1968 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | June 1, 1968 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 21, 1968 |
| Strongest storm: | Gladys - 965 mbar (28.50 inHg), 85 mph (140 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 8 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 0 |
| Total damage: | $9.85 million (1968 USD) $54.5 million (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 10 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 |
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The 1968 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1968, and lasted until November 30, 1968. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each are credited with helping to break a drought in the southeastern United States. Three storms formed this June, making it one of the most active on record.
Hurricane Gladys was the costliest storm of the season, causing more than $6 million (1968 USD) in damage as it moved northward through Florida, Cuba, and North Carolina.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Hurricane Abby
- Main article: Hurricane Abby (1968)
A mid-tropospheric trough persisted over the western Caribbean Sea in late May. When a weak cold front moved into the area, it generated convection, gaining enough organization to be called a tropical depression on June 1. The initial circulation was not embedded within the convection, but as it moved slowly north-northeastward, it was able to strengthen and become better organized, reaching tropical storm strength on the 2nd. It crossed the western tip of Cuba, and upon reaching the southeast Gulf of Mexico Abby achieved hurricane strength. It weakened to a tropical storm before hitting Punta Gorda, Florida on the 4th, and moved across the state. Once it reached the western Atlantic, building high pressure to its east forced Abby northwestward. On the 6th, it again reached the Florida coast, this time near Jacksonville. Abby weakened to a tropical depression as it moved over Georgia, and over the next 6 days, it wandered around the Carolinas, finally dissipating on the 13th east of Virginia.
While Abby caused heavy rain over Florida, the rain was almost entirely beneficial, as Florida was suffering from a heavy drought. Total damage in the United States is estimated around $450,000 (1968 USD ($16.65 million 2005 USD)) and the storm indirectly caused 6 deaths.
[edit] Hurricane Brenda
Similar to Abby's origins, Brenda began from a mid-level trough persisting over Florida, forming a tropical depression on June 17 south of Florida. The cyclone moved northward across the peninsula for 60 hours, and upon reaching the Atlantic, reached favorable conditions. Shear was low and water temperatures were warm enough, allowing the depression to become a tropical storm on the 21st and a hurricane on the 23rd. Brenda wouldn't maintain its intensity for very long, and on the 24th, dry air and shear disrupted the system. Brenda weakened to a tropical storm on the 25th, and became extratropical on June 26 over the open Atlantic.
[edit] Tropical Storm Candy
Following a similar pattern to the previous two storms, a mid-level low formed over Texas, gradually reaching the surface and warming. It became a tropical depression on June 22 over the western Gulf of Mexico. As it moved quickly northward, became Tropical Storm Candy on the 23rd, the third storm of June. Just after reaching its peak intensity of 70 mph Candy moved inland over southeast Texas, causing heavy flooding, crop damage, and tornadoes. Tropical Depression Candy continued to move quickly northeast, becoming extratropical on the 26th over Ohio and dissipating that day. Candy caused $2.7 million in damage ($15 million in 2005 USD).
[edit] Hurricane Dolly
After such an active June, the tropics remained quiet until August 10, when an upper-level low combined with a tropical wave developed a tropical depression over the western Bahamas. It moved over Florida briefly, moving northeastward by nightfall. The depression struggled to strengthen, due to a frontal boundary to its west attempting to absorb it. The depression won out, becoming Tropical Storm Dolly on the 12th and a hurricane on the 13th. It became cut off from the moist tropical air that night, weakening to a tropical storm. Dolly found her "second wind" when baroclinic processes allowed her to become a hurricane again, this time at nearly 40ºN. Dolly finally succumbed to the cold environment on the 16th, becoming a tropical depression and later extratropical.
[edit] Tropical Storm Edna
The precursor to Tropical Storm Edna was a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa. Immediately upon reaching the tropical Atlantic, it became a tropical depression. It likely achieved tropical storm strength on September 14, but it was not until the 15th when it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Edna. An upper level cold core trough weakened it to a tropical depression on the 18th. Edna dissipated the next day without affecting land.
[edit] Subtropical Storm One
A subtropical depression formed in the western Atlantic on September 14. It moved eastward without strengthening, but as it turned northwest, it reached storm strength. The subtropical cyclone headed east-southeastward, reaching hurricane intensity (though it was not a hurricane because it was not tropical) before becoming extratropical on the 23rd.
[edit] Tropical Storm Frances
A midtropospheric trough developed convection near a circulation over the Bahamas. It became a tropical depression on September 23, and after four days of moving northeastward, it became Tropical Storm Frances. On the 27th, Frances reached her peak of 60 mph while north of Bermuda, but an upper level low weakened the storm on the 29th, leaving behind an extratropical depression.
[edit] Hurricane Gladys
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| Gladys satellite image and storm path | |
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- Main article: Hurricane Gladys (1968)
Hurricane Gladys developed from a tropical wave on October 13 in the western Caribbean Sea. It drifted northwestward, reaching tropical storm strength on the 15th. On the 16th, it became a hurricane just before crossing Cuba. It maintained that intensity as it crossed the island and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Because Gladys's circulation was mostly over land, it was only an 80 mph (Category 1) hurricane at its Homosassa, Florida landfall on the 19th. After moving across Florida, Gladys paralleled the Carolinas, reaching its peak of 75 mph before becoming extratropical on the 21st near Nova Scotia. It caused $6.7 million (1968 USD) in damage, almost all of it in Florida.
[edit] Other Storms
Several tropical depressions formed this year that did not develop into tropical storms.
One of those formed on August 28 in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. It didn't have a chance to strengthen, as it moved over Florida that night. It remained over the peninsula until the 31st when it dissipated. The storm caused 15 inches of rain and spawned tornadoes.
Another one formed on September 9 off the coast of South Carolina. It moved quickly northeastward, reaching the coast of Long Island on the 11th. It is possible this tropical depression reached tropical storm strength, as there were reports of gale force winds.
The last tropical depression of the season formed on November 24 over the Bahamas. This late season cyclone moved northeastward, passing near Bermuda on the 25th before becoming absorbed by a large developing extratropical low to its northwest. It is also possible that this tropical depression reached tropical storm strength.
[edit] 1968 storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1968.
The list is mostly the same as the 1964 season, save for Candy, Dolly, Edna, Frances, Hannah, and Ingrid, which replaced Cleo, Dora, Ethel, Florence, Hilda, and Isbell (although Hilda was reused in 1973; and Ethel, Florence, and Isbell were not retired). Storms were named Candy and Dolly for the first time in 1968. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
No names were retired this season. However, the name Edna was later retroactively retired because of the Hurricane Edna of the 1954 season, and has not been used since.
