Hurricane Cleo

This article is about the 1964 hurricane, there was also a Hurricane Cleo, which reached Category 5 but never hit land, during the 1958 Atlantic hurricane season.

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Hurricane Cleo was a powerful hurricane that travelled through the Caribbean Sea and hit Florida in the summer of 1964.

Related Topics:
Caribbean Sea - Florida - 1964

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A tropical wave that exited the coast of Africa on August 15 moved westward, not organizing until around 800 nm east of Barbados on August 20. It continued west-northwestward, rapidly strengthening to a hurricane the next day. On the 22nd, Hurricane Cleo crossed Guadeloupe as a 115 mph Category 3, and continued to strengthen as it moved through the Caribbean Sea. Cleo reached her peak of 155 mph on the 23rd while south of the Dominican Republic. It maintained that intensity for a day, bringing heavy rain and winds to Hispaniola. It briefly passed over the Southwest Peninsula of Haiti, greatly disrupting the center of circulation.

Related Topics:
August 15 - Barbados - August 20 - Guadeloupe - Hispaniola - Haiti

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Cleo weakened to a Category 1 before hitting southern Cuba on the 26th. It crossed the island quickly, minimizing damage greatly. Shortly after emerging from the north coast of Cuba, Cleo restrengthened to a hurricane, having weakened to a tropical storm while over Cuba. Cleo managed to intensify to a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane before hitting the Miami, Florida area on August 27th. It weakened to a tropical storm while over Florida on the 28th. The center moved offshore between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida, but it moved back onshore near Savannah, Georgia on the 29th without any increase in intensity.

Related Topics:
Cuba - 26th - Miami, Florida - August 27 - Florida - Jacksonville - St. Augustine, Florida - Savannah, Georgia

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Cleo continued to weaken as it moved through the Carolinas, drifting through as a tropical depression. After bringing heavy rain through the area, Cleo exited into the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, Virginia, and quickly intensified to a tropical storm again on the 1st. The following day, Cleo became a hurricane again, but it remained well offshore to cause any damage. Cleo finally dissipated on the 5th northeast of Newfoundland.

Related Topics:
Norfolk, Virginia - Newfoundland

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Cleo, a Category 4 at its strongest, killed 217 people on its path of destruction. Fourteen people were killed on the island of Guadeloupe, seven in the Dominican Republic, 192 in Haiti, one in Cuba, and 3 in Virginia. Cleo caused a total of $198,495,000 in damage, 1964 dollars.

Related Topics:
Category 4 - Guadeloupe - Dominican Republic - Haiti - Cuba - Virginia

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Cleo also caused the Fort Lauderdale News, one of South Florida's biggest newspapers, to miss publishing, the only time that happened in its history.

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The name Cleo was retired and will never be used for a hurricane again; this name was replaced by Candy which was used in 1968.

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