Hurricane Fox (1952)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Fox was the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclone of the below average 1952 Atlantic hurricane season
. The seventh tropical storm
, sixth Atlantic hurricane, and the third major hurricane
of the season, Fox was a small and intense Caribbean
storm that developed northwest of Cartagena, Colombia
, in the southern Caribbean Sea
. It moved steadily northwest, intensifying to a tropical storm on October 21. The next day, it rapidly strengthened into a hurricane and turned north. The cyclone attained peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) as it struck Cayo Guano del Este off the coast of Cienfuegos
. Fox made landfall
on Cuba at maximum intensity, producing peak gusts of 170–180 mph (275–290 km/h). It weakened over land, but it re-strengthened as it turned east over the Bahamas. On October 26, it weakened and took an erratic path, dissipating west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.
Hurricane Fox was the second most intense hurricane to strike Cuba until Hurricane Michelle
in the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season
. It was originally believed to have been the second Category 4 hurricane in Cuba prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis
. At the time, the cyclone produced the fourth lowest pressure in a landfalling Cuban hurricane; only the 1917
, 1924
, and 1932
hurricanes were more intense. Hurricane Fox killed at least 40 people across the island, causing severe crop damages in rural areas. The hurricane also ruined 30 percent of the tomato crops on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Across the archipelago, Fox produced wind gusts in excess of 110 mph (175 km/h). Total damages reached $10 million in Cuba. Fox was the second hurricane to hit land during the season, after Hurricane Able struck South Carolina.
in the Intertropical Convergence Zone
, though it was not operationally detected until October 21. The system steadily advanced northwest and it gradually intensified. On October 21, a reconnaissance mission
flew into the system, reporting sustained winds in excess of 40 mph (65 km/h). At the time, the system is estimated to have strengthened to Tropical Storm Fox. The cyclone continued to deepen, and it reached the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
, 120 miles (200 km) southeast of the Swan Islands, Honduras
. The hurricane rapidly intensified and turned north on October 23, strengthening to attain winds which correspond to a modern-day major hurricane, a storm of Category 3 status or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
. Late on October 24, the cyclone struck the small island of Cayo Guano del Estes in the Archipelago de los Canarreos
, south of Cienfuegos. Maximum sustained winds were near 150 mph (240 km/h), and the island's weather station recorded a minimum pressure of 934 mbar (27.59 inHg). The cyclone crossed the mainland coast of Cuba west of Cienfuegos, and it weakened as it crossed the island.
Early on October 25, Hurricane Fox entered the Atlantic Ocean
. It crossed central Andros
and turned east across the Bahamas. On October 26, the hurricane briefly re-intensified as it crossed Cat Island
. The center became ill-defined, and the cyclone quickly weakened. It turned north and then took an erratic northeast turn as it weakened to a tropical storm on October 27. The system gained extratropical
characteristics as it merged with a polar frontal boundary, and it dissipated west-southwest of Bermuda
on October 28.
to Palm Beach, Florida
. Accordingly, storm warnings were issued from Key West, Florida
to Vero Beach, Florida
. Military aircraft were transported to safer locations, while watercraft were stored in harbors and rivers. Hotels and resorts were boarded up on the barrier islands. The Bahamas received warnings well in advance of the hurricane. The hurricane turned quickly to the east, which reduced the threat to Bimini
, Cat Cay, Grand Bahama
, and the Abaco Islands
.
As a result of the storm, 70 people were injured in Cuba. Severe damage to properties and crops occurred in rural areas. In Zulueta, 30 structures were destroyed, while a Japanese freighter was washed ashore on the reefs near Cayo Breton. The crew survived, though another ship was disabled during the storm. The fringes of the storm produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, flooding low areas and causing several rivers to overflow their banks. Strong winds uprooted large trees in Santa Isabel
, and winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) were reported in the city of Cienfuegos. In Aguada de Pasajeros, 600 buildings were demolished, while 36 of 261 sugar mills across the island were damaged by Hurricane Fox. In all, Hurricane Fox killed 40 people in Cuba and caused $10 million in damages.
The cyclone produced peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) in Nassau, Bahamas
, causing no reported damage. Crops were damaged by high winds and heavy precipitation on Eleuthera
. About 30 percent of the tomato crops were destroyed during the storm. A man who attempted to secretly seed and weaken the storm was missing and presumed dead after his plane disappeared off Miami, Florida
. Multiple searches by the Coast Guard were unsuccessful.
