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= Hurricane Camille =
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Introduction
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Hurricane Camille was one of the most powerful hurricanes to make
landfall in the United States when it hit southern Mississippi in
August 1969. A devastating tropical cyclone, Camille was one of four
Atlantic hurricanes to strike the United States as a Category 5 on the
Saffir-Simpson scale, the highest category corresponding to maximum
sustained winds of at least 157 mph. The third named storm of the 1969
Atlantic hurricane season, Camille originated as a tropical depression
on August 14 south of Cuba from a long-tracked tropical wave. Amid
favorable conditions for development, Camille strengthened and struck
western Cuba the next day as a hurricane. Upon entering the Gulf of
Mexico on August 16, Camille strengthened further, first into a major
hurricane, and then into a Category 5 hurricane, late on August 16.
After briefly weakening, the hurricane intensified as it approached
the northern gulf coastline. Early on August 18 as it moved ashore
near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Camille attained maximum sustained
winds of 175 miles per hour (280 kilometres per hour), and a minimum
pressure of 900 millibars (26.58 inches of mercury). Throughout the
United States, Camille killed at least 343 people. This included 55
indirect fatalities, mostly from cardiovascular failure. The hurricane
also caused at least $1.42 billion in damages in the United States,
making it the country's most expensive hurricane at the time,
surpassing 1965's Hurricane Betsy.
Before entering the Gulf of Mexico, Camille brought high winds and
caused major river flooding to parts of Cuba, killing at least five
people. After the hurricane entered the Gulf of Mexico, the United
States Weather Bureau issued widespread hurricane warnings and watches
from Louisiana to Florida. Off the coast, Camille's strong winds
produced high waves that destroyed three oil platforms and flooded
several others. In southern Mississippi where it moved ashore, the
hurricane produced the largest storm surge in American history at the
time, with a peak water level of 24.6 ft recorded at Pass Christian;
it was later surpassed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm surge
and high winds caused tremendous damage, flattening nearly everything
along the Mississippi coast and portions of southeast Louisiana. The
winds devastated the region's agriculture, and contributed to the end
of tung oil production in the United States. In Mississippi, 172
people died, while another nine died in Louisiana.
The hurricane weakened quickly as it pushed inland, falling below
hurricane strength north of Jackson, Mississippi, and weakening
further to a tropical depression over Tennessee. In parts of
Mississippi and Tennessee, the rains helped end drought conditions.
However, as Camille tracked through the Ohio Valley as a tropical
depression, it generated severe thunderstorms that led to a cloudburst
over parts of Virginia. The highest rainfall total was 27 in, recorded
in a trash barrel near Massies Mill; this was the highest rainfall
recorded in the state related to a tropical cyclone. The rains led to
damaging floods across the Appalachian Mountains, killing over 153
people in Virginia and another two in West Virginia. After emerging
into the western Atlantic Ocean, Camille restrengthened to a strong
tropical storm before becoming extratropical on August 22. The name
Camille was retired following the 1969 hurricane season.
Meteorological history
======================================================================
Hurricane Camille's precursor was a tropical wave that emerged off the
coast of West Africa near Dakar, Senegal, on August 5, 1969. The wave
moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean, tracked by satellite
imagery. On August 9, the associated thunderstorms concentrated into a
circular area of convection while located about 500 mi (800 km) east
of the Lesser Antilles. On the next day, the wave moved through the
island chain and continued into the Caribbean Sea. By August 13, its
convection spread from near Jamaica to the northeast through the
Bahamas, although there was no evidence of a closed circulation. The
thunderstorm developed banding features, and although it is unclear
exactly when tropical cyclogenesis occurred, a tropical depression
formed around 00:00 UTC on August 14. At the time, it was located
roughly halfway between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The depression
intensified into a tropical storm within six hours of its formation.
At 17:00 on August 14, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) initiated
advisories on Camille as the third named tropical storm of the season.
The development was confirmed when the Hurricane Hunters observed an
intensifying tropical storm on August 14 with winds of 60 mph (95
km/h), located about 50 mi west-northwest of Grand Cayman. Upon being
classified as a tropical storm, Camille was located within an area
conducive to further strengthening, with light wind shear and warm,
moist air coming from the south. The outflow to the north was
amplified by a cold core low over the Mississippi Valley, while a
narrow ridge of high pressure existed northeast of the storm. The NHC
later wrote that "it was apparent almost from the outset that Camille
would be an explosively deepening storm."
The newly formed tropical storm attained hurricane status by 06:00 on
August 15, making it the second hurricane of the season. Camille moved
northwestward toward western Cuba, described by the NHC as "small but
potent", as it was tracked by radar from Havana. Late on August 15,
the hurricane attained its first peak intensity, with maximum
sustained winds of 110 mph. At 22:00 that day, Camille struck western
Cuba between Cape San Antonio and Guane, and it weakened slightly over
land. By early on August 16, the hurricane had emerged into the Gulf
of Mexico. Initially, the NHC anticipated that Camille would turn to
the north and northeast, forecasting that the hurricane would
eventually move ashore the Florida panhandle. Instead, Camille
continued northwestward and resumed its rapid intensification trend
after leaving Cuba. For about 18 hours, the Hurricane Hunters provided
radar imagery of the center of Camille, but were unable to make direct
observations of the hurricane's center, partly due to Camille's small
eye. Camille's structure evolved further as strong feeder rainbands
developed in each direction. The hurricane's eye contracted to a
diameter of less than 10 mi, equating to a 9 mile (15 km) radius of
maximum winds. Late on August 16, Camille attained peak winds of 175
mph (280 km/h), while located about 300 mi (490 km) west of Key West,
Florida. This made it a Category 5 on the modern-day Saffir-Simpson
scale, the highest category on the scale corresponding to maximum
sustained winds of at least 157 mph. The intensity was based on
observations from the Hurricane Hunters, which initially had
difficulty measuring the intensity in the eye due to the small size. A
dropsonde released during reconnaissance recorded a minimum
atmospheric pressure of 908 mbar, which at the time was the lowest
pressure recorded by reconnaissance aircraft. A dropsonde from another
flight around 00:00 on August 17 recorded a slightly deeper central
pressure of 905 mb.
