Hurricane Cindy (1963)

Hurricane Cindy (1963)

Hurricane Cindy was a Category 1 hurricane that struck southeastern Texas in September 1963. It was the fourth tropical cyclone, first named storm, and third hurricane of the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season, Cindy formed on September 16 from a trough of low pressure in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. After becoming a tropical cyclone, Cindy moved north-northwestward and rapidly intensified into a hurricane on September 17. Later that day, Cindy made landfall near High Island, Texas as a minimal hurricane. Cindy then turned southwestward and quickly weakened into a tropical storm on September. Cindy continued to deteriorate inland, and diminishing to tropical depression six hours after weakening to a tropical storm. By September 20, Cindy dissipated over southern Texas.

It was the first storm of the 1963 season to make landfall along the United States coastline and the first hurricane to form in the Gulf of Mexico since 1960. Cindy brought heavy rainfall across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. The storm also affected Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The effects of Cindy left $12.5 million (1963 USD; $94.9 million 2013 USD) and three fatalities.