In the early 1950s, Atlantic tropical cyclones were named via the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
. Hurricane Fox of 1952 was the final Atlantic tropical cyclone to be designated with this naming system, and a female list of tropical cyclone names was utilized in the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season
. After the stronger 1917 Pinar del Río hurricane, Hurricane Fox was Cuba's second most intense landfall until Hurricane Michelle struck the island in 2001. Originally, the 1917 hurricane was believed to have been a Category 3 hurricane prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis, which made Fox the second Category 4 landfall after the 1932 Cuba Hurricane
. At the time, Fox was the fourth most intense hurricane to strike Cuba in terms of atmospheric pressure; only the 1917, 1924, and 1932 storms were stronger at one point in their life spans.
1952 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1952 Atlantic hurricane season was the most recent season in which all named storms attained hurricane status, although it was the least active since 1946. The season officially started on June 15; however, a pre-season unnamed storm formed on Groundhog Day, becoming the only storm on...
. The seventh tropical storm
Tropical cyclone scales
Tropical systems are officially ranked on one of several tropical cyclone scales according to their maximum sustained winds and in what oceanic basin they are located...
, sixth Atlantic hurricane, and the third major hurricane
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...
of the season, Fox was a small and intense Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
storm that developed northwest of Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, in the southern 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....
. It moved steadily northwest, intensifying to a tropical storm on October 21. The next day, it rapidly strengthened into a hurricane and turned north. The cyclone attained peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) as it struck Cayo Guano del Este off the coast of Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
. Fox made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
on Cuba at maximum intensity, producing peak gusts of 170–180 mph (275–290 km/h). It weakened over land, but it re-strengthened as it turned east over the Bahamas. On October 26, it weakened and took an erratic path, dissipating west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.
Hurricane Fox was the second most intense hurricane to strike Cuba until Hurricane Michelle
Hurricane Michelle
Hurricane Michelle was the thirteenth named storm and the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. Michelle developed from a tropical wave that moved across the Atlantic, and formed into Tropical Depression Fifteen on the October 29. The depression slowly intensified as...
in the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season
2001 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was a fairly active Atlantic hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. The season officially lasted from June 1, 2001, to November 30, 2001, dates which by convention limit the period of each...
. It was originally believed to have been the second Category 4 hurricane in Cuba prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis
Atlantic hurricane reanalysis
Atlantic hurricane reanalysis is an ongoing project within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which seeks to correct and add new information about past Atlantic tropical cyclones...
. At the time, the cyclone produced the fourth lowest pressure in a landfalling Cuban hurricane; only the 1917
1917 Pinar del Río hurricane
The 1917 Nueva Gerona hurricane was the strongest Atlantic hurricane of the 1917 Atlantic hurricane season. The fourth tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the season, it developed east-southeast of Martinique. It moved west-northwest, passing between Saint Lucia...
, 1924
1924 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1924 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1924. The season was average with 11 storms; three became hurricanes and two others became major hurricanes. An early season tropical storm hit Belize on June 18 and Mexico on June 21...
, and 1932
1932 Cuba Hurricane
The 1932 Cuba hurricane was a powerful and deadly late-season hurricane during the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth tropical storm, fifth hurricane and fourth major hurricane of the 1932 season...
hurricanes were more intense. Hurricane Fox killed at least 40 people across the island, causing severe crop damages in rural areas. The hurricane also ruined 30 percent of the tomato crops on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Across the archipelago, Fox produced wind gusts in excess of 110 mph (175 km/h). Total damages reached $10 million in Cuba. Fox was the second hurricane to hit land during the season, after Hurricane Able struck South Carolina.
Meteorological history
On October 20, a tropical depression formed in the Caribbean Sea, 170 miles (270 km) northwest of Cartagena, Colombia. Fox is believed to have developed from a low pressure areaLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
in the Intertropical Convergence Zone
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
, though it was not operationally detected until October 21. The system steadily advanced northwest and it gradually intensified. On October 21, a reconnaissance mission
Hurricane 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...
flew into the system, reporting sustained winds in excess of 40 mph (65 km/h). At the time, the system is estimated to have strengthened to Tropical Storm Fox. The cyclone continued to deepen, and it reached the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane 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...
, 120 miles (200 km) southeast of the Swan Islands, Honduras
Swan Islands, Honduras
The Swan Islands, or Islas Santanilla, are a chain of three islands located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately ninety miles off the coastline of Honduras, with a land area of .-Detailed location and features:...
. The hurricane rapidly intensified and turned north on October 23, strengthening to attain winds which correspond to a modern-day major hurricane, a storm of Category 3 status or higher 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...
. Late on October 24, the cyclone struck the small island of Cayo Guano del Estes in the Archipelago de los Canarreos
Canarreos Archipelago
Canarreos Archipelago is an archipelago of Cuba.It is located south of the main island of Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea, at . It is bordered to the east by the Gulf of Cazones, to the north by the Gulf of Batabano and to the west by the Los Indios Channel....
