AL, NW FL, inland GA, NC –15-16

lornajarrettblanchard September 24, 1956

–15-16 Blanchard.

–16 AP. “Flossy Gains New Force, Heads North.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL. 9-27-1956, p.1.
–16 Blanchard tally from state and locality breakouts below.
–16 Ruston Daily Leader, LA. “‘Flossy’ Still Is Considered Dangerous Storm.” 9-26-1956, p.1.
–15 Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill, London: UNC Press, 1998, p. 197.
–4 Louisiana drownings.
–4 Alabama
–? “Several deaths that resulted from accidents involving automobiles and airplanes.”
–15 Dunn, et al. “Hurricane Season of 1956.” Monthly Weather Review, Dec 1956, p. 411.
–15 Roth, David. Louisiana Hurricane History: Late 20th Century. NOAA, 6-4-2003.
–15 Williams and Duedall. Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms 1971-2001. 2002, p. 94.
–13 AP. “Flossy Swirls Into Atlantic Off S. Carolina.” News-Tribune, Fort Pierce, FL. 9-26-1956, 9.

Alabama (3)
–1 Mobile, Sep 24. Auto skidded off “rain-slickened suburban road.” Harold D. Adair.
–1 Mobile, Sep 24. Electrocution; grabbed live wire hanging between two poles.
–1 Slocomb. Pedestrian, Leamon Garrett, 58, killed by car on highway in heavy rain.

Florida (7)
–2 Jacksonville area. Drownings; wind gust hits tug and two men “toppled” overboard.
–4 Tallahassee area, Sep 24. USAF jets collide “at the height of the tempest…” Mother/children killed on ground.
–1 Tallahassee area, Sep 24. Capt. Robert D. Willerford, pilot of one of the jets.

Louisiana (4)
–4 Louisiana drownings. Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. 1998, p. 197.
–2 Gulf of Mexico 40M off Plaquemines. Drownings; motor vessel Carport.
–2 Gulf of Mexico, unidentified. “Two other persons were dead at sea…”

Mississippi (1)
–1 Columbia. Drowning; car plunged into water-filled ditch; Mrs. Vera Daniels, 45.

North Carolina (1)
–1 Charlotte AP area. Private plane “crashed and burned…while…trying to land during the storm.”

Narrative Information

National Weather Service, Mobile-Pensacola Weather Forecast Office: “Flossy began as a well-developed circulation over the Yucatan Peninsula on September 21st. The disturbance continued to organize and grow as it moved northward into the Gulf of Mexico. By the 22nd of September, Flossy strengthened into a tropical storm. Flossy continued to strengthen and gained hurricane status on the 23rd of September in 1956.

“As Flossy strengthened, it began to turn to the east-northeast and clipped the mouth of the Mississippi River in the early morning hours on the 24th of September. Flossy made a second landfall as a Category 1 Hurricane near Fort Walton Beach and Destin in far southeastern Okaloosa County, FL late in the evening on September 24th, 1956.

“Hurricane Flossy was the only hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States during the 1956 Atlantic Hurricane Season. After making landfall, Flossy quickly weakened to a tropical storm and then extratropical as it progressed east-northeast out of the area….

“Since Flossy moved along the coast before making landfall, heavy rainfall was the biggest impact across the region…An estimated 10-15 inches (with isolated higher amounts) occurred across Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Alabama and across Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties in northwest Florida. The highest rainfall amount reported across the area was 16.30 inches in Gulf Shores, AL.” (National Weather Service, Mobile-Pensacola Weather Forecast Office. “Hurricane Flossy – September 24, 1956.” September 2018 update.)

