1954 Atlantic hurricane season

1954 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	May 27, 1954
Last system dissipated	January 6, 1955 (tied record latest with 2005)
Strongest storm
Name	Hazel
• Maximum winds	130 mph (215 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	938 mbar (hPa; 27.7 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	23
Total storms	16
Hurricanes	7
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)	3
Total fatalities	1,069
Total damage	$751.6 million (1954 USD)
Related articles
1954 Pacific hurricane season 1954 Pacific typhoon season 1950s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
Atlantic hurricane seasons 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956

The 1954 Atlantic hurricane season was an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in terms of named storms, with 16 forming. Overall, the season resulted in $751.6 million in damage,^{[nb 1]} the most of any season at the time. The season officially began on June 15, and nine days later the first named storm developed. Hurricane Alice developed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved inland along the Rio Grande, producing significant precipitation and record flooding that killed 55 people. Activity was slow until late August; only Barbara, a minimal tropical storm, developed in July. In the span of two weeks, hurricanes Carol and Edna followed similar paths before both striking New England as major hurricanes.^{[nb 2]} The latter became the costliest hurricane in Maine's history.

In late September, Tropical Storm Gilda killed 29 people after drenching northern Honduras. A tropical depression in early October was captured by a high-altitude photograph on a rocket, thus producing the first large-scale image of a tropical cyclone. The strongest and deadliest hurricane of the season was Hurricane Hazel, which killed thousands in Haiti before striking near the North Carolina/South Carolina border in October. It caused heavy damage in the United States before becoming extratropical and affecting Ontario. Intense rainfall affected Toronto with severe flooding, leaving significant damage. The season officially ended on November 15, although another hurricane named Alice developed on December 30 to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles; it lasted until January 6 of the following year. In total, there were 16 tropical storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.

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