Tropical Storm Alma (1958)
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The 1958 Atlantic hurricane season included every tropical cyclone either affecting or threatening land. There were ten named storms as well as one pre-season tropical storm. Seven of the storms became hurricanes, including five that were major hurricanes, or the equivalent of a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The strongest storm was
Hurricane Helene Hurricane Helene ( ) was a deadly and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States in late September 2024. It was the strongest hurricane on record to ...
, which became a strong Category 4 hurricane with winds and a
barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1,013.2 ...
of while just offshore the southeastern United States. In May, a
subtropical depression A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and extratropical cyclones. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclone ...
formed in the Caribbean and dropped heavy rainfall near
Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. The first named storm of the season was Alma, which killed three people and caused flooding in Texas. Hurricane Daisy in August was a major hurricane that paralleled the eastern coast of the United States, although due to its small size it did not cause much damage. Hurricane Ella affected much of the northern Caribbean and Texas, most significantly the Dominican Republic where 30 people died. Ella also killed six people in Cuba, where it made landfall as a major hurricane. A few weeks later, Tropical Storm Gerda also struck the Dominican Republic and killed three people. The costliest storm of the season was Helene, which caused $11.2 million in damage (1958 
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), mostly in North Carolina. Although it passed within of the state, its effects were mostly limited to the coast, and the hurricane killed one person. The last storm of the season, Janice, killed eight people in Jamaica when its precursor dropped of rainfall, and one person was killed in the Bahamas.


Season summary

The ten tropical storms during the season is comparable to the 20 year average of ten. In contrast to the previous season when most storms were in the Gulf of Mexico, most storms in 1958 occurred over the western Atlantic Ocean. The first storm, Alma, formed in the middle of June. Subsequently, a
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
persisted along the eastern United States, which suppressed tropical cyclone formation. Conditions remained unfavorable in July due to a large ridge suppressing the westerlies. In August, a persistent trough caused three storms – Becky, Cleo, and Daisy – to recurve and remain over the ocean. Most storms formed from the middle of August through the middle of October, when polar air reached as far south as Florida due to a shift in the ridge. Before the season started, the
United States Weather Bureau The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
office in Miami began setting up a
teleprinter A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point and point- ...
to distribute hourly advisories to newspapers and the
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. The hurricane season officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15. When the season started, the Lakeland Frost Warning Service sent four employees to assist the Miami Weather Bureau. The
Hurricane Hunters Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather ...
flew daily to investigate potential storms in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. In addition, there was a set of
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
s from Texas to Maine to track storms. Beginning in 1958, the Weather Bureau predicted the change in tide due to a storm with the assistance of a tide specialist. During the season, a reporter – daughter of Weather Bureau director Gordon Dunn – flew into Hurricane Daisy, becoming the first woman to fly into a hurricane. Utilizing radars along the
East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the region encompassing the coast, coastline where the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean; it has always pla ...
, the Weather Bureau tracked both Hurricanes Daisy and Helene for , which was the first such occurrence of that feat. The season's activity was reflected with a cumulative
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used to compare overall activity of tropical cyclones, utilizing the available records of windspeeds at six-hour intervals to synthesize storm duration and strength into a single index value. The ACE ...
(ACE) rating of 121. ACE, broadly speaking, is a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high values. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding or tropical storm strength.


Systems


Unnamed May tropical storm

A small circulation crossed Panama from the Pacific Ocean on May 17, and by the following day it was a developing depression near San Andrés in the western Caribbean. The system gradually organized over warm waters while moving to the northwest, developing a well-defined
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
by May 23 as it approached western Cuba. Later that day, the depression crossed the western portion of the island before turning to the northeast. On May 24, the system passed southeast of Florida, dropping heavy rainfall that peaked at in
Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...
. May 1958 was the second wettest May since 1911, of which half of the precipitation fell during the depression. Several other locations in the Miami area reported record or near-record rainfall for the month. The high rainfall disrupted planting of vegetables, and there was some crop damage. Flooding entered homes and businesses, forcing some evacuations. About 2,900 people lost telephone service, and there was a brief water outage on
Key Biscayne Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and sout ...
. There were also hundreds of vehicle accidents related to the storm. After affecting Florida, the depression continued to the northeast, and although it had a
warm core A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
, it was not able to develop significantly due to lack of temperature instability, as well as another low developing southwest of the circulation. The depression was briefly forecast to strike North Carolina, but instead an eastward moving
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
kept it offshore. In
Hatteras, North Carolina Hatteras is an unincorporated village and census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. ...
, the depression dropped of rainfall. The influx of cold air transitioned the depression to an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on May 28. An approaching
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
absorbed the depression and produced heavy rainfall in eastern Canada.