As it continued toward the Gulf Coast of the United States, Camille
maintained a small eye, which began to undergo an eyewall replacement
cycle. Observations from the Hurricane Hunters indicated that Camille
weakened, dropping to Category 4 status late on August 17. Dropsonde
data from the flight indicated a central pressure of 919 mb, before
the plane was forced to end its mission early due to a damaged engine.
Camille subsequently re-intensified as it neared the coast. From
02:30–03:30 on August 18, the hurricane moved across marshlands in St.
Bernard Parish, Louisiana, while the center of Camille remained just
offshore the state. At 04:30 that day, Camille made landfall at
Waveland, Mississippi, with peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). The NHC
originally assessed that Camille was even stronger at landfall, with
estimated sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h), before a reanalysis
in 2014 was completed. As Camille moved ashore, an observer in Bay St.
Louis measured a minimum pressure of 904 mb on the edge of the eye.
The reanalysis concluded that Camille made landfall with a minimum
central pressure of 900 mb.
Within 14 hours of moving ashore, Camille weakened to tropical storm
status, as the track shifted to the north. It curved around the
western periphery of the ridge near Bermuda. At 10:00 on August 18,
the NHC discontinued advisories while the center of Camille was
located near Jackson, Mississippi. After moving across Mississippi,
the storm weakened into a tropical depression over Tennessee on August
19, by which time Camille began a turn to the northeast. By this time,
the track was influenced by a stationary cold front that extended from
Nebraska to North Dakota. On August 20, the circulation accelerated
eastward, moving through parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, and later
Virginia. After moving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, Camille began
to re-intensify despite still being over land as it encountered an
area of higher moisture content. Late on August 20, it emerged into
the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, and by 18:00 that day Camille
regained tropical storm intensity. By this time, the storm began
influencing the track of Hurricane Debbie over the central Atlantic,
causing the latter storm to pass east of any land areas. On August 21,
Camille reached a secondary peak intensity of 70 mph (110 km/h), as it
accelerated to the northeast. On August 22, Camille was affected by
cooler, drier air, and it weakened over the north Atlantic Ocean
before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone. Later that day,
the circulation became absorbed by a cold front while located south of
Newfoundland.
Records
=========
Camille produced the eighth–lowest official sea level pressure ever
recorded in the Atlantic basin, at 900 mb. This was also its landfall
pressure; the only hurricane to hit the United States with a lower
pressure at landfall was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. The wind
speed of Camille can only be approximated, as no meteorological
equipment survived the extreme conditions at landfall, but a
reanalysis in April 2014 estimated that Camille had maximum sustained
winds of 175 mph. As of 2018, Camille was one of only four Category 5
Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall on the continental United States
at that intensity. The others were the 1935 Labor Day hurricane,
Hurricane Andrew of 1992, and Hurricane Michael of 2018.
When Camille moved ashore Mississippi, it produced the highest storm
surge recorded in the continental United States at the time. The
powerful waves destroyed most tidal gauges near the coast. Based on
the debris levels in Pass Christian, Camille produced tides as high as
24.6 ft. The high water mark for an enclosed building was 22.6 ft
above mean sea level, recorded at a Veterans of Foreign Wars building
in town. Camille's record storm surge was later surpassed by Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, which produced a high water mark of 27.8 ft, also in
Pass Christian.
After moving across the south-central United States, Camille dropped
torrential rainfall in central Virginia. The highest observed rainfall
was 27 in, recorded in a trash barrel near Massies Mill that had been
emptied before the rains began. This was the highest rainfall recorded
in the state from a tropical cyclone.
Naming background
===================
In the 1960s, there were four lists of feminine given names used for
Atlantic hurricanes, with each list being used every fourth year. The
practice of retiring hurricane names was meant to be temporary, with
the guideline that a name be retired for ten years. When the name
Carla was retired in 1961, it was replaced on the 1965 list with
Carol, a name retired in 1954 when its namesake devastated New
England. Since over a decade had passed, Carol was eligible for reuse.
Carol entered the 1969 list, but scientists from the National
Hurricane Research Laboratory (NHRL) asked the naming committee in
January 1969 to permanently retire Carol, Edna, and Hazel since papers
were still being written about the storms. The committee agreed but
needed a replacement "C" name. Banner Miller, a member of the National
Hurricane Research Laboratory, suggested 'Camille', named after the
daughter of NHC worker John Hope. Camille had carried out a research
project for school and impressed Miller. "We kept it quiet for many
years," Camille said in an interview .
Preparations
======================================================================
Shortly after Camille formed, the National Hurricane Center advised
residents on the Isle of Pines and in western Cuba to prepare for
gale-force winds, heavy rains, and rising tides. The agency also
recommended small boats to remain in harbor. The threat of the storm
prompted officials to evacuate thousands along the western coast of
Cuba and on the Isle of Pines to higher ground. On the Isle of Pines,
10,000 cattle and 6,000 turkeys were moved to safer areas.
