On the afternoon of June 25, 1957, the Weather Bureau in New Orleans was tracking newly developed Hurricane Audrey in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Without satellite photos, the forecasters were limited to ship reports, surface observations and aircraft reconnaissance. That morning, they had been surprised to find that the system was already a hurricane with a central pressure of 989 mb and top winds of 85 knots. They reported that the storm was not yet very organized. Forecasters discounted the fact that it might intensify rapidly. After all, it was June and Gulf hurricanes are not supposed to be very bad in the first month of the hurricane season.
An afternoon reconnaissance flight revealed that the hurricane was steadily intensifying and had a central pressure of 979 mb along. They found top winds of 75 mph.
Hurricane watches were in effect along the Louisiana coast. It is interesting to me to look at the text of the actual advisories from the "old days." They were simple and to the point. A failure to communicate would be found to be the main reason that 390 people would die in Audrey.
Here is the 4 p.m. CST advisory from June 25, 1957...
NEW ORLEANS WEATHER BUREAU
HURRICANE ADVISORY NUMBER 2 AUDREY
4 PM CST JUNE 25 1957
CONTINUE THE HURRICANE WATCH ALONG THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTS.
HURRICANE AUDREY WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 AND LONGITUDE 93.5 OR ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS AT 4 PM CST...2200Z...IT CONITNUES TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY.
HIGHEST WINDS ARE ESTIMATED ABOUT 100 MPH NEAR THE CENTER AND GALES EXTEND OUTWARD 150 MILES TO NORTH AND EAST AND 50 MILES TO SOUTHWEST OF THE CENTER.
HURRICANE AUDREY IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT NORTHWARD AT ABOUT 5 MPH TONIGHT AND INCREASE IN SIZE.
TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE AND SEAS WILL BECOME ROUGH ALONG THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AND SMALL CRAFT IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. SHIPS IN THE PATH OF THIS HURRICANE SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION.
NEXT ADVISORY AT 10 PM CST.
CONNER WEATHER BUREAU NEW ORLEANS
An afternoon reconnaissance flight revealed that the hurricane was steadily intensifying and had a central pressure of 979 mb along. They found top winds of 75 mph.
Hurricane watches were in effect along the Louisiana coast. It is interesting to me to look at the text of the actual advisories from the "old days." They were simple and to the point. A failure to communicate would be found to be the main reason that 390 people would die in Audrey.
Here is the 4 p.m. CST advisory from June 25, 1957...
NEW ORLEANS WEATHER BUREAU
HURRICANE ADVISORY NUMBER 2 AUDREY
4 PM CST JUNE 25 1957
CONTINUE THE HURRICANE WATCH ALONG THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTS.
HURRICANE AUDREY WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 AND LONGITUDE 93.5 OR ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS AT 4 PM CST...2200Z...IT CONITNUES TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY.
HIGHEST WINDS ARE ESTIMATED ABOUT 100 MPH NEAR THE CENTER AND GALES EXTEND OUTWARD 150 MILES TO NORTH AND EAST AND 50 MILES TO SOUTHWEST OF THE CENTER.
HURRICANE AUDREY IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT NORTHWARD AT ABOUT 5 MPH TONIGHT AND INCREASE IN SIZE.
TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE AND SEAS WILL BECOME ROUGH ALONG THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AND SMALL CRAFT IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. SHIPS IN THE PATH OF THIS HURRICANE SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION.
NEXT ADVISORY AT 10 PM CST.
CONNER WEATHER BUREAU NEW ORLEANS