to track west-northwest through the Caribbean Sea
at speeds of 15-23 mph (24–37 km/h).
On July 21, Anna’s winds peaked at 115 mph (185 km/h), and its barometric pressure dropped to 976 millibars (28.83 inches) as the hurricane continued to moved westward and stayed at a lower latitude due to the strong northern system. After briefly attaining Category 3 status, the cyclone brushed past northern Honduras
as a Category 2 hurricane on July 23. Shortly after making landfall in Belize
the following day as a Category 1 hurricane, Anna rapidly dissipated.
issued tropical cyclone watches and warnings for Venezuela
and Aruba
. In Jamaica
, meteorologists forecast that the storm would bypass the island to the south without causing any effects. As Anna continued westward, meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center forecast the storm to make landfall in either northern Nicaragua
or southeastern Honduras
and advised residents in those countries and the rest of Central America
to take precautions ahead of the storm. As the storm neared Honduras
, small boats and other water craft were advised to remain in port.
In Belize
(then known as British Honduras), the threat of the storm forced 100 residents to evacuate their homes, while numerous businesses were closed down. In Belize Harbor, many ships and boats were moved upstream inland and Belize's Church Welfare Service began to ship clothing and other materials in anticipation of the aftermath of the hurricane. The hurricane was also forecast to bring heavy rainfall to the mountainous areas of Belize
, causing a concern that flash flood
ing would result from the rainfall.
, Anna produced wind gusts of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a weather station reported a barometric pressure of 1002 millibars (29.58 inches). Damage from the storm's impact on Grenada was limited to banana
crops, tree
s and telephone poles. In northern Venezuela
and the ABC Islands, the storm produced winds of 50–70 mph (80–'113 km/h) in Curaçao
, Los Hermanos
and La Blanquilla. A weather station in Aruba reported winds of 50 mph (80 km/h).
A weather station in Honduras
reported rainfall of 0.29–1.5 inches (7.3–25.4 mm) over a two day period. Another station in Puerto Cortés
reported 2 inches of rainfall. The hurricane caused moderate damage across northern Honduras
. In Plaplaya, the storm damaged 215 homes and toppled 5,000 coconut
trees. The storm also ruined banana and fruit harvests and one fatality was reported. Severe damage was also reported in Gracias a Dios
. Damage from the cyclone's impact on Honduras amounted to $300,000 (1961 USD, $2 million 2007 USD). The Government of Honduras provided food and medical aid after the storm. In Belize
, Anna produced waves 7–10 ft (2.1–3 m) and gusty winds. Damage in Belize
was also moderate, but no fatalities were reported.
The name Anna was not retired by the National Hurricane Center
, and was re-used again during the 1969
and 1976
seasons. In 1979, the spelling of "Anna" was changed to "Ana" which was used for later Atlantic hurricane seasons and is on the list of names for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season
.
Tropical cyclone
A 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 strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season
1961 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1961 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1961, and lasted until November 15, 1961. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season had seven major hurricanes, the second highest number on...
. Anna formed on July 20 and moved westward on a path similar to Hurricane Abby in 1960, where it reached Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. The storm's winds peaked at 115 mph (185 km/h) before skirting northern Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and making landfall in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
(then known as British Honduras). After making landfall, Anna dissipated on July 24.
The storm left minimal damage in the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
as a tropical storm. In Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, the storm caused $300,000 dollars (1961 USD, $2 million 2006 USD) in damage and one fatality.
Meteorological history
An area of low pressure was detected on July 17 by Hurricane HuntersHurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
and ship reports between 14-17°N and 50-55°W. Satellite imagery later showed the area of disturbed weather at 12°N. At approximately 12 a.m. (EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
) on July 19, the disturbance quickly intensified into a 50 mph (80 km/h) tropical storm and was named Anna by the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
. After becoming a tropical storm, Anna moved westward due to the interference of a strong high-pressure area to the north. The center of the storm passed 75 miles (121 km) north of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. On the following day, Anna's winds reached hurricane intensity as the storm continued to track west-northwest through the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
at speeds of 15-23 mph (24–37 km/h).
On July 21, Anna’s winds peaked at 115 mph (185 km/h), and its barometric pressure dropped to 976 millibars (28.83 inches) as the hurricane continued to moved westward and stayed at a lower latitude due to the strong northern system. After briefly attaining Category 3 status, the cyclone brushed past northern Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
as a Category 2 hurricane on July 23. Shortly after making landfall in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
the following day as a Category 1 hurricane, Anna rapidly dissipated.
Preparations
The National Hurricane CenterNational Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
issued tropical cyclone watches and warnings for Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. In Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, meteorologists forecast that the storm would bypass the island to the south without causing any effects. As Anna continued westward, meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center forecast the storm to make landfall in either northern Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
or southeastern Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and advised residents in those countries and the rest of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to take precautions ahead of the storm. As the storm neared Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, small boats and other water craft were advised to remain in port.
In Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
(then known as British Honduras), the threat of the storm forced 100 residents to evacuate their homes, while numerous businesses were closed down. In Belize Harbor, many ships and boats were moved upstream inland and Belize's Church Welfare Service began to ship clothing and other materials in anticipation of the aftermath of the hurricane. The hurricane was also forecast to bring heavy rainfall to the mountainous areas of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, causing a concern that flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing would result from the rainfall.
Impact and naming
In GrenadaGrenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, Anna produced wind gusts of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a weather station reported a barometric pressure of 1002 millibars (29.58 inches). Damage from the storm's impact on Grenada was limited to banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
crops, tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and telephone poles. In northern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and the ABC Islands, the storm produced winds of 50–70 mph (80–'113 km/h) in Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Los Hermanos
Los Hermanos
Los Hermanos is a rock band from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The group was formed in 1997 by Marcelo Camelo , Rodrigo Amarante , Rodrigo Barba , and Bruno Medina...
and La Blanquilla. A weather station in Aruba reported winds of 50 mph (80 km/h).
A weather station in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
reported rainfall of 0.29–1.5 inches (7.3–25.4 mm) over a two day period. Another station in Puerto Cortés
Puerto Cortés
-Geography:It is on the Caribbean Sea coast, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, at 15.85° N, 87.94° W. It has a natural bay.It is Honduras's main sea port and it is considered the most important seaport in Central America...
reported 2 inches of rainfall. The hurricane caused moderate damage across northern Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. In Plaplaya, the storm damaged 215 homes and toppled 5,000 coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
trees. The storm also ruined banana and fruit harvests and one fatality was reported. Severe damage was also reported in Gracias a Dios
Gracias a Dios
Gracias a Dios: Thanks to God, may refer to.*Gracias a Dios Department, a department of Honduras.*"Gracias a Dios", a song by Mexican singer Thalía...
. Damage from the cyclone's impact on Honduras amounted to $300,000 (1961 USD, $2 million 2007 USD). The Government of Honduras provided food and medical aid after the storm. In Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Anna produced waves 7–10 ft (2.1–3 m) and gusty winds. Damage in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
was also moderate, but no fatalities were reported.
The name Anna was not retired by the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
, and was re-used again during the 1969
1969 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1969 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1969, and lasted until November 30, 1969. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was among the most active on record, with 18 tropical cyclones, 12...
and 1976
1976 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1976 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1976, and lasted until November 30, 1976. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
seasons. In 1979, the spelling of "Anna" was changed to "Ana" which was used for later Atlantic hurricane seasons and is on the list of names for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season
2009 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average year, unlike the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, which was above average, both due to a moderate El Niño. During this year, nine tropical storms formed, the fewest since the 1997 season.An average season has ten tropical storms, six hurricanes...
.