On August 14 upon Camille's first advisories, the Weather Bureau
alerted the Army Corps Mobile District about a possible hurricane
emergency in a few days. This gave days of warning to move offshore
barges and other vessels to safer harbor. Power companies also began
making plans upon the hurricane's formation, such as gathering
electric repair workers from nearby states to be ready. Beginning on
August 15, the NHC warned small boats not to sail far from the
southern Florida coasts, and later that day extended the same warnings
to mariners along the Florida panhandle and Alabama coast. The
agency's initial forecasts anticipated that Camille would move farther
east than the hurricane's eventual track. On August 16, the NHC issued
a hurricane watch between Biloxi, Mississippi, to St. Marks, Florida.
Part of the region was upgraded to a hurricane warning between Fort
Walton Beach and St. Marks. The hurricane warning was extended
westward, first to Biloxi, and later to Grand Isle, Louisiana, giving
residents about 15 hours of notice before landfall. The NHC warned for
the potential of coastal flooding, heavy rainfall, tornadoes, strong
winds, and 15 to storm tides along the Mississippi coast.
Ahead of the storm, workers at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) and the
Naval Construction Battalion Center prepared by boarding up windows,
securing vents, and moving outdoor furniture, before moving to the
bases' shelters. All aircraft, including 17 T-28 Trojans and five C-47
Skytrains, were flown to Perrin Air Force Station in Texas to avoid
the hurricane. The Weather Bureau issued evacuation warnings on August
17 between Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama. About
200,000 people evacuated their homes in Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana. The evacuees utilized hotels, the houses of friends and
relatives, or the 263 shelters across the region. Among the evacuees
were about 99% of residents along the Mississippi gulf coast below an
elevation of 20 ft. Police officers and volunteers helped warn
residents of the approaching storm, while television and radio
stations broadcast alerts. Complications during evacuations included
residents' skepticism of the predicted 190 mph winds or 20 ft storm
tide, as well as confusion over the hurricane's anticipated landfall.
Television coverage for the New Orleans media market underplayed the
specifics of the impacts, while a few radio stations broadcast
outdated weather reports. Several people were arrested for refusing to
evacuate, while other residents stayed behind, riding out the storm in
their attics. As winds picked up, the mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi,
ordered all prisoners to be released from the city jail but none would
leave. More than 44,000 people sheltered in Mississippi, including
about 15,000 people who stayed at Keesler AFB. Nearly all of
Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes in Louisiana were evacuated by
the time Camille moved ashore, with shelters segregated by race.
After Camille weakened and moved inland, local weather bureau offices
continued to monitor the storm, expecting that the remnants would
reach western Pennsylvania. The only nearby weather radar stations
were in Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., too far away to
detect the thunderstorms in western Virginia. Weather forecasters only
predicted upwards of 2 in of rainfall for the region. Due to the lack
of real-time rainfall information, forecasters were unable to issue
flood warnings in mountainous regions of Virginia. Downed telephone
lines prevented reports from reaching the weather bureau office,
leaving most communities unaware of the flood threat. Local police and
volunteers warned people about the floods and assisted in evacuations.
In Covington, the city evacuated due to a water gauge recording
system, set up in 1958. Similarly, Buena Vista residents were able to
evacuate due to reports from the river gauges. Richmond had about 24
hours of warning before the arrival of the floods. The city was able
to implement its flood disaster plan, which included closing dikes and
evacuating low-lying areas.
Impact
======================================================================
Effects of Hurricane Camille by area
Country Deaths Damage (USD)
Cuba |align="center"| |align="center"| |
United States |align="center"| > |align="center"| |
Mississippi |align="center"| |align="center"| |
Louisiana |align="center"| |align="center"| |
Virginia |align="center"| > |align="center"| |
Offshore Gulf of Mexico |align="center"| |align="center"| |
Alabama |align="center"| |align="center"| |
West Virginia |align="center"| |align="center"| |
|Florida align="center" |0 align="center" |$500,000 |
Total |align="center"| >348 |align="center"| |colspan="4"|
Because of differing sources, totals may not match.
Hurricane Camille produced a variety of effects from the Caribbean to
the Mid-Atlantic states. The NHC stated that Camille "[ranked] as the
most destructive of all hurricanes." The total U.S. estimated cost of
damage was $1,420,750,000, which made Camille the country's costliest
hurricane at the time, slightly surpassing 1965's Hurricane Betsy when
unadjusted for inflation. Throughout the United States, Camille killed
343 people, including 288 directly, across Mississippi, Louisiana,
Virginia, and West Virginia. There were many indirect deaths after the
storm. A 2016 examination of death certificates in Mississippi and
Virginia identified 55 indirect fatalities, most of them from
cardiovascular failure. In addition, a plane crashed during takeoff at
New Orleans' Lakefront Airport, killing four people, while carrying
supplies to the Mississippi coast. More than 9,000 people were injured
by the hurricane.