Roth: “Hurricane Flossy completely submerged Grand Isle and caused extensive coastal erosion as it moved across the Mississippi Delta. Burrwood reported winds to 90 m.p.h. and a lowest pressure of 29.03.” Rain totals reached 16.70″ at Golden Meadow. Hundreds lost their homes in the storm. Cattle were drowned and citrus, sugar cane, and pecan crops were heavily damaged. The eastern sections of the New Orleans seawall were overtopped, flooding 2.5 square miles. A storm surge of 13 feet was seen at Ostrica Lock. The storm killed 15 and $22 million in damage was produced.” (Roth, NOAA, 4 June 2003.)

Williams and Duedall: “1956 September Flossy, Cat. 1 Ft. Walton Beach [area affected, FL] 98 [peak winds] 28.93 [minimum pressure (inches)] 6.1 [maximum surge] 15 deaths with $25 million in damages. Possibly formed from storm in Pacific. Three tornadoes in Florida. (USWB 1956; Dunn and Miller 1964. ”

Newspapers

Sep 23, INS: “New Orleans (INS) – Tropical storm Flossy developed in the Gulf of Mexico late yesterday 450 miles south of New Orleans and the first Weather Bureau advisory said winds would probably reach hurricane force early today….A bulletin said:

Indications are that Flossy will intensify and probably reach hurricane force by early today. Continued northwest movement at about 12 m.p.h. is expected for the next 18 hours.

“Flossy’s highest winds are estimated at 45 to 55 m.p.h. in heavy squalls extending 350 miles to the east and north of the storm’s center….Flossy is the third disturbance to develop in the Gulf.”
(INS. “Hurricane Flossy Now in the Gulf.” Sarasota News, FL. 9-23-1956, p. 3.)

Sep 24, UP: “New Orleans – UP – Hurricane Flossy left two dead and a trail of foundered ships in the Gulf today and thundered across open water in the direction of the Alabama-Florida coast with winds of 100 miles an hour. At least 47 persons were clinging to ships or oil drilling rigs in the storm – tormented waters of the Gulf, Flossy sideswiped New Orleans, 65 miles northwest of her middle, without causing major damage.

“The latest advisory on the hurricane, issued by the New Orleans weather bureau at 11 a.m. placed Flossy’s center 80 miles southwest of Pensacola, Fla. The howler was moving to the east-northeast at 12 miles an hour.

“The year’s sixth tropical hurricane drove thousands from their homes in Plaquemines parish, the low finger pointed to the southeast on the Louisiana coast, and in Mississippi.

“One crew member drowned and another died trying to save him when Flossy raked the motor vessel Carport. Eighteen men and two women rode out the storm on the ship 40 miles off the southern tip of Plaquemines.

“The weather bureau predicted the main force of the blow would smack the coast between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Fla., this afternoon or tonight. Highest winds were concentrated near the center but gales howled for 150 miles outward….

“Flossy whipped in from the Gulf [from the west] across the southern end of Plaquemines at 80 miles an hour then quickly shifted into high gear again over the open sea….” (United Press. “Flossy Thunders Toward Alabama-Florida.” Monroe News-Star, LA. 9-24-1956, p. 1.)

Sep 25, UP: “Panama City, Fla. UP – Hurricane Flossy, blamed for a four-death jet collision tragedy and two lives lost in the Gulf of Mexico, smashed today across waterlogged south Alabama and Georgia pine county.

“The killer storm which slammed against the northwest Florida coast with winds up to 100 miles per hour Monday night began rapidly to lose its punch overland, but started to dump an expected six-inch rainfall.

“Two jets in flight from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., at the height of the tempest Monday night slammed together in the turbulent air and crashed, one striking a home and killing a mother and her three children. One flier emerged with injuries from the wrecked dwelling but the other plane disappeared with its pilot. A search party set out from Tyndall for the crash scene a short distance north of Tallahassee, Fla.

“The Navy rescued two seamen from a super-secret mine laboratory barge when it beached off Panama City late Monday night with winds raging 60 miles per hour. The seamen, Charlie Currenton and James H. Robinson, both 38, had ridden out the storm in the buffeted craft which broke from its anchorage 12 miles out in the gulf. After a Navy tug and a helicopter tried in vain to take the men off while it was tossed in winds up to 90 miles per hour the barge finally beached and the men pulled themselves to safety on a life line.

