Audrey Anniversary

[DPTX]

Audrey was the first hurricane I remember and I did not go through it. My family lived in Port Arthur but we had gone to San Antonio to visit relatives. I remember getting up and when we went to breakfast the newspaper headlines read "Port Arthur wiped off the map." It wasn't Port Arthur, but Cameron, LA. We headed for home. We started seeing signs of the high winds as soon as we got east of Houston. There was more and more evidence of a storm the closer we got to home. We had very little damage to our house but I will always remember that trip home. Audrey did so much damage and changed so many lives. The summer of 1957 will always be remembered.

[Alyono]

I'm wondering if Audrey was similar to Hurricane Alex in 2010.

I've had my thoughts on that as well. However, the Jarinen study said it had a larger RMW than Alex.

I wonder if the thing with Audrey was it had a LARGE area of hurricane force winds and that areas that experienced the winds did so for 8-12 hours? To put it in perspectve, that would bring gusts as high as 115 mph... so it could be 8-12 hours of a strong EF1 or EF2 tornado!

[vbhoutex]

I'm wondering if Audrey was similar to Hurricane Alex in 2010.

I've had my thoughts on that as well. However, the Jarinen study said it had a larger RMW than Alex.

I wonder if the thing with Audrey was it had a LARGE area of hurricane force winds and that areas that experienced the winds did so for 8-12 hours? To put it in perspectve, that would bring gusts as high as 115 mph... so it could be 8-12 hours of a strong EF1 or EF2 tornado!

This discussion shores up the need for education about past storms and what they did and what similar Hurricanes can do. I am, to say the least, a veteran of many TS and several Hurricanes having lived on the Gulf Coast for 5+ decades. I knew Audrey was bad and caused horrible destruction and death, but I thought she was a "small" Hurricane similar in size to Humberto. Guess I learned something today.
LaBreeze, I like how you keep the memory of your little sister going and try to use it to help others. What a wonderful tribute!

[DPTX]

Audrey occurred before we had satellites and the use of radar for weather forecasting. If a storm similar to Audrey occurred today there would be better warning systems in place. It is important that all of us remember past storms, the lives lost, and have a plan in place in case we area in an area that is threatened.

[CrazyC83]

Emotions can get to the best of people. After Katrina, a lot of us were sure it was a Cat 5 at landfall seeing what it did. But we have seen meteorology and are better now at knowing it doesn't take an extreme intensity to cause catastrophic damage.

I'm also of the belief Audrey was not a major hurricane, it might have been a Cat 2 at most. Not sure the source of the 946mb pressure reading in Audrey (lowest I know of on land was 955, so guessing about 952) and given the size, 952mb would be about 85-90 kt.

[Aric Dunn]

I'm wondering if Audrey was similar to Hurricane Alex in 2010.

I've had my thoughts on that as well. However, the Jarinen study said it had a larger RMW than Alex.

I wonder if the thing with Audrey was it had a LARGE area of hurricane force winds and that areas that experienced the winds did so for 8-12 hours? To put it in perspectve, that would bring gusts as high as 115 mph... so it could be 8-12 hours of a strong EF1 or EF2 tornado!

though not related. I have chased a good amount of storms.. Frances if in the gulf would have been horrendous.. I measured along with the other chaser in a different vehicle of sustained hurricane force winds for 14 hours..

[HurricaneBill]

though not related. I have chased a good amount of storms.. Frances if in the gulf would have been horrendous.. I measured along with the other chaser in a different vehicle of sustained hurricane force winds for 14 hours..

Let's not forget Keith in 2000. Didn't some islands off of Belize get hurricane force winds for around 24 hours? I thought Keith parked himself just offshore and some islands were stuck in the eyewall.

[CrazyC83]

though not related. I have chased a good amount of storms.. Frances if in the gulf would have been horrendous.. I measured along with the other chaser in a different vehicle of sustained hurricane force winds for 14 hours..

Let's not forget Keith in 2000. Didn't some islands off of Belize get hurricane force winds for around 24 hours? I thought Keith parked himself just offshore and some islands were stuck in the eyewall.

That's indeed correct, they were stuck in the eyewall. Keith weakened to a tropical storm before landfall, but had the impact of a Cat 4 for a few areas.

[Alyono]

Heard from my grandmother who survived Audrey something disturbing.

The Air Force apparently tried to evacuate people the day before and people refused to leave, thinking the storm would not be so bad

This appears to always be the case. Lesson, evacuate if ordered!

[HurricaneBill]

Heard from my grandmother who survived Audrey something disturbing.

The Air Force apparently tried to evacuate people the day before and people refused to leave, thinking the storm would not be so bad

This appears to always be the case. Lesson, evacuate if ordered!

I read somewhere that people thought they had at least another day to prepare. Others thought Audrey would veer east like Flossy did in 1956.

[Alyono]

Heard from my grandmother who survived Audrey something disturbing.

The Air Force apparently tried to evacuate people the day before and people refused to leave, thinking the storm would not be so bad

This appears to always be the case. Lesson, evacuate if ordered!

I read somewhere that people thought they had at least another day to prepare. Others thought Audrey would veer east like Flossy did in 1956.

In short... if ordered to evacuate, DO SO