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1958 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1958 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1958, and lasted until November 15, 1958. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was average, with 10 storms forming, but had a disproportionate number of strong storms with seven hurricanes and five major hurricanes.

Notable 1958 storms include Hurricane Cleo which reached Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale while remaining in the open Atlantic Ocean; Hurricane Ella, which dumped considerable amounts of rain in southern Texas; Tropical Storm Gerda, which killed three in Puerto Rico; and Hurricane Helene, which caused $7 million in damage (1958 dollars) when it skimmed past Cape Fear, Cape Lookout (North Carolina), and Cape Hatteras.

Storms

Tropical Storm Alma

The tropical disturbance developed from an easterly wave that formed in the central Caribbean Sea on June 9. A closed ciruclation low pressure system formed on June 10. The system made landfall in Central America, and heavy rains affected that region, before the system entered the Bay of Campeche. On June 14, the tropical wave developed into a tropical depression in the Bay of Campeche. It moved in a straight line to the northwest, and became a tropical storm later that day. Alma reached her peak of 50 mph before hitting northeastern Mexico on the 15th, 70 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. Winds of 40 to 45 mph were reported in South Padre Island, Texas. It dissipated the following day after causing one indirect death from drowning. Major damage resulted came from floods from the rain of Alma. One person drowned near Galveston, Texas during the storm.

Tropical Storm Becky

A westerly moving tropical wave became a tropical depression on August 8, just off the coast of Africa. It continued westward due to the Bermuda-Azores high to its north, and became a tropical storm on the 11th. The next day, Becky reached a peak of 60 mph, but its rapid movement disallowed further strengthening. As the storm moved northeastward, it was gradually absorbed by a frontal boundary, and Becky became extratropical on the 16th.

Hurricane Cleo

Hurricane Cleo, a Cape Verde-type hurricane which avoided land, formed from a tropical wave that strengthened into a tropical storm on August 11 in the eastern Atlantic. Cleo steadily strengthened to her peak of 160 mph winds on the 16th, a relatively rare phenomenon. While initially moving westward and posing a threat to the Lesser Antilles, Cleo turned northwestward in response to a short wave trough, and weakened over cooler waters, becoming extratropical on the 20th over the North Atlantic. Hurricane Cleo is one of only four Category 5 hurricanes since 1953 to not be retired, as most other Category 5's impacted land in some form (however, the name Cleo was retired in 1964 after a different Hurricane Cleo).

Hurricane Daisy

Over the Bahamas, a tropical storm developed on August 24 from a tropical wave. Daisy moved slowly northwestward and became a hurricane the next day. A short-wave trough brought Daisy northward where it intensified to a 125 mph major hurricane, but remained far enough offshore to not cause any damage. Daisy became extratropical on the 29th south of Nova Scotia.

Hurricane Ella

Like all the other tropical storms this season, Hurricane Ella developed from a tropical wave, having formed on August 30 just east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved rapidly through the islands, reaching tropical storm strength later on the 30th. The next day, Ella became a hurricane, and hit southwestern Haiti on September 1 as a 110 mph hurricane. Just before hitting southeastern Cuba, Ella reached its peak of 115 mph winds, but weakened while crossing Cuba to a tropical storm. While in the Gulf of Mexico, the center remained disorganized and was not able to strengthen past 70 mph winds. It hit southeastern Texas on the 6th, and dissipated later that day. Ella caused a total of $200,000 in damage (1958 dollars) and 37-39 deaths in Cuba and Haiti from drowning. In addition, Galveston received torrential rainfall amounting to 13.6 inches.

Ella had a role in the Cuban Revolution as the government troops of Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar stayed in their barracks during the storm while the rebels made progress under cover of Ella. Later, when the guerrillas heard about Hurricane Fifi on the radio, Che Guevara taught his illiterate comrades that entities like tropical cyclones are named in alphabetical order.

Hurricane Fifi

A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression on September 4, east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved northwestward, strengthening into a tropical storm on the 5th and a hurricane on the 6th. Fifi passed 150 miles to the north of the islands, and as steering currents pushed Fifi northeastward, upper level winds increased, weakening Fifi until dissipation on the 12th, 150 miles southeast of Bermuda.

Tropical Storm Gerda

In the eastern Caribbean Sea, a tropical depression formed on September 13, having developed from an easterly wave. It moved rapidly west-northwestward, and after reaching a peak of 70 mph winds, Gerda hit south-central Hispaniola on the 15th. The circulation dissipated later that day from the high mountains, but a remnant low reached the Gulf of Mexico on the 19th, causing high winds over Texas. Three people died from the storm in Puerto Rico, two of which came from drowning.

Hurricane Helene

A tropical wave became a tropical depression on September 21, east of the northern Lesser Antilles. It moved west-northwestward, gradually strengthening; first to a tropical storm on the 23rd, then a hurricane on the 24th. As an upper-level anticyclone moved eastward, Helene turned northward and northeastward, strengthening with the favorable conditions to a peak of 135 mph winds. At its peak, it paralleled the coastlines of the Carolinas, coming within 10 miles of reaching the coast but remaining offshore on the 28th. It continued northeastward over progressively cooler waters, and became extratropical on the 29th, just after hitting southern Newfoundland. Though it stayed offshore, Helene managed to cause $11.2 million in damage, though no deaths were reported due to a good warning system.

Hurricane Ilsa

On September 24, a tropical depression formed east of the northern Lesser Antilles. It moves west-northwestward, and became a tropical storm later that day. On the 25th it became a hurricane, which was followed by a period of rapid intensification to a peak of 135 mph winds. Ilsa and Helene underwent the Fujiwhara effect, and Ilsa turned northward in the process, where dry air weakened the hurricane steadily until dissipation on the 30th.

Hurricane Janice

The last tropical cyclone of the season formed on October 5 from a westward moving tropical wave, south of Cuba. It strengthened to a 50 mph tropical storm before crossing the island, and remained intact, becoming a hurricane over the Bahamas on the 7th. A cold front pulled Janice northward, and the hurricane became extratropical on the 12th, after causing between $200,000-$300,000 in damage (1958 dollars) in the Bahamas and one death. An early report indicated 18 Haitians died when their raft capsized in the Bahamas, though that was later proven false. Heavy flooding occurred in Jamaica and Haiti as well.