Hurricane

Heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds were reported from the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and the eastern United States. These winds led to a significant loss to the Florida fruit crops, and salt spray blown in from the Atlantic caused the leaves of some plants to instantly brown across portions of Massachusetts. A storm surge of up to 13 feet (4.0 m) impacted areas near its track across the Florida Keys. The cyclone caused billions of US dollars in damages and killed at least 364 people.

Meteorological history

The precursor to this storm was a well-organized tropical disturbance which moved off the shore of Africa on August 28 and 29th. The crash of an airliner at Dakar on the 29th was attributed to this disturbance.¹ Before reaching the Cape Verde Islands, the system was well enough organized to be considered a tropical depression on the 29th. By the 30th, Donna had strengthened into a tropical storm. Moving westward, intensification continued, bringing the cyclone to hurricane strength on September 1. For nine days, September 2 to 11, Donna consistently had maximum sustained winds of at least 115 mph (185 km/h) as it moved west-northwest, briefly achieving Category 5 strength.² Donna passed through the northeasternmost Leeward Islands, subsequently missing Puerto Rico by 70 miles (110 km) to the north.³ The hurricane then skirted the Cuban coast on the 9th before heading for the Florida Keys.¹

The storm made its first Florida landfall in the community of Marathon, centered on Key Vaca in the middle Florida Keys. At the time, Donna was a Category 4 hurricane with estimated maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) and gusts of up to 180 mph (290 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 27.46 inHg (930 mbar).²

Highest ACE hurricanes (since 1850)
Rank	Name	Season	ACE
1	"San Ciriaco"	1899	73.57
2	Ivan	2004	70.38
3	"Four"	1926	67.59
4	Donna	1960	64.55
5	"Charleston"	1893	63.53
Main article: Accumulated Cyclone Energy
Source: This list

The storm crossed into the Gulf of Mexico and its course shifted northward. Donna paralleled the southwest coast of Florida until it made a second Florida landfall between Naples and Fort Myers, again as a Category 4 hurricane.² After crossing the Florida peninsula, it continued north and moved back out into the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona Beach. Donna then headed up the East Coast, and made another landfall at Topsail Beach, North Carolina. The storm then finished its trip by heading into New England, with a final landfall across Long Island, New York.

Donna, unlike Hurricane Charley which followed a similar track in 2004,⁴ was a slow-moving storm. Donna dumped 10 inches (250 mm) to 12 inches (300 mm) of rain in the southern half of Florida, along with about seven inches in the northern half.⁵ The three weeks prior to Donna's landfall produced a 6 inches (150 mm) to 7 inches (180 mm) surplus in rain before the hurricane hit, exacerbating the problem. From the time it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days.²

Preparations

At noon on September 3, a hurricane watch was issued for the Leeward Islands, which at 6 p.m was upgraded to a warning. Also at 6 p.m., hurricane watches were raised for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which at 6 a.m. on the 4th, were upgraded to warnings. By 6 a.m. on the 5th, hurricane warnings were dropped for the Leeward Islands, and at 9 a.m., southwest Puerto Rico and the Virgin Island's hurricane warnings were downgraded to gale warnings. By noon, all remaining hurricane warnings for Puerto Rico were changed to gale warnings. At 7 a.m. on the 7th, hurricane conditions were considered possible for the southeast Bahamas, with preliminary caution raised for the central Bahamas. At 1:30 p.m., a hurricane watch was issued for the Florida coast from Key West to Melbourne. Routes to Fort Lauderdale Beach were blocked off prior to the storm's arrival.⁶ At 11 a.m. on the 8th, hurricane conditions were considered possible for the Cuban coast west of Cayo Romano, and hurricane watches were upgraded to hurricane warnings from Key West to Key Largo, with hurricane watches raised on the west coast northward to Fort Myers. At 5 p.m., gale warnings were issued from Key Largo to Vero Beach.⁷

On the 9th at 11 a.m., hurricane warnings were in effect for southern Florida from Fort Lauderdale to Punta Gorda, while new gale warnings were raised from Punta Gorda to St. Marks and Lake Okeechobee. At 1 p.m., a hurricane watch was in effect from Punta Gorda to Cedar Key while a hurricane watch continued between Fort Lauderdale and Melbourne. By 11 p.m., hurricane warnings were extended northward to Melbourne and Clearwater, as well as Lake Okeechobee. At 5 a.m. on the 10th, hurricane warnings were extended northward to Daytona Beach and Cedar Key. Gale warnings were issued from Daytona Beach to Savannah. At 5 p.m., gale warnings were extended northward to Myrtle Beach. At 11 p.m., hurricane warnings were lowered in the Florida Keys but extended northward from Daytona Beach to Savannah, Georgia.⁷

At 11 a.m. on the 11th, all warnings were lowered south of Vero Beach and along the Florida west coast, while hurricane warnings were extended northward from Savannah to Myrtle Beach. At 5 p.m., hurricane warnings were lowered south of Fernandina Beach, while they were extended northward to include the entire North Carolina coast. Gale warnings were issued northward to Cape May. At 9 p.m., hurricane warnings were extended northward to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while gale warnings and a hurricane watch were issued northward to Eastport, Maine. Ships at dock in Newport, Rhode Island were towed out into the bay to weather the storm.⁸ On the 12th at 5 a.m., hurricane warnings were extended northward to Eastport, and dropped south of Cape Hatteras. At 7 a.m., hurricane warnings were lowered south of Cape Charles. At 2 p.m., hurricane warnings were dropped south of Cape May. At 5 p.m., hurricane warnings were discontinued south of Manasquan, New Jersey. At 8 p.m., hurricane warnings expired south of Block Island. By 11 p.m. on September 12, all hurricane warnings had been lowered.⁹

