Impact
Along the Mississippi coastline, Ethel brought a relatively small storm surge of 5 feet (1.5 m); however, it caused substantial beach erosion throughout the barrier islands. Roughly 1.8 miles (2.9 km) of the east end of Horn Island was lost. Ship Island was also split in two, creating east and west Ship Islands. However, this split was not well known until Hurricane Camille in 1969 which substantial widened the split. Throughout the state, sustained winds were recorded up to 60 mph (97 km/h) with gusts up to 70 mph (110 km/h). In Pascagoula, broken glass, fallen trees and signs covered the streets. Several areas were also flooded and power was lost in area where power lines were downed by high winds. Following the storm, Governor Ross Barnett ordered 100 National Guardsmen to Pascagoula and more were requested in other areas.
In Louisiana, the compact nature of Hurricane Ethel resulted in only the far eastern portions of the state being impacted. A maximum of 7.45 inches (189 mm) of rain fell in the state. Before the storm rapidly weakened, there were fears that a large storm surge would inundate the region. However, when the storm passed, a maximum surge of 7 feet (2.1 m) was recorded. Although Ethel weakened significantly, high winds still lashed eastern Louisiana. At the United States Coast Guard station in Quarantine, sustained winds reached 92 mph (148 km/h). In Venice, a sustained wind speed of 90 mph (140 km/h) was recorded and gusts up to 105 mph (169 km/h) were reported. While preparing for the storm, one person suffered a fatal heart attack caused by storm induced stress. High winds also affected Alabama, with gusts between 60 and 70 mph (97 and 110 km/h) reported at Fort Morgan. Slight damage to beach cottages occurred in Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, and Mobile Bay. Minor crop losses were reported in Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties. The storm spawned at least one tornado in the state, which demolished a barn, damaged a house, uprooted several trees, and destroyed a cotton field in Gosport.
Hurricane Ethel also brought heavy rains and strong winds to much of the Florida Panhandle as it moved inland over Mississippi. A maximum of 12.94 in (329 mm) of rain fell in extreme northwestern Florida, the highest total in relation to the storm. In Tampa, there were fears that Ethel would cause the Hillsborough River to overflow its banks; however, this did not occur, sparing Tampa from further damage, after being struck by Hurricane Donna earlier in September. The highest wind gust in the state was 50 mph (80 km/h), measured in both Pensacola and Apalachicola. A strong thunderstorm associated with Ethel produced a lightning strike that hit a power station near Tallahassee, causing a city-wide blackout for 10 minutes. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, damage directly caused by hurricane in the state reached $100,000 (1960 USD). Additionally Ethel spawned four tornadoes, one of which reached F2 intensity and damaged or destroyed 25 homes near Panama City.
Outside the Gulf Coast of the United States, Ethel dropped rainfall in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. However, damage in those states, if any is unknown. Throughout its path, Ethel caused $1.5 million (1960 USD) in damage and one indirect fatality.
Read more about this topic: Hurricane Ethel (1960)
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