Tropical Storm Alma

A
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
was first observed in the central
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
on June 9. By the following day, there was evidence of a weak closed circulation off the south coast of Jamaica. Moving generally westward, on June 12 it crossed the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...
, and the system emerged into the
Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche (), or Campeche Sound, is a bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. The ...
the next day. On June 14, a tropical depression formed about halfway between the Yucatán Peninsula and
Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...
. Within six hours, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Alma about east of
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fif ...
. Later that day, a ship reported a
pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...
of and high seas, and early on June 15 a
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
plane measured winds of near the northeast Mexican coast. That day, Alma made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
about south of
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border, border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas ...
, in northeastern Mexico. The storm moved ashore in northeastern Tamaulipas early on June 15 before crossing into southern Texas. After weakening to a tropical depression, Alma straddled the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...
before dissipating in western Texas late on June 16. The United States Coast Guard recommended people to evacuate in beach areas near Brownsville, Texas. As it moved ashore, Alma produced a high tide of along
Padre Island Padre Island is the largest of the Texas barrier islands and the world's longest barrier island. The island is located along Texas's southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is noted for its white sandy beaches. Meaning ''father'' in Spanish, ...
, and one person drowned near
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
due to heavy surf. The highest wind gust was at
Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to: Places *Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County * Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River * Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA * ...
, causing minor damage. However, Alma dropped heavy rainfall further inland, reaching about near
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. The rains caused floods that resulted in heavy damage to property and crops. Some rivers and streams rose above their banks due to floods, creating torrents of up to in some
arroyos Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (watercourse), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: Places United States * Arroyo, Pennsylvania * Arroyo, Puerto Rico, a municipality * Arroyo, West Virginia Spain * Arroyo (Santillana del Mar), ...
. The floods covered highways and forced about 100 people to evacuate near Sabinal. The rains also knocked out telephone lines in
Uvalde County Uvalde County ( ; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,564. Its county seat is Uvalde. The county was created in 1850 and organized in 1856. It is named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanish ...
, and temporarily trapped hundreds of
scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
. One person drowned along the
Concho River The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. ''Concho'' is Spanish for "shell"; the river was so named due to its abundance of freshwater mussels, such as the Tampico pearly mussel ('' Cyrtonaias tampicoensis''). Geography The Conc ...
, and three people overall died due to the system.


Tropical Storm Becky

Based on reports from the
Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
islands offshore Africa, it is estimated a tropical depression developed on August 8. It moved westward due to the
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
to its north, a motion the depression would continue for much of its duration. Nearby ship reports indicated gradual strengthening, and the depression became a tropical storm on August 11. At 0400 
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
on August 12, the
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
Weather Bureau The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...
office initiated advisories on Tropical Storm Becky about halfway between the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...
and Cape Verde. That day, the
Hurricane Hunters Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather ...
flew into the storm, reporting a pressure of and flight level winds of ; its peak surface winds were estimated at . Also on August 12, a
storm warning At sea, a storm warning is a warning issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when winds between are occurring or predicted to occur soon. The winds must not be associated with a tropical cyclone. If the winds are associate ...
was issued for the northern Leeward Islands, and a storm watch was issued for the United States Virgin Islands and northern Puerto Rico. After peaking in intensity, Becky continued quickly to the west-northwest, and its fast motion may have prevented further strengthening. On August 14, a flight reported hurricane-force wind gusts in rainbands east-northeast of the center. The next day, the circulation became poorly defined, and by August 16, Becky had become extratropical after it merged with an approaching
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
. The storm turned to the north and northeast, dissipating later on August 17. As Becky was transitioning into an extratropical storm, it produced high waves along the southeastern coast of the United States.