“One of Flossy’s victims died when his auto skidded off a rain-swept highway at Mobile, Ala.

“Two other persons were dead at sea and an estimated 50 were reported still unaccounted for along Flossy’s 250-mile coastal wake from the Mississippi Delta.

“Since hitting land early Monday Flossy had drive upwards of 10,000 persons from their homes, mostly in the heavily flooded delta area south of New Orleans….” (United Press. “Flossy Hits Alabama, Georgia. Killer Storm Losing Punch.” Monroe News Star, LA. 9-25-1956, pp.1-2.)

Sep 26, AP: “Washington, Sept. 26 (AP) – Tropical storm Floss, gathering force anew, moved toward the New York-New England coast tonight. Already the cause of at least 16 deaths, almost a score of persons missing and millions of dollars in property damage, Flossy posed a new threat of heavy rains and possible flood times. Heading northeast from off the shore of Wilmington, N.C., Flossy picked up strength. Winds of 35 miles an hour, with gusts up to 50 m.p.h. were preceding the storm center. Storm warnings were displayed from Cape Hatteras, N.C., as far north as Provincetown, Mass., including Long Island Sound and Chesapeake and Delaware bays….”
(AP. “Flossy Gains New Force, Heads North.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL. 9-27-1956, p.1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Flossy Gains New Force, Heads North.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL. 9-27-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-21-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-herald-tribune-sep-27-1956-p-1/

Associated Press. “Hurricane Flossy Heads Toward N.W. Florida.” Fort Pierce News-Tribune, FL. 9-24-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-21-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fort-pierce-news-tribune-sep-24-1956-p-1/

Associated Press. “Hurricane Flossy Subsides. Rains Ease Georgia Drought.” Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. 9-25-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-22-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/thomasville-times-enterprise-sep-25-1956-p-1/

Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998.

Dunn, Gordon E., Walter R. Davis, and Paul L. Moore (Weather Bureau Office, Miami, FL). “Hurricane Season of 1956.” Monthly Weather Review, Dec 1956, pp. 436-443. Accessed 3-21-2023 at: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/mwr_pdf/1956.pdf

INS (International News Service) “Hurricane Flossy Now in the Gulf.” Sarasota News, FL. 9-23-1956, p.3. Accessed 3-21-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-news-sep-23-1956-p-3/

National Weather Service, Mobile-Pensacola Weather Forecast Office. “Hurricane Flossy – September 24, 1956.” September 2018 update. Accessed 3-21-2023 at: https://www.weather.gov/mob/flossy

Roth, David. Louisiana Hurricane History: Late 20th Century. Lake Charles, LA: National Weather Service Forecast Office Lake Charles, LA, NOAA, 6-4-2003 modification. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/research/lalate20hur.php

Ruston Daily Leader, LA. “‘Flossy’ Still Is Considered Dangerous Storm.” 9-26-1956, p. 1. Accessed 3-21-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ruston-daily-leader-sep-26-1956-p-1/

Sarasota Herald Tribune. “4 Killed As Flossy Hits N.W. Florida (continued from p.1).” 9-25-1956, p. 2. Accessed 3-21-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-herald-tribune-sep-25-1956-p-2/

United Press. “Flossy Hits Alabama, Georgia. Killer Storm Losing Punch.” Monroe News Star, LA. 9-25-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-21-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/monroe-news-star-sep-25-1956-p-1/

United Press. “Flossy Thunders Toward Alabama-Florida.” Monroe News-Star, LA. 9-24-1956, p. 1. Accessed 3-21-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/monroe-morning-world-sep-24-1956-p-1/

Williams, John M. and Iver W. Duedall. Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms 1971-2001. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2002.