1953 Atlantic hurricane season

1953 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	May 25, 1953
Last system dissipated	December 9, 1953
Strongest storm
Name	Carol
• Maximum winds	160 mph (260 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	929 mbar (hPa; 27.43 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	19
Total storms	14
Hurricanes	7
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)	3
Total fatalities	14+
Total damage	$3.75 million (1953 USD)
Related articles
1953 Pacific hurricane season 1953 Pacific typhoon season 1950s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
Atlantic hurricane seasons 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955

The 1953 Atlantic hurricane season was an active season, with fourteen tropical storms, six of which developed into hurricanes; four of the hurricanes attained major hurricane status (Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson scale). This was the first season in which an official list of female names was used to name storms in the basin. The season officially began on June 15,^[1] and lasted until November 15,^[2] although activity occurred both before and after the season's limits.

The strongest hurricane of the season was Carol, although by the time it struck Atlantic Canada it was much weaker. Both hurricanes Barbara and Florence struck the United States; the former crossed the Outer Banks and impacted much of the east coast, and Florence struck a sparsely populated region of the Florida Panhandle without causing much damage. Bermuda was threatened by three hurricanes within two weeks. In addition to the hurricanes, Tropical Storm Alice developed in late May and left several fatalities in Cuba. The final hurricane of the season, Hazel, produced additional rainfall in Florida after previous flooding conditions. The season's last tropical storm, Irene, dissipated north of the Lesser Antilles on December 9.