Hurricane Cleo

A well-developed tropical wave spawned a tropical storm on August 11 to the south of Cape Verde. It moved westward, and ships in the area indicated that it had a large circulation. The Hurricane Hunters flew into the system and observed a well-developed hurricane with winds of , which were the highest measured winds. As a result, the San Juan Weather Bureau Office initiated advisories on Hurricane Cleo and issued a hurricane watch for the Lesser Antilles. Subsequent analysis determined that Cleo became a hurricane on August 13. A weak
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
near 50°  W allowed the hurricane to turn to the north, and Cleo continued to intensify, based on improved definition of the
eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
on radar imagery. A flight into the storm late on August 16 indicated a pressure of with winds of early on August 16. Originally winds were thought to be higher in Cleo, at , which would make it a Category 5 hurricane, but reanalysis later on determined it to be weaker. After maintaining peak winds for about six hours, Cleo began weakening. It turned more to the northwest due to a strengthening ridge to the northeast and the hurricane's
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
weakening the trough. An approaching cold front turned Cleo to the northeast on August 18 and caused it to accelerate. That day, it passed about east of Bermuda. On August 20, the hurricane became extratropical to the southeast of
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
. In St. John's, the storm dropped about of rainfall. The remnants of Cleo turned to the east and east-southeast, dissipating on August 22 between the
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and mainland Portugal.


Hurricane Daisy

A tropical wave moved through the Lesser Antilles on August 20 and gradually spread north. On August 24, a nearby ship reported a low pressure area and strong winds, indicating the
formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondary ...
of a small tropical cyclone near the Bahamas. After a Hurricane Hunters flight indicated winds of , the Weather Bureau initiated advisories on Tropical Storm Daisy early on August 25 to the north of the Bahamas. That day it became a hurricane, and initially it moved slowly to the northwest due to a ridge to the northeast. On August 26, a trough turned Daisy to the northeast, and the hurricane continued to intensify due to an
anticyclone A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...
aloft. By early August 28, the hurricane reached peak winds of , and a minimum pressure of while offshore South Carolina. Daisy accelerated to the north, passing about east of Hatteras, North Carolina; there, gusts peaked at due to the storm's small size. For much of its duration, Hurricane Daisy was visible from radar along the eastern United States, which assisted in tracking the storm. Passing east of Hatteras, Daisy dropped moderate rainfall, peaking at near
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, before turning to the northeast on August 29. The Weather Bureau issued a hurricane warning from
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to
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, due to the projected path near New England. Later on August 29, Daisy passed about southeast of
Nantucket Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...
. Nearby Block Island reported peak gusts of , and a Texas Tower east of Cape Cod reported gusts to . The storm also produced high tides and light rainfall, and forced 600 people to evacuate Nantucket. Due to its small size, there was no major damage in the United States. After affecting Nantucket, Daisy weakened and became extratropical by early on August 30. The remnants turned to the east, passing south of Nova Scotia before dissipating on August 31. In Canada, the storm damaged a boat in the
Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The bay was ...
that drifted for two days until reaching
Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...
.


Hurricane Ella

A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression near the Lesser Antilles on August 30, which quickly became Tropical Storm Ella. It quickly intensified in the eastern Caribbean into a hurricane by August 31 while passing south of Puerto Rico; there, the outer rainbands caused some flooding that caused minor damage. On September 1, Ella strengthened to winds of , as measured by the Hurricane Hunters. At that intensity, the hurricane passed just south of the Dominican Republic before making landfall in southwestern Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, heavy rainfall and floods caused $100,000 in damage, mostly in the country's southwestern portion. Heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in southwestern Haiti, and thousands of people became homeless after their houses were damaged. Near
Les Cayes Les Cayes ( , ), often referred to as Aux Cayes (; ), is a commune and seaport in the Les Cayes Arrondissement, in the Sud department of Haiti, with a population of 71,236. Due to its isolation from the political turmoil of the capital, Port-a ...
, 30 people were killed due to flash flooding. After affecting Haiti, Ella weakened to a Category 1 hurricane before moving ashore in southeastern Cuba early on September 2. While traversing the island, Ella weakened to a tropical storm and was unable to restrengthen. Near
Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
, the Bayamo River washed away 25 houses and killed five people. One other person died in the country due to the hurricane. After Ella reached the Gulf of Mexico on September 3, its structure was disrupted, and it remained a tropical storm as it continued to the west-northwest. Its outer rainbands produced gusts of in
Grand Isle, Louisiana Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the Gulf. The tow ...
. Ella struck Texas on September 6 and dissipated soon thereafter. At its final landfall, the storm produced of rainfall in
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
, and in the city, one person died after falling overboard a boat.