, south of Cienfuegos. Maximum sustained winds were near 150 mph (240 km/h), and the island's weather station recorded a minimum pressure of 934 mbar (27.59 inHg). The cyclone crossed the mainland coast of Cuba west of Cienfuegos, and it weakened as it crossed the island.
Early on October 25, Hurricane Fox entered the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It crossed central Andros
Andros, Bahamas
Andros Island is an archipelago within the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas, the largest of the 26 inhabited Bahamian Islands. Geo-politically considered a single island, Andros has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined...
and turned east across the Bahamas. On October 26, the hurricane briefly re-intensified as it crossed Cat Island
Cat Island
-North America:* Cat Island , Bahamas* Cat Island , United States* Cat Island , United States* Cat Island , United States* Cat Island , United States...
. The center became ill-defined, and the cyclone quickly weakened. It turned north and then took an erratic northeast turn as it weakened to a tropical storm on October 27. The system gained extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
characteristics as it merged with a polar frontal boundary, and it dissipated west-southwest of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on October 28.
Preparations
Advisories, along with coordination between the National Observatory at Havana and U.S. Weather Bureau, were credited for the reduced deaths in Cuba. Weather observations were also readily available from Cuban meteorological stations. On October 25, the cyclone's hurricane force winds were expected to remain off the Florida east coast, although gale-force winds were anticipated from the Florida KeysFlorida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
to Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. Accordingly, storm warnings were issued from Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
to Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
. Military aircraft were transported to safer locations, while watercraft were stored in harbors and rivers. Hotels and resorts were boarded up on the barrier islands. The Bahamas received warnings well in advance of the hurricane. The hurricane turned quickly to the east, which reduced the threat to Bimini
Bimini
Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands located about 53 miles due east of Miami, Florida. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately 137 miles west-northwest of Nassau...
, Cat Cay, Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, and the closest major island to the United States, lying off the state of Florida. Grand Bahama is the fifth largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays...
, and the Abaco Islands
Abaco Islands
The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Elbow Cay, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Castaway Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Stranger's Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walker's Cay, Little Grand...
.
Impact
An aircraft flight into the storm experienced severe turbulence, and wind driven rain reportedly stripped paint from the plane's surfaces.As a result of the storm, 70 people were injured in Cuba. Severe damage to properties and crops occurred in rural areas. In Zulueta, 30 structures were destroyed, while a Japanese freighter was washed ashore on the reefs near Cayo Breton. The crew survived, though another ship was disabled during the storm. The fringes of the storm produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, flooding low areas and causing several rivers to overflow their banks. Strong winds uprooted large trees in Santa Isabel
Santa Isabel
Santa Isabel is the Spanish and Portuguese name of one of two Roman Catholic saints, Saint Isabel of France and Saint Isabel of Aragon. Various places have been named for either of such persons. These include: Argentina:...
, and winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) were reported in the city of Cienfuegos. In Aguada de Pasajeros, 600 buildings were demolished, while 36 of 261 sugar mills across the island were damaged by Hurricane Fox. In all, Hurricane Fox killed 40 people in Cuba and caused $10 million in damages.
The cyclone produced peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) in Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, causing no reported damage. Crops were damaged by high winds and heavy precipitation on Eleuthera
Eleuthera
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...
. About 30 percent of the tomato crops were destroyed during the storm. A man who attempted to secretly seed and weaken the storm was missing and presumed dead after his plane disappeared off Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Multiple searches by the Coast Guard were unsuccessful.
In the early 1950s, Atlantic tropical cyclones were named via the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
The Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet was a radio alphabet developed in 1941 and was used by all branches of the United States military until the promulgation of the ICAO spelling alphabet in 1956, which replaced it...
. Hurricane Fox of 1952 was the final Atlantic tropical cyclone to be designated with this naming system, and a female list of tropical cyclone names was utilized in the 1953 Atlantic hurricane season
1953 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1953 Atlantic hurricane season was the first time an organized list of female names was used to name Atlantic storms. It officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15, although activity occurred both before and after the season's limits...
. After the stronger 1917 Pinar del Río hurricane, Hurricane Fox was Cuba's second most intense landfall until Hurricane Michelle struck the island in 2001. Originally, the 1917 hurricane was believed to have been a Category 3 hurricane prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis, which made Fox the second Category 4 landfall after the 1932 Cuba Hurricane
1932 Cuba Hurricane
The 1932 Cuba hurricane was a powerful and deadly late-season hurricane during the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth tropical storm, fifth hurricane and fourth major hurricane of the 1932 season...
. At the time, Fox was the fourth most intense hurricane to strike Cuba in terms of atmospheric pressure; only the 1917, 1924, and 1932 storms were stronger at one point in their life spans.