Along the United States gulf coast, Camille had a variety of damaging
effects that impacted agriculture, housing, transportation, and
utilities. From Alabama to Louisiana, the hurricane left an estimated
200,000 people homeless. From Louisiana to Mobile Bay, all Coast Guard
buoys were moved or damaged, which disrupted navigation and cost $1.2
million to repair. The powerful waves submerged and eroded nearly all
of the barrier islands offshore Mississippi and Alabama. Pelican
Island, located off Alabama's Dauphin Island, completely disappeared
following the hurricane. The waves cut Mississippi's Ship Island in
two by creating an inlet later known as the 'Camille Cut', after about
251 acre of land was eroded. Nearly every pier along the gulf in
Alabama and Mississippi was destroyed, and many piers in Florida were
damaged. The hurricane washed out about 20 mi of Louisville and
Nashville Railroad (L&N) track from New Orleans to Pascagoula,
Mississippi.
Caribbean and Offshore Gulf of Mexico
=======================================
Across Cuba, five people died during Camille's passage, and damage was
estimated at $5 million. The hurricane severely damaged sugar and
tobacco plantations. While making its first landfall in Cuba, Camille
produced winds of 92 mph in the city of Guane. Rainfall reached 10 in
in western Cuba and nearby Isla de la Juventud. On Isla de la
Juventud, the storm inflicted damage to about 100 houses. In Pinar del
Río Province, Camille caused heavy damage, primarily from river
flooding, resulting in a state of emergency. About 20,000 people were
left homeless in the province.
In its formative stages, Camille produced light rainfall and squalls
across Grand Cayman. The hurricane increased rainfall across Central
America. In Costa Rica, the rains caused flooding and clogged sewer
lines in the capital city San Jose. In southeastern Mexico, the
hurricane dropped heavy but beneficial rainfall.
In the open Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane produced wave heights of 70
to, as measured by Shell Oil Company. This greatly exceeded the
predicted maximum wave heights of 20 ft when the oil platforms were
first built. Along the ocean floor, the storm created mudslides, and
the combination with strong waves and winds destroyed three oil
platforms, including one that at the time was the world's deepest oil
well. Property damage to the offshore oil industry were initially
estimated at $100 million. The strongest winds associated with Camille
were recorded by an anemometer on a drilling rig off the eastern
Louisiana coast; the device recorded a gust of 172 mph, along with
10-minute sustained winds of 130 mph, before it failed. Several oil
platforms foundered, or filled with water, while pipelines were
wrecked by the strong waves.
Mississippi
=============
Camille made landfall in southern Mississippi as a Category 5
hurricane, producing powerful winds and a significant storm surge. The
powerful waves destroyed most tidal gauges near the coast. Based on
the debris levels in Pass Christian, Camille produced tides as high as
24.6 ft. The high water mark for an enclosed building was 22.6 ft,
recorded at a Veterans of Foreign Wars building in town. Camille
produced the highest ever storm surge in American history until it was
surpassed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Floodwaters reached 20 mi
upstream the lower Pascagoula and Jourdan rivers. In addition to its
high tides, the hurricane produced heavy rainfall as it moved ashore.
A station at the NASA Mississippi Test Operations site near Picayune
measured 10.06 in of precipitation, which was the highest rainfall
total in the state. An anemometer near the site measured winds of 115
mph at a height of 200 ft for an extended period and the facility also
estimated wind gusts as high as 160 mph. There were no direct wind
observations near the landfall location; however, researchers
estimated that wind gusts reached 200 mph. The 'Monthly Weather
Review' described the resulting impacts as "characteristic of the wind
damage ordinarily associated with major tornadoes." Keesler AFB in
Biloxi recorded 129 mph wind gusts. About four hours after landfall,
an anemometer in Columbia recorded sustained winds of 114 mph. Farther
inland, wind gusts in Jackson reached 67 mph. Camille also produced a
tornado that touched down in Waynesboro.
In Mississippi, Camille killed 172 people, including 41 people who
went missing and were never found. The hurricane also inflicted about
$950 million worth of damage in the state. There were at least 116
deaths in Harrison County alone. Within the immediate landfall
vicinity, the hurricane's winds and floodwaters swept away all homes
and structures down to their foundations. The hurricane destroyed
nearly everything along the entire coast in the state for at least
three blocks inland, while the towns of Pass Christian and Long Beach
were nearly destroyed. Other communities amongst the hardest hit were
Clermont Harbor, Lakeshore, and Waveland, along with coastal portions
of Gulfport, Mississippi City, and Biloxi. Beach front neighborhoods
not facing the Gulf, such as those on the Back Bay of Biloxi, were
flooded by rising water, though most buildings remained standing due
to a lack of wave action. The hurricane produced widespread power
outages, affecting 20 counties in the state, including some that lost
power for 15 days. Downed power lines produced several small fires.
Mississippi Power Company lost parts of its transmission network, and
restorations were hampered by downed trees and debris. About 15% of
telephone users across the state lost service during the hurricane.
Statewide, the hurricane damaged 46,460 homes and trailers, including
4,287 that were destroyed. Camille also destroyed or severely damaged
2,647 farm buildings and 569 businesses in the state. In Gulfport
alone, over 5,000 automobiles were damaged beyond repair. Across
Mississippi's southernmost 15 counties, the hurricane damaged 1900000
acre of commercial forestlands to some degree. Most affected was the
tung industry, as the hurricane destroyed more than 35,000 acres of
tung trees, which contributed to the end of the tung oil industry in
the United States. Strong winds knocked down the equivalent of about
1.2 billion board feet (2.8 million km2) worth of lumber, of which
more than 85% was salvageable. Many pecan orchards were also damaged.
Near the coast, more than 6,000 oak trees died due to the combination
of waves, winds, and salt spray. Crop damage occurred as far north as
Hattiesburg.