Hurricane Fifi

A ship on September 4 indicated a tropical depression developed from a tropical wave to the east of the Lesser Antilles. The system initially had two circulations that consolidated into one by September 5. That day, Hurricane Hunters observed winds, which prompted the Weather Bureau to upgrade it to Tropical Storm Fifi. Due to the storm's fast track to the northwest, a gale warning and hurricane watch were issued for the Leeward and northern Windward Islands. On September 6, Fifi intensified into a hurricane and reached peak winds of , around the same time that it passed about northeast of the Leeward Islands. Later, Fifi began weakening, and by September 8 it was downgraded to tropical storm status. The westerlies turned Fifi to the northeast on September 10. After passing southeast of Bermuda, the storm dissipated on September 11.


Tropical Storm Gerda

A tropical wave was first observed on September 11 about east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved westward, and based on surface reports from the island chain, a tropical depression developed west of Martinique on September 13. The system moved quickly to the west-northwest, becoming a tropical storm by late on September 13. The Hurricane Hunters encountered winds of on September 14 just offshore the Dominican Republic; on that basis the system was designated Tropical Storm Gerda. Shortly thereafter, the storm struck the Barahona peninsula. The high terrain of Hispaniola quickly weakened Gerda, and on September 15 the Hurricane Hunters could not detect a closed circulation. It is estimated that Gerda dissipated offshore southeastern Cuba. The wave continued west, later reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Aided by an approaching trough, a small low pressure area redeveloped on September 19, which struck southern Texas and moved to the northeast. This low eventually dissipated over Louisiana on September 22, having produced gusts of along the Texas coast. When the precursor to Gerda passed through the Lesser Antilles, it dropped of rain. Stations in the
United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...
reported winds up to . The storm's threat prompted gale warnings along the southern coast of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In the former island, Gerda killed three people. Two people drowned after falling off a boat on
Vieques island Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island, town and municipality of Puerto Rico, and together with Culebra, it is geographically part of the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques lies about east of the mainland of Puerto Rico, measuri ...
, and the other died after his house collapsed while he was inside. The storm damaged coffee, banana, and plantain crops in Puerto Rico. Winds reached in the Dominican Republic.


Hurricane Helene

A tropical wave was first observed near Cape Verde on September 16. On September 21, the Hurricane Hunters observed a circulation, which indicated a tropical depression had formed east of the northern Leeward Islands. It moved to the west-northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Helene on September 23. The next day Helene became a hurricane, aided by an anticyclone aloft. It moved around a large ridge, bringing its center toward the southeastern United States. As the hurricane approached the Carolinas, the hurricane rapidly intensified as the eye became visible on radar, and Helene reached peak winds of on the morning of September 27. An approaching trough turned the hurricane to the northeast, and Helene came within of the coast of North Carolina. It slowly weakened, and at the same time its size expanded. On September 29, Helene became extratropical as it was moving over Newfoundland. The remnants continued to the northeast, later turning to the southeast and dissipating on October 4 just west of
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. While paralleling the southeastern United States, Helene produced a peak storm surge of near
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 an ...
in North Carolina. A station in Wilmington reported sustained winds of and a peak gust of , exceeding the previous record for measured wind speed there by a wide margin. At
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, winds were estimated at , with gusts as high as . Rainfall from Helene peaked at in
Wilmington International Airport Wilmington International Airport is a public airport located just north of Wilmington, North Carolina, in unincorporated Wrightsboro, North Carolina, Wrightsboro. ILM covers 1,800 acres (728 ha). During the calendar year of 2024, ILM served ...
, although rainfall spread as far north as New England. Damage in the United States totaled $11.2 million, and there was one indirect fatality. In Atlantic Canada, Helene produced high winds and heavy rainfall, causing power outages in Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island. A
wharf A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
in
Caribou, Nova Scotia Caribou is a small rural community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. it is populated by an estimated 103 people as of 2024. Located on the Northumberland Strait northwest of the town of Pictou, Nova Scotia, Pict ...
, was destroyed by rough seas generated by Helene, and at least 1,000 
lobster trap A lobster trap or lobster pot is a portable trap that traps lobsters or crayfish and is used in lobster fishing. In Scotland (chiefly in the north), the word creel was used to refer to a device used to catch lobsters and other crustaceans. ...
s were carried out to sea as a result.


