| 1942 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | August 3, 1942 |
| Last system dissipated | November 11, 1942 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | "Matagorda" |
| • Maximum winds | 115 mph (185 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 950 mbar (hPa; 28.05 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 13 |
| Total storms | 11 |
| Hurricanes | 4 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 1 |
| Total fatalities | 17 |
| Total damage | $30.6 million (1942 USD) |
| Related articles | |
The 1942 Atlantic hurricane season was one of seven seasons to feature multiple hurricane landfalls in Texas.[1] The season officially lasted from June 16, 1942, to October 31, 1942.[2] These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. A total of 11 tropical storms from 1943 are listed in the Atlantic hurricane database, with two additional tropical depressions. The first system of the year, a tropical depression, developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on June 3, while the last system, the Belize hurricane, dissipated over the Yucatán Peninsula on November 11. After the depression dissipated on June 3, the season remained dormant until the next system developed two months later. In mid-August, a hurricane struck Texas, causing about $790,000 (1942 USD) in damage.[nb 1]
The most significant tropical cyclone of the season, known as the Matagorda hurricane, developed on August 23. After striking the Yucatán Peninsula, the storm entered the Gulf of Mexico and intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on Saffir–Simpson scale, becoming the only major hurricane of the season.[nb 2] The hurricane devastated southern Texas, with damage as far inland as San Antonio. Eight fatalities and about $26.5 million in damage were reported. Several of the proceeding tropical systems left little impact on land, though the remnants of the ninth tropical storm contributed to severe flooding in Virginia. In November, a hurricane caused extensive impact in several coastal communities of Belize (then known as British Honduras). The hurricane left nine deaths and about $4 million in damage.
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 66 units,[3] below the 1931–1943 average of 91.2.[4] ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here.[3]
- ^ Chronological List of All Hurricanes: 1851 – 2016. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ "Weather Bureau Goes On 24-Hour Schedule For 'Hurricane Season'". Port Arthur News. June 1942.
- ^ a b c "Comparison of Original and Revised HURDAT". Hurricane Research Division. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. September 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ Christopher W. Landsea; et al. (August 15, 2014). "A Reanalysis of the 1931–43 Atlantic Hurricane Database" (PDF). Journal of Climate. 27 (16). Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: 6111. Bibcode:2014JCli...27.6093L. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00503.1. S2CID 1785238. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
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