Camille had its most significant impacts near the coast. Large
portions of U.S. Highway 90 were damaged or blocked by sand and
debris. At Pass Christian, the waves destroyed about 35% of the town's
seawall. The Richelieu Manor Apartments were destroyed, killing eight
people there; the apartments inspired an urban legend that 24
residents rode out the storm and held a hurricane party. The hurricane
also destroyed the town's Trinity Episcopal church, originally built
in 1849, which killed 15 of the 16 people who took shelter there. The
Dixie White House, where President Woodrow Wilson and his family once
stayed, was badly damaged, and subsequently torn down after the
hurricane. Also in town, the hurricane destroyed a house designed by
architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In Bay St. Louis, the hurricane
destroyed a L&N railroad bridge. The port at Gulfport was largely
destroyed, with only a portion of one wharf available for use after
the hurricane. Also in Gulfport, the high waves beached a barge,
leaving it on the median of U.S. 90, while also washing ashore three
large cargo ships – the 'Alamo Victory', the 'Hulda', and the 'Silver
Hawk'. Of the three ships, only the 'Alamo Victory' was refloated. The
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport was damaged, forcing 729 patients to be
evacuated. The Biloxi hospital was damaged, but remained operational.
Keesler AFB sustained about $4.8 million in damage. Also in Biloxi,
the hurricane destroyed the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. In Long
Beach, 36 buildings at the U.S. Naval Construction Center were
destroyed, while hundreds of structures required new roofs, estimated
at 90% of the buildings at the complex. In Pascagoula, the hurricane
washed ashore the SS 'Mormacsun'.
Though Camille weakened as it moved inland, its winds continued to
cause major damage. A high school north of Waveland suffered roof and
window damage and several mobile homes being used as temporary
classrooms were destroyed. Every building on the campus of Pearl River
Community College was damaged, one of them being totally destroyed. In
Picayune, a high school was heavily damaged by a collapsed smokestack.
In Poplarville, an estimated 90% of homes were damaged. Two schools in
the city and a manufacturing plant were heavily damaged. A steel
forestry service observation tower was uprooted by its foundation. The
tung crop in the county was a near total loss. In Columbia, the storm
caused extensive damage, unroofing buildings and knocking down large
numbers of trees. Camille blew out storefront windows and damaged
buildings in Simpson County, including the county courthouse. The
storm passed over the Ross Barnett Reservoir, causing a pileup of 1 ft
of water at the dam, leading to slight damage.
Louisiana
===========
While near peak intensity, Camille's eye crossed over the marshlands
of eastern St. Bernard Parish. Due to the lack of dry land in the
vicinity, it was not considered a landfall, although Camille still
produced Category 5 hurricane-force winds in eastern Louisiana. Wind
gusts were estimated as high as 160 mph in Slidell. The city also
recorded the state's highest rainfall from Camille, totaling 5.23 in.
Two people drowned in Slidell after driving into a flooded canal
during the hurricane. Near New Orleans, Lakefront Airport recorded
wind gusts of 109 mph. The storm turned in time to avoid a direct hit
to the City of New Orleans, which was devastated just four years prior
by Hurricane Betsy. Aside from eastern sections of the city, most of
New Orleans only experienced tropical storm-force winds. Two levees
broke in the city, forcing residents across twelve blocks to evacuate.
A break in the uptown side of the Industrial Canal levee caused up to
3 ft of flooding. Strong winds damaged storefronts in the downtown
area and small planes at Lakefront Airport. Outside of the city, wind
gusts in Boothville reached 107 mph before the instrument lost power.
In Boothville, floodwaters reached deep, while the Ostrica Lock near
Buras recorded a storm surge of 16 ft. Camille's storm surge reached
several hundred miles inland along the Mississippi River. The
barometric pressure fell to 27.80 inHg at Garden Island.
Throughout Louisiana, the hurricane killed nine people, and left $322
million in damage. The combination of strong northerly winds and
floodwaters nearly destroyed everything from Venice to Buras,
"removing almost all traces of civilization", according to the weather
bureau. Statewide, Camille damaged 8,175 homes and trailers, including
2,435 that were destroyed. The hurricane also damaged or destroyed 211
farm buildings and 110 businesses. Strong winds knocked down trees and
power lines across the region. Agriculture industries experienced
damage, while at least 5,000 cattle drowned. The state's citrus
industry failed to produce any output in 1969, a continuation of the
dearth of citrus production since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. At least 94
ships in the Mississippi River sank or washed ashore. Water washed
over portions of U.S. Highway 90 to a depth of 10 ft. The worst storm
surge flooding occurred in Plaquemines Parish and lower St. Bernard
Parish. Several feet of surge also occurred along the shores of Lake
Pontchartrain and around Grand Isle. In Boothville-Venice, the
combination of winds and storm surge destroyed the local weather
bureau office, fire station, and school. The hurricane uprooted
vegetation along the Mississippi River delta; plant regrowth occurred
quickly in marshes, but took longer in bodies of water.
Alabama and Florida
=====================
The hurricane's high floodwaters extended into Alabama, reaching 30 mi
upstream the Mobile River from Mobile Bay. Storm surges in Alabama
peaked at 9.2 ft on Dauphin Island and 9.1 ft at Gulf Shores. Across
southern Alabama, the floods washed out or left sand on many roads.