Hurricane Ilsa

On September 24, ship reports near an area of disturbed weather east of the Lesser Antilles prompted a Hurricane Hunters flight. By the time the aircraft investigated the system, they discovered a tropical storm with winds of , which was named Ilsa by the Weather Bureau. Subsequent analysis estimated that the storm became a tropical depression earlier that day. Ilsa quickly intensified into a hurricane on September 25, by which time it was located about southeast of Hurricane Helene. Over the subsequent few days, the two hurricanes underwent the
Fujiwhara effect The Fujiwhara effect, sometimes referred to as the Fujiwara effect, Fujiwara interaction or binary interaction, is a phenomenon that occurs when two nearby cyclonic vortices move around each other and close the distance between the circulations o ...
, in which Ilsa turned to the north and Helene turned to the northeast. Ilsa quickly intensified on September 26, developing a well-defined eye and spiral rainbands. Early on September 27, it reached peak winds of , and subsequently it weakened. On September 29 the hurricane turned to the northeast and accelerated, becoming extratropical and dissipating by the next day. Early in the duration of Ilsa, the Weather Bureau issued a gale warning and hurricane watch for the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and northern Puerto Rico. However, no damage was reported. The storm caused extensive
beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward r ...
and squally conditions in Bermuda.


Hurricane Janice

A tropical wave moved through the Lesser Antilles on September 30. It moved westward through the Caribbean, developing a broad circulation by October 3 as it approached Jamaica. The weak circulation gradually became better organized, developing into a tropical depression near the
Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory, and the largest by population. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located so ...
on October 4. The system quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Janice as it moved toward the coast of Cuba. An eastward-moving cold front turned the storm to the north and northeast, and Janice crossed central Cuba early on October 6. The storm intensified while moving through the Bahamas, becoming a hurricane on October 7. Janice slowed that day and reached peak winds of . On October 9, the hurricane turned to the east-northeast, and by that time had weakened slightly; however, the next day it re-attained its previous peak intensity while passing northwest of Bermuda, reaching a minimum pressure of . On October 12, Janice became extratropical in the northern Atlantic Ocean, and the next day merged with a stronger non-tropical low offshore Atlantic Canada. The precursor to Janice dropped heavy rainfall in Jamaica, reaching over in some locations. Rain-induced flooding destroyed homes, wrecked crops, and damaged coastal wharves and roads. Eight people were killed, and the floods were considered the worst in 25 years. When Janice was still over Cuba, the Weather Bureau issued gale warnings from
Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach is a city in and the county seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,354. Nicknamed "The Hibiscus City", Vero is situated about south ...
, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. In the Bahamas, Janice produced peak winds of on
San Salvador Island San Salvador Island, previously Watling's Island, is an islands of the Bahamas, island and districts of The Bahamas, district of The Bahamas, famed for being the probable location of Christopher Columbus's first landing of the Americas on 12 Oc ...
. In Nassau, one person was killed while trying to move a boat. A dredger was lost and a yacht was seriously damaged in the Bahamas, and damage in the country reached $200,000.


Unnamed October tropical storm

A low pressure area developed north of Hispaniola from a dissipating cold front, organizing into a tropical depression on October 15. The system moved to the north-northeast, attaining peak winds of , based on reports from ships. On October 17, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it interacted with an approaching cold front. The storm continued northeastward, merging with a larger storm on October 19 to the south of
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
.


Storm names

The following list of names was used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1958. This was a completely new set of names, thus every name used this season was used for the first time.


See also

*
1958 Pacific hurricane season The 1958 Pacific hurricane season saw thirteen tropical systems. It officially started on May 15, 1958, in the eastern Pacific and lasted until November 30, 1958. Systems Hurricane One On June 14, a tropical storm hit southern Mexico. Trop ...
*
1958 Pacific typhoon season The 1958 Pacific typhoon season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season had no official bounds, but tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific Ocean normally develop between May and October. The season was below ...
* Australian region cyclone seasons: 1957–58 1958–59 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 1957–58 1958–59 * South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1957–58 1958–59


External links


Monthly Weather Review

Reconnaissance flight through Hurricane Daisy


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1958 Atlantic Hurricane Season