 Surface weather analysis map showing Fox on October 24 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 20, 1952 |
| Dissipated | October 28, 1952 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 145 mph (230 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 934mbar (hPa); 27.58 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 601 |
| Damage | $10 million (1952USD) |
| Areas affected | Cayman Islands,Cuba, southeast Florida,the Bahamas |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the1952 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Fox was a powerful, destructive, and deadlytropical cyclone that crossed centralCuba in October 1952. The seventhnamed storm, sixth hurricane, and thirdmajor hurricane of the1952 Atlantic hurricane season, it was the strongest and deadliest system of the season. Fox developed northwest ofCartagena, Colombia, in the southernCaribbean Sea. It moved steadily northwest, intensifying to a tropical storm on October 21. The next day, it rapidly strengthened into a hurricane and turned north passing closely toGrand Cayman,Cayman Islands.[1] The cyclone attained peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) as it struck Cayo Guano del Este off the coast ofCienfuegos. Fox madelandfall on Cuba at maximum intensity on October 24, producing peak gusts of 170–180 mph (270–290 km/h). It weakened over land, but it re-strengthened as it turned east over the Bahamas. On October 26, it weakened and took an erratic path, dissipating west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.
Fox was the second most intense hurricane to strike Cuba untilHurricane Michelle in2001. It was originally believed to have been the second Category 4 hurricane in Cuba prior to theAtlantic hurricane reanalysis. At the time, the cyclone produced the fourth lowest pressure in a landfalling Cuban hurricane; only the1917,1924, and1932 hurricanes were more intense.Hurricane Irma would later join that list in 2017. Hurricane Fox killed 600 people across the island, causing severe crop damages in rural areas. The hurricane also ruined 30 percent of the tomato crops on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Across the archipelago, Fox produced wind gusts in excess of 110 mph (180 km/h). Total damages reached $10 million in Cuba. Fox was the second hurricane to land during the season, after Hurricane Able struck South Carolina.[2]
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionOn October 20, a tropical depression formed in the Caribbean Sea, 170 miles (270 km) northwest of Cartagena, Colombia.[3] Fox is believed to have developed from alow-pressure area in theIntertropical Convergence Zone, though it was not operationally detected until October 21.[2] The system steadily advanced northwest and it gradually intensified. On October 21, areconnaissance mission flew into the system, reporting sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h) and gusts to 55 mph (89 km/h).[4] At the time, the system is estimated to have strengthened to Tropical Storm Fox.[3] The cyclone continued to deepen, and it reached the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on theSaffir–Simpson scale, 120 miles (190 km) southeast of theSwan Islands, Honduras.[3] The hurricanerapidly intensified and turned north on October 23, strengthening to attain winds which correspond to a modern-day major hurricane, a storm ofCategory 3 status or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The Hurricane passed closely toGrand Cayman,Cayman Islands.[1] Late on October 24, the cyclone struck the small island of Cayo Guano del Estes in theArchipelago de los Canarreos, south of Cienfuegos.[2] Maximum sustained winds were near 145 mph (233 km/h),[3] and the island's weather station recorded a minimum pressure of 934 mbar (27.6 inHg).[2] The cyclone crossed the mainland coast of Cuba west of Cienfuegos,[2] and it weakened as it crossed the island.[3]
Early on October 25, Hurricane Fox entered the Atlantic Ocean.[3] It crossed centralAndros and turned east across the Bahamas.[3] On October 26, the hurricane briefly re-intensified[3] as it crossedCat Island.[5] The center became ill-defined,[5] and the cyclone quickly weakened.[3] It turned north and then took an erratic northeast turn as it weakened to a tropical storm on October 27.[3] The system gainedextratropical characteristics as it merged with a polarfrontal boundary,[2] and it dissipated west-southwest ofBermuda on October 28.[3]
Advisories, along with coordination between the National Observatory at Havana and U.S. Weather Bureau, were credited for the reduced deaths in Cuba. Weather observations were also readily available from Cuban meteorological stations.[2] On October 25, the cyclone's hurricane-force winds were expected to remain off the Florida east coast, although gale-force winds were anticipated from theFlorida Keys toPalm Beach, Florida. Accordingly,storm warnings were issued fromKey West, Florida toVero Beach, Florida.[6] Military aircraft were transported to safer locations, while watercraft were stored in harbors and rivers.[6] Hotels and resorts were boarded up on the barrier islands.[7] The Bahamas received warnings well in advance of the hurricane.[8] The hurricane turned quickly to the east, which reduced the threat toBimini,Cat Cay,Grand Bahama, and theAbaco Islands.[9]
| Precipitation | Storm | Location | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | mm | in | |||
| 1 | 1,447.8 | 57.00 | Flora 1963 | Miragoâne | [10] |
| 2 | 654.8 | 25.78 | Noel 2007 | Camp Perrin | [11] |
| 3 | 604.5 | 23.80 | Matthew 2016 | Anse-á-Veau | [12] |
| 4 | 410.0 | 16.14 | Lili 2002 | Camp Perrin | [13] |
| 5 | 323.0 | 12.72 | Hanna 2008 | Camp Perrin | [14] |
| 6 | 273.0 | 10.75 | Gustav 2008 | Camp Perrin | [15] |
| 7 | 168.0 | 6.614 | Laura 2020 | Port-Au-Prince | [16] |
| 8 | 65.0 | 2.56 | Fox 1952 | Ouanaminthe | [17] |
An aircraft flight into the storm experienced severe turbulence, and wind driven rain reportedly stripped paint from the plane's surfaces.[2]
As a result of the storm, 70 people were injured in Cuba. Severe damage to properties and crops occurred in rural areas.[2][18] InZulueta, 30 structures were destroyed, while a Japanese freighter was washed ashore on the reefs near Cayo Breton. The crew survived,[19] though another ship was disabled during the storm.[18] The fringes of the storm produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, flooding low areas and causing several rivers to overflow their banks.[19] Strong winds uprooted large trees in Santa Isabel, and winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) were reported in the city of Cienfuegos.[19] In Aguada de Pasajeros, 600 buildings were demolished, while 36 of 261 sugar mills across the island were damaged by Hurricane Fox.[2] In all, Hurricane Fox killed 600 people[20] in Cuba and caused $10 million in damages.[21]
The cyclone produced peak winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) inNassau, Bahamas, causing no reported damage.[9] Crops were damaged by high winds and heavy precipitation onEleuthera. About 30 percent of the tomato crops were destroyed during the storm.[2] A man who attempted to secretly seed and weaken the storm was missing and presumed dead after his plane disappeared offMiami, Florida. Multiple searches by the Coast Guard were unsuccessful.[22][23]
In the early 1950s, Atlantic tropical cyclones were named via theJoint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. Hurricane Fox of 1952 was the final Atlantic tropical cyclone to be designated with this naming system, and a female list of tropical cyclone names was utilized in the1953 Atlantic hurricane season.[24] After the stronger 1917 Pinar del Río hurricane, Hurricane Fox was Cuba's second most intense landfall until Hurricane Michelle struck the island in 2001.[3] Originally, the 1917 hurricane was believed to have been a Category 3 hurricane prior to the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis, which made Fox the second Category 4 landfall after the1932 Cuba Hurricane.[25] At the time, Fox was the fourth most intense hurricane to strike Cuba in terms of atmospheric pressure; only the 1917, 1924, and 1932 storms were stronger at one point in their life spans.[26]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
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