Impact

Hurricane Donna was a very destructive storm, especially because it affected numerous countries and island groups. At least 364 people were killed by the hurricane.¹⁰

Leeward Islands

A weather station in St. Maarten reported wind gusts up to 110 mph (180 km/h) and a 952 pressure reading while St. Thomas reported a 66 kilometres per hour (41 mph) gust as the center of Donna passed 35 miles (56 km) north of the island. In Puerto Rico, Donna produced storm tides between 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m).¹

Donna killed seven people and caused minimal damage when it passed though the Virgin Islands. A large portion of eastern Puerto Rico received over 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall.⁵ Although the center of the storm was 85 miles (137 km) offshore, the outer rain bands brought heavy rains that caused serious flash flooding which killed 107 people (85 of them in Humacao).¹

Bahamas

Turks Island escaped the brunt of the hurricane, receiving only 50 to 60 miles per hour (80 to 97 km/h) winds and 12 inches (300 mm) of rain which fell in a twelve hour period. However the rest of the Bahamas were not as lucky as the hurricane tore away the anemometer in Ragged Island and forced several people to seek shelter at a missile base. North Caicos reported 20 inches (510 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours.¹¹ Despite the impact, there were no deaths and damage estimates are not available.¹

Florida

Donna was the first hurricane to affect Miami since October 1950.³ The highest sustained winds were 92 miles per hour (148 km/h) at Fort Myers and 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) at Key West.¹² Florida suffered significant losses from Donna, more than any other state. Damage in the Keys at the original point of landfall was most severe, where Donna's winds and storm surge destroyed many buildings and vessels. A storm surge of 13 feet (4.0 m) was reported at Marathon.⁵

Portions of southern and western Florida received over 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall from the hurricane.⁵ Large tracts of mangrove forest were lost in the western portion of Everglades National Park, while at least 35 percent of the white heron population in the park lost their lives.¹³ A total of 35% of the state's grapefruit crop was lost, 10% of the orange and tangerine crop was lost, and the avocado crop was almost completely destroyed. Donna was the most damaging tropical cyclone to impact Florida up to that time. The day after the storm hit, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared a disaster area from the Keys up to Central Florida.¹⁴

**Costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricanes**
Total estimated property damage, adjusted for wealth normalization¹⁵
Rank	Hurricane	Season	Cost (2005 USD)
1	“Miami”	1926	$157 billion
2	“Galveston”	1900	$99.4 billion
3	Katrina	2005	$81.0 billion
4	“Galveston”	1915	$68.0 billion
5	Andrew	1992	$55.8 billion
6	“New England”	1938	$39.2 billion
7	“Pinar del Río”	1944	$38.7 billion
8	“Okeechobee”	1928	$33.6 billion
9	Donna	1960	$26.8 billion
10	Camille	1969	$21.2 billion
Main article: List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes

Elsewhere in the East

Although weaker, Donna caused considerable and widespread damage from the Carolinas through New York. Beaufort County, South Carolina, for example, saw many trees uprooted, power lines downed, homes unroofed, piers destroyed, and significant damage to corn and soybean crops.¹⁶ Wind gusts of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) were reported from the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. Maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) with gusts of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) were reported from Long Island and Rhode Island. Storm surge values reached 11 feet (3.4 m) in New York Harbor, which wrecked area piers.¹⁷

Blue Hill Observatory in Massachusetts reported gusts to over 145 miles per hour (233 km/h).¹ The strong southwest winds associated with Donna at Chatham, in combination with very little rainfall, led to a significant deposit of salt spray which whitewashed southwest-facing windows. Many trees and shrubs saw their leaves brown due to the salt.¹⁸ A swath of 5 to 10 inches (130 to 250 mm) of rain fell from North Carolina northeast into Maine.⁵ Fifty people were reported dead in the United States, with damages totalling to $3.35 billion (2006 USD).¹⁹ Donna crossed directly over Texas Tower #4, causing severe damage to the structure.²⁰ Donna was the only hurricane to affect every state along the East Coast with hurricane-force winds.²¹

Aftermath and retirement

In Marathon, a large reconstruction program rehabilitated the key by Christmas.²² Coral reefs were damaged in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary by the hurricane.²³ Donna caused a significant negative impact on aquatic life in north Florida Bay. Marine life was either stranded by retreating salt water which had been driven inland or killed by muddied waters in its wake. Oxygen depletion due to animals perishing in the hurricane caused additional mortality. Although salinity levels returned to normal within six weeks, dissolved oxygen concentrations remained quite low for a longer time frame. Marine life was scarce for several months in areas of greatest oxygen depletion. Sports fishing in the area took a few months to recover. Juvenile pink shrimp moved from their estuarine nursery grounds into deeper water about 60 miles (97 km) offshore, where they were subsequently captured by fishermen.²⁴ A Caspian Tern was swept up the North American coast well to the north of its traditional breeding grounds, to Nova Scotia, which was witnessed four hours after the storm went by Digby Neck.²⁵

Because of its devastating impacts and the high mortality associated with the hurricane, the name Donna was retired and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again; the name was replaced by Dora in 1964.²⁶

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