Hurricane Betsy

Hurricane Betsy was an intense, deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that brought widespread damage to areas of Florida, the Bahamas, and the central United States Gulf Coast in September 1965. The storm's erratic nature, coupled with its intensity and minimal preparation time contributed to making Betsy the first tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin to accrue at least $1 billion in damage.<ref group="nb">All monetary figures are in 1965 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.</ref> While the storm primarily affected areas of southern Florida and Louisiana, lesser effects were felt in the Bahamas and as far inland in the United States as the Ohio River Valley. Betsy began as a tropical depression north of French Guiana on August 27, and strengthened as it moved in a general northwesterly direction. After executing a slight anticyclonic loop north of the Bahamas, Betsy proceeded to move through areas of south Florida on September 8, causing extensive crop damage. After emerging into the Gulf of Mexico, the cyclone strengthened and reached its peak intensity equivalent to that of a Category 4 hurricane on September 10 before making its final landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, shortly thereafter. Once inland, Betsy was slow to weaken, and persisted for two more days before degenerating into