Meteorological History
Hurricane Ethel originated from a small tropical disturbance over the Gulf of Mexico on the morning of September 14, 1960. It is estimated that Ethel developed into a tropical storm at 1200 UTC on that day, with an initial intensity of 45 mph (75 km/h). The disturbance quickly developed within a region favoring intensification and the New Orleans Hurricane Warning Office issued their first advisory on the system, classifying it as an area of low pressure, at 1500 UTC. Roughly six hours after becoming a tropical storm, Ethel was upgraded to a hurricane as it underwent an intense phase of explosive deepening. By this time, gale-force winds extended 150 miles (240 km) to the north of the center and 80 miles (130 km) to the south. Ethel further intensified into a major hurricane, as it approached the Gulf Coast of the United States.
Following a pass through the storm by a United States Navy reconnaissance plane, Ethel was declared a "severe hurricane" with winds reaching 160 mph (260 km/h), equivalent to a modern-day Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. At the time these winds were measured, a barometric pressure of 972 mbar (hPa; 28.7 inHg) was recorded, the lowest in relation to the hurricane. However, shortly thereafter, cool, dry air began to entrain the storm, causing it to rapidly weaken. In a six hour span, the storm suddenly weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, a decrease of 70 mph (110 km/h).
As Ethel neared landfall, forecasters within the United States Weather Bureau were unsure of the future track and intensity of the hurricane due to the unusual strengthening and weakening. Around 1100 UTC on September 15, the center of Ethel brushed the coastline of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). Continuing northward, the hurricane further weakened to a tropical storm as it was approaching the Gulf Coast of the United States. Shortly before 0000 UTC on September 16, Ethel made landfall in Pascagoula, Mississippi with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Gradual weakening took place as the storm moved inland over Mississippi and by 1800 UTC on September 16, Ethel was further downgraded to a tropical depression. The remnants of the former hurricane continued moving towards the north-northwest before dissipating on September 17 over southern Kentucky.
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