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On This Day in 1955: Hurricane Diane Makes Landfall in North Carolina
August 19, 2021 at 06:35 AM EDT
By WeatherBug's Ali Husain
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to strike North Carolina during the 1955 hurricane season. At the time, Diane was the costliest storm ever to strike the U.S. and the first storm to bring a billion-dollar price-tag in U.S. history.
Hurricane Diane began as a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean, developing into a tropical depression on August 7th, 1955. On August 11th, the system shifted to the northeast and became a hurricane about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, reaching peak intensity at Category 3 status with 120 mph winds.
The storm remained at Category 3 status for three days, until cooler air left behind by Hurricane Connie (which struck the Outer Banks on August 12th) became entrained in Diane’s circulation. As a result, Diane weakened to Category 1 strength before making landfall near Wilmington, N.C., on August 17th, 1955. Diane’s landfall was a mere 150 miles southwest of Hurricane Connie’s landfall point five days prior, giving residents little time to prepare for another round of tropical trouble.
Tides ran 6 to 8 feet above average in Wilmington, N.C., with waves up to 12 feet high striking the coast. Rainfall totals were highest inland, peaking at 7.04 inches in New Bern, N.C. Although Hurricane Connie did not produce significant flooding, it certainly set the stage for Diane. With the ground already saturated and water levels already high, rainfall amounting to 20 inches over the two-day period caused some of the most destructive flooding the river valleys of eastern Pennsylvania, northwest New Jersey, southeast New York and southern New England had ever seen. Connecticut received the most rainfall, with 12 inches falling over 24 hours. As a result, Connecticut’s damages totaled $350 million ($3.5 billion in 2021 USD) and saw 77 fatalities.
Overall, between 180 and 200 lives were lost due to Hurricane Diane. While total damages were hard to determine exactly, estimates put the price-tag between $832 million and $1 billion (between $8.5 billion and $10 billion in 2021 USD). At the time, Diane was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, until Hurricane Betsy took that title in 1965.
Source: NWS
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Story Image: New England Flooding from Diane, August 1955 via NWS
Hurricane Diane began as a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean, developing into a tropical depression on August 7th, 1955. On August 11th, the system shifted to the northeast and became a hurricane about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, reaching peak intensity at Category 3 status with 120 mph winds.
The storm remained at Category 3 status for three days, until cooler air left behind by Hurricane Connie (which struck the Outer Banks on August 12th) became entrained in Diane’s circulation. As a result, Diane weakened to Category 1 strength before making landfall near Wilmington, N.C., on August 17th, 1955. Diane’s landfall was a mere 150 miles southwest of Hurricane Connie’s landfall point five days prior, giving residents little time to prepare for another round of tropical trouble.
Tides ran 6 to 8 feet above average in Wilmington, N.C., with waves up to 12 feet high striking the coast. Rainfall totals were highest inland, peaking at 7.04 inches in New Bern, N.C. Although Hurricane Connie did not produce significant flooding, it certainly set the stage for Diane. With the ground already saturated and water levels already high, rainfall amounting to 20 inches over the two-day period caused some of the most destructive flooding the river valleys of eastern Pennsylvania, northwest New Jersey, southeast New York and southern New England had ever seen. Connecticut received the most rainfall, with 12 inches falling over 24 hours. As a result, Connecticut’s damages totaled $350 million ($3.5 billion in 2021 USD) and saw 77 fatalities.
Overall, between 180 and 200 lives were lost due to Hurricane Diane. While total damages were hard to determine exactly, estimates put the price-tag between $832 million and $1 billion (between $8.5 billion and $10 billion in 2021 USD). At the time, Diane was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, until Hurricane Betsy took that title in 1965.
Source: NWS
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Story Image: New England Flooding from Diane, August 1955 via NWS