Hurricane Betsy - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

Betsy formed east of Daytona Beach, Florida, and at first seemed to be on its way to hit the Carolinas, but turned back toward the southwest (making a second complete loop), passing over the Bahamas where winds on Great Abaco Island reached 147 mph (237 km/h). Betsy travelled just north of Nassau, the biggest city in the Bahamas, where it stalled for about three hours, allowing its winds to pound the city.

On September 7, Betsy continued moving toward the southwest toward extreme southern Florida. It passed over Key Largo at the eastern end of the Florida Keys on September 8, and then continued west along the Keys, as a Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane-force winds were experienced in the Miami area for roughly twelve hours. At its landfall on Key Largo, Betsy had an exceptionally large eye (40 miles (65 km) in diameter).

After crossing Florida Bay and entering the Gulf of Mexico, Betsy restrengthened, growing into a Category 4 storm with winds up to 155 mph (250 km/h), only one mile per hour short of qualifying for Category 5 status. It continued northwestward, moving into Barataria Bay on the evening of September 9. It made its second U.S. landfall at Grand Isle, Louisiana, just west of the mouth of the Mississippi River, where it destroyed almost every building. At the time of landfall in Louisiana, Betsy was a strong Category 3 storm. The storm travelled upriver, causing the Mississippi at New Orleans to rise by 10 feet (3 m).