All offshore islands were completely inundated except for Dauphin
Island, of which around 70% was covered with floodwaters. An Air Force
radar on the island sustained damage during the storm. The high waters
damaged parts of the causeway across Mobile Bay, while also damaging
the adjacent businesses and fishing camps. Five bridges in Mobile
County had minor damage. Hurricane-force winds from Camille extended
into far southwestern Alabama, estimated at Category 1 intensity.
Mobile recorded a peak wind gust of 74 mph. The highest rainfall
report received within Alabama was 6.52 in, recorded near Fairhope.
Statewide, damage reached $23.6 million. The hurricane damaged 578
houses or trailers, including 10 homes and 12 trailers that were
destroyed. Camille also destroyed or severely damaged 14 businesses.
Camille's high winds knocked down trees and affected agriculture
industries in the state, including pecan and soybean. The hurricane
also flattened about 20000 acre of corn fields in the state.
The large circulation of Camille resulted in tides 3 to above normal
as far east as Apalachicola, Florida. A bridge carrying State Road 292
in Pensacola recorded a peak tide of 4.8 ft. Areas as far as Tampa Bay
reported tides about 1 ft above normal. Across the western Florida
panhandle, Pensacola Naval Air Station measured 4.16 in of rain, while
a station in the city recorded wind gusts of 71 mph. Ahead of its
landfall, Camille spawned an F0 tornado in Pensacola, which damaged a
building and a car. Another F0 tornado touched down in Santa Rosa
County. Camille's damage across Florida was estimated to be around
$500,000. This included beach erosion and crop damage, with pecan and
corn the most affected.
Ohio Valley and West Virginia
===============================
As Camille moved inland, it produced rainfall across the southeastern
United States and into the Ohio Valley. Near Lake Toxaway in North
Carolina, rainfall reached 4.92 in, while the highest rainfall in
Tennessee was 4.5 in, recorded in Bolivar. The rains relieved severe
drought conditions in western Tennessee, proving beneficial, although
there was minor street flooding. Memphis International Airport
recorded wind gusts of 32 mph. The winds were strong enough to knock
down a tree onto a power line. West of the storm's center, rainfall
reached 2.63 in in Eudora, Arkansas, the highest precipitation total
in the state. Rainfall totals over 1 in reached southeastern Missouri
and into southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Heavier rainfall
occurred in central Kentucky, reaching 4.25 in in West Liberty.
In West Virginia, the highest recorded precipitation was 5.04 in in
McRoss. The rains caused damaging flash flooding in Nicholas,
Greenbrier, and Summers counties. The Greenbrier River crested at 17.1
ft, or 3.1 ft above flood stage. Two people died in Renick, West
Virginia, when floods trapped them in their house. In Anjean, floods
washed out 30 homes. Statewide, the floods damaged 356 houses and
trailers, including 48 that were destroyed. The floods also damaged or
destroyed five businesses, along with 315 farm buildings. Statewide
damage totaled $750,000.
Virginia
==========
When Camille entered Virginia as a tropical depression, it drew
moisture from the south, which concentrated as the circulation moved
through the Appalachian Mountains. The thunderstorms intensified and
concentrated north and east of the circulation center as they
approached the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These
thunderstorms developed into "catastrophic cloudburst proportions", as
described by a report conducted by the United States Geological Survey
(USGS). The highest rainfall total was 27 in, recorded near Massies
Mill in Nelson County. Several other locations in the county recorded
more than 1 ft of rainfall. The Weather Bureau also received an
unconfirmed report of 31 in of precipitation over five hours, recorded
at the junction of the Tye and Piney rivers. Most of the heavy
rainfall occurred over an eight hour period. Researchers estimated
that the rainfall totals represented more than 80% of the maximum
potential precipitation for the area. The heavy rains produced
landslides as well as flash flooding along creeks and rivers. The
landslides occurred on hillsides with a slope greater than 35%, with
lidar scans indicating that nearly 3,800 landslides occurred in Nelson
County alone. Flooding and landslides caused significant damage across
Albemarle, Amherst, Fluvanna, Nelson, and Rockbridge counties.
Record-breaking flooding occurred along the York River, while
floodwaters along the James River were the highest in more than a
century.
*
*
Camille's floods produced what the USGS described as "the worst
natural disaster ever to strike Virginia." There were 153 deaths in
the state, including 123 in Nelson County alone. Most of the deaths
were due to blunt trauma from mudslides. There were eight fatalities
that were unidentified. Statewide, the floods destroyed 313 homes
along with 31 trailers, while also causing severe damage to another
415 homes and 65 trailers. An additional 1,870 homes had minor damage.
The monetary costs of Camille in Virginia totaled $140 million. This
included $54.635 million in damaged businesses, industries, or
commercial buildings. Floods and landslides damaged or washed out 200
mi of state highways, while damaging or destroying 133 bridges. Among
the three destroyed bridges were state highways along the James River
– routes 602, 603, and 690. About 3 mi of U.S. 29 was damaged and shut
down. Damage along the state's Interstate highways was confined to
gutters, guardrails, ditches, and shoulders, and a portion of I-95 was
temporarily closed in Caroline County. Road damage totaled $17.48
million. Railroads in the state experienced $4.1 million in damage.
Power, phone, and gas utilities collectively had over $2.5 million in
damage from the storm. Agriculture and farming industries suffered
$23.8 million in damage; this included 950 farm buildings that were
damaged or destroyed, along with fields that were washed away, and
lost livestock.
In Nelson County, the rains were so heavy that birds drowned in trees,
according to newspaper reports. In the Davis Creek community in the
county, the floods swept away 23 houses, leaving only two standing,
resulting in at least 27 fatalities. Most of the community of Massies
Mill was destroyed, sparing only two houses and a church. In Buena
Vista, floodwaters reached 30 ft deep, sweeping away vehicles and
covering entire factories. Businesses and industries in the city
incurred more than $26 million in damage. The Tye River in Lovingston
produced a flood discharge that was eight times the maximum on the 31
year record. The Rivanna River at Palmyra rose 35 ft, while the North
Anna River near Doswell rose 27 ft over seven hours. Floodwaters
reached nearly 14 ft deep in parts of Glasgow, largely destroying the
town's business district. In Scottsville and Waynesboro, floodwaters
reached 8 ft deep. Tributaries and mountain streams collected in the
James River to produce record or near-record flood conditions, which
nearly destroyed all of the river settlements between Lynchburg and
Richmond. In the former city, the James River crested at 26 ft, which
was the highest water level since 1877. In Richmond, the James River
reached a peak of 28.64 ft, which equaled the record crest set in 1936
and surpassed all other floods in at least a century. In the city, the
James River had a peak flow of 220000 ft3 per second, the
second-highest on record. The floodwaters inundated low-lying parts of
Richmond, including areas near the James River that flooded after a
pumping station failed. Citywide damage was slightly over $9 million.
At Schuyler, a hydroelectric dam on the Rockfish River was overtopped,
destroying the dam's powerhouse and washing out a bridge downstream.
Elsewhere
===========
In Maryland, Camille brought heavy rains, peaking at 6.55 in at
Princess Anne. The rains caused localized flooding, which closed roads
and washed out a few bridges. The rains damaged a junior high school
in Princess Anne after floodwaters reached 15 ft deep. Near Great
Mills, 14 residents evacuated by helicopter due to the floods. Minor
flooding occurred in Delaware. Precipitation from Camille reached as
far north as Pennsylvania, with a total of 3.25 in recorded in
Somerset. In neighboring New Jersey, Cape May recorded 1.62 in of
rainfall.
Aftermath
======================================================================
Across the Gulf Coast of the United States, the response to the
hurricane involved many federal, state, and local agencies and
volunteer organizations. By May 1970, the federal government had spent
more than $25 million toward relief efforts, including reimbursing
state and local governments. Then-president Richard Nixon declared 26
Mississippi counties as disaster areas, along with 2 counties in
Alabama, 4 parishes in Louisiana, and 27 counties in Virginia. Federal
agencies that assisted in the relief efforts included the Economic
Development Administration (EDA), the General Services Administration
(GSA), the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEC), the Small Business
Administration (SBA), and the departments of Health, Education, and
Welfare (HEW) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Department
of Defense contributed $34 million and 16,500 military troops that
helped in the recovery, such as clearing debris or distributing food.
The United States Coast Guard surveyed coastal areas by helicopter to
search for survivors. Rescues occurred as late as August 24, when a
helicopter spotted a family of 12 people that was without food or
water for days. The Department of Health provided $4 million towards
medicine, vaccines, and other health related needs. The Federal
Highway Administration helped fund repairs to roads, paying the entire
cost of federal-Aid highway repair and reconstruction. By January
1970, over $13.71 million worth of highway projects had been approved.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration assisted with
sewage treatment in Mississippi and Virginia and helped clean up an
oil spill in the Boothville-Venice area of Louisiana. Within three
days of Camille's landfall, power was restored to Keesler AFB,
although the outages and damage halted training for 15 days. After the
base was cleared of debris and emergency power was restored, Keesler
AFB became a hub for search and rescue operations, for aerial damage
assessments, and as a point for distributing aid. Helicopters from the
base flew food and medicine to storm-damaged communities until early
September. After Vice President Spiro Agnew surveyed disaster areas,
Nixon visited Gulfport-Biloxi Airport on September 8, speaking to a
crowd of more than 35,000 attendees.
The Farmers Home Administration designated 33 counties in Mississippi
as emergency areas. The Department of Agriculture's Consumer and
Marketing Service provided over 4687000 lb of surplus food to victims
of Camille. The Post Office Department spent over $100,000 restoring
service and repairing 46 post offices affected by the storm. NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, sent a team along
with a 200-bed mobile hospital to the hardest hit areas. HUD provided
5,000 temporary homes to disaster areas, while the NASA facility near
Picayune, Mississippi, served as a temporary shelter for about 1,500
people. Representatives from HEW informed Mississippi schools that
they would not receive federal funding unless they integrated their
schools. Camp Shelby opened and temporarily housed about 5,000
residents, and was likewise forced to integrate; this was despite the
'New York Times' describing the camp as, "one of the least integrated
of all of the U.S. military bases". The University of Southern
Mississippi held 5,000 people displaced by Camille. Mississippi
segregated buses of evacuees from Pass Christian, sending black people
to Jackson State College while sending white people to the Robert E.
Lee Hotel in Jackson, though the latter allowed black refugees on a
separate floor.
Mississippi Governor John Bell Williams activated more than 1,200
National Guardsmen to help protect against looting and look for
survivors. The governor also activated martial law for parts of the
coast, which lasted until August 27. Martial law was declared for
Plaquemines Parish and the city of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Power and
water companies brought workers from other states to assist in the
restoration of utilities. By a week after the storm, water service was
restored in Gulfport, Mississippi, followed by Biloxi a week later.
Following the hurricane, Governor Williams established the Gulf
Regional Planning Commission, which created stricter building codes
along the Mississippi coast. Various nongovernmental agencies and
volunteers helped in the aftermath of the hurricane, including the
Salvation Army. The American Red Cross opened up 29 relief centers,
operated 27 mobile units, and set up seven food kitchens. The Red
Cross faced criticism for racial bias in aid distribution. In Jackson,
Mississippi, comedian Bob Hope hosted a telethon that raised more than
$1.3 million toward helping storm victims.
Across coastal areas, roads were closed for several days due to a
combination of building debris and fallen trees, with 2400 mi of roads
and streets affected. The Army Corps of Engineers coordinated debris
removal, and within a week of the hurricane, all major roads were
opened. Over a three-month period, more than 300,000 truck loads were
transported to one of 17 emergency dump sights. Efforts to salvage
timber in the affected region began a few days after Camille passed,
producing over 100 million board-feet of pine wood. The reduced tree
coverage across southern Mississippi decreased squirrel and bird
populations in the area. Concurrently, the snake population increased
in southeastern Mississippi, forcing residents to organize and hunt.
The 43rd Engineer Battalion of the Army Corps cleared Mississippi
beaches of deceased animals, removing 28 ST worth of carcasses by
August 24. The odor of decaying animals persisted for about a week
after the storm. Seabees also shot stray starving dogs, while the
local shelter in Harrison County helped care for cats and dogs
displaced by the storm. To control the spread of mosquitos, four
aircraft from Keesler AFB sprayed malathion at a low altitude between
Pascagoula and Waveland, Mississippi. The storm had long-lasting
effects on agricultural products in the region. The tung industry,
already reeling from freezes in previous years and unfavorable
economic conditions, never recovered from losses inflicted by the
storm and tung was largely replaced by other crops. Pecan production
in Mississippi saw a significant decline following the storm, with the
1970 crop yielding 27% of the previous 5-year average. Following
Camille's passage in Virginia, an orchard in Lovingston produced a new
variety of apple that became known as the Ginger Gold.
Total insurance payments following the storm were estimated at $225
million. Most insurance policies in the affected areas did not cover
damage due to flooding or waves, and ultimately, only 20% of flood
damage was covered by insurance. The lack of flood insurance became a
major obstacle to redevelopment, especially in low-lying areas of
Harrison County. The hurricane affected local economies. Economic
activity in Harrison County spiked following the storm, with a
significant increase in sales of lumber and building materials. Most
of the new housing construction was in rural areas of the county
outside of Biloxi and Gulfport. Unemployment in the county spiked to
12% the month after the storm and did not return to pre-Camille levels
until August 1970.
Long-term redevelopment was overseen by the Department of Commerce,
which contributed $30 million towards planned and coordinated
redevelopment of affected areas. NOAA Weather Radio was expanded to
coastal locations during the 1970s, based upon recommendations made by
the Department of Commerce in September 1969. The lack of adequate
aircraft observation during Camille's rapid intensification led to the
'Super Constellation' planes being retired on August 25, 1969, to be
replaced with Lockheed WC-130. The devastation of Camille, following a
series of other damaging hurricanes, led engineer Herbert Saffir and
then-NHC director Robert Simpson to develop the Saffir-Simpson scale.
In 1973, the hurricane hunters and their associated reconnaissance
aircraft relocated to Keesler AFB, following the closure of their
previous headquarters in Ramey, Puerto Rico. Concerns about the
adequacy of aerial weather reconnaissance after Camille led to the
U.S. Air Force and NOAA taking steps to modernize their reconnaissance
aircraft. Prior to Camille, only two communities had been made
eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program. In December 1969,
the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 was amended with an emergency
program to extend federally subsidized flood insurance to communities
that had not undergone rate making studies. Partly due to Camille's
aftermath and the need for more federal coordination, the United
States Congress passed the Disaster Relief Act of 1969. This was
followed by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, which removed the
American Red Cross as the lead volunteer organization, a position it
held since 1905. Congress later passed the Disaster Relief Act of
1974, which required training for state and local emergency management
agencies. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter issued an executive order
establishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
consolidating federal disaster agencies.
*
*
*
In 2004, the city of Biloxi opened the Hurricane Camille Memorial,
which was damaged a year later by Hurricane Katrina. In 2009, federal
agencies including the National Park Service and the United States
Geological Survey developed the Mississippi Coastal Improvements
Program. Part of the project included filling the Camille Cut in Ship
Island, which began in 2017. The project finished in 2019,
reconnecting the east and west side of the island and restoring
vegetation at the former inlet. It was the second-largest project in
the history of the National Park Service.
Due to the high death toll and major destruction the hurricane caused
in much of the Southern United States, the name 'Camille' was retired
after the 1969 season, and will never again be used for an Atlantic
basin tropical cyclone. The name 'Cindy' was selected to replace
'Camille' in 1973. However, the 4year lists were replaced in 1971 by a
new series of lists running though 1980. In 2024, researchers
estimated that Camille would cause $59 billion in damage if it struck
in 2022, based on population and wealth changes.
See also
======================================================================
* List of Mississippi hurricanes
* List of Virginia hurricanes
* List of Atlantic hurricane records
External links
======================================================================
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090901113359/http://www.harrison.lib.ms.us/library_services/camille.htm
Harrison County Library's Camille Page]
*[https://da.mdah.ms.gov/series/camille Hurricane Camille Photograph
Collection], Mississippi Department of Archives and History
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