All seasons · Atlantic
1961 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1961 Atlantic season has 12 storms in the best-track record; 12 reached tropical-storm strength and 8 became hurricanes, 5 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 188.9 is the ninth-highest of the 175 seasons in the Atlantic record since 1851. For major hurricanes it is tied for the ninth-busiest season. Hattie was the strongest, peaking at 165 mph as a Category 5 hurricane. Landfall records exist for 7 of its storms, in Belize, Cape Verde, Connecticut, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The first record is dated July 17, the last November 20.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in September than in any other month of 1961: 6 of 12. Esther both lasted longest, 16.2 days as a tropical or subtropical system, and contributed the most energy, 26% of the season's ACE. Strongest landfall of each storm: Anna reached Belize as a Category 1 hurricane on July 24; Carla reached Texas as a Category 4 hurricane on September 11; Debbie reached Cape Verde as a tropical storm on September 6; Esther reached Massachusetts as a tropical storm on September 26; Storm 6 of 1961 reached Connecticut as a tropical storm on September 15; Frances reached Guadeloupe as a tropical storm on October 1; Hattie reached Belize as a Category 4 hurricane on October 31.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | Jul 17–25 | 105 mph | Category 2 | 976 mb | Honduras, Belize |
| Betsy | Sep 2–10 | 130 mph | Category 4 | 945 mb | – |
| Carla | Sep 3–13 | 145 mph | Category 4 | 927 mb | Texas |
| Debbie | Sep 5–14 | 90 mph | Category 1 | 975 mb | Cape Verde |
| Esther | Sep 10–26 | 160 mph | Category 5 | 919 mb | Massachusetts, Maine |
| Storm 6 of 1961 | Sep 12–15 | 65 mph | Tropical storm | 996 mb | North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Connecticut |
| Frances | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | 130 mph | Category 4 | 948 mb | Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic |
| Gerda | Oct 17–20 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 988 mb | – |
| Hattie | Oct 26 – Nov 1 | 165 mph | Category 5 | 914 mb | Belize |
| Jenny | Nov 2–10 | 80 mph | Category 1 | 974 mb | – |
| Inga | Nov 4–8 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 997 mb | – |
| Storm 12 of 1961 | Nov 17–20 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | 1004 mb | – |
Against other Atlantic seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 1961.