The 1953 Atlantic hurricane season was the first time an organized list of female names was used to name Atlantic storms. It officially began on June 15, and lasted until November 15, although activity occurred both before and after the season's limits. The season was active with fourteen total storms, six of which developed into hurricanes; four of the hurricanes attained major hurricane status, or a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The strongest hurricane of the season was Carol, although by the time it struck Atlantic Canada it was much weaker. Both hurricanes Barbara and Florence struck the United States; the former crossed the Outer Banks and impacted much of the east coast, and Florence struck a sparsely populated region of the Florida Panhandle without causing much damage. Bermuda was threatened by three hurricanes within two weeks. In addition to the hurricanes, Tropical Storm Alice developed in late May and left several fatalities in Cuba. The final hurricane of the season, Hazel, produced additional rainfall in Florida after previous flooding conditions. There were several unnamed storms, the last of which dissipated on December 9.
Timeline
Systems
Tropical Storm Alice
A tropical storm developed east of Nicaragua on May 25, executing a counterclockwise loop over Central America. After weakening over land, Alice re-intensified over the western Caribbean, moving over western Cuba on May 21 with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). On June 1, it entered the Gulf of Mexico, and later executed another loop off the northwest coast of Cuba. Alice quickly weakened due to a cold front, and advisories were discontinued by June 3. While near Cuba, Alice produced drought-breaking rainfall that caused flooding and several unofficial drowning deaths.
After passing near Cuba, Alice turned to the north and restrengthened to peak winds of , possibly even stronger to hurricane intensity. Alice again weakened before making landfall near Panama City Beach on June 6 as a minimal tropical storm, and dissipating shortly thereafter. Alice brought heavy rainfall to Florida, peaking at in Lake Placid. Near where it made landfall, the storm dropped light rainfall, and there were no reports of damage in the state. Alice was the first North Atlantic tropical cyclone to have a female name. It was also one of 22 tropical or subtropical cyclones on record in the month of May.
Tropical Storm Two
A tropical depression developed over southwestern Florida on July 11. It moved northeastward toward a trough across northern Florida. The depression intensified into a tropical storm on July 12 and reached peak winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). On July 15, the storm began interacting with a nearby cold front, signaling that it transitioned into an extratropical storm. On the next day, the storm brushed Nantucket with winds before the storm was absorbed by the front.
Hurricane Barbara
A tropical wave developed into Tropical Storm Barbara over the Bahamas on August 11. It intensified as it moved north-northwestward, becoming a hurricane by the next day, and reaching peak winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) just south of Cape Hatteras on August 13. Barbara moved over the Outer Banks, passing between Morehead City and Ocracoke, and it turned and accelerated to the northeast. Steadily weakening and losing tropical characteristics, the hurricane transitioned into an extratropical cyclone late on August 15. It turned northward, crossing eastern Nova Scotia and dissipating over Labrador on August 16.
Before Barbara struck the Outer Banks, officials ordered evacuations for a few islands, and several thousand tourists voluntarily left the region. Wind gusts reached at Hatteras and Nags Head. Torrential rainfall fell across the state and extended northward into Virginia, peaking at near Onley along the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Across the region, the hurricane left flooding and downed trees, some of which survived the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. Monetary damage from Barbara was estimated around $1.3 million (1953 USD, $ USD), mostly from the crop damage. Newspaper reports indicated there were seven deaths in the country; two additional deaths occurred offshore Atlantic Canada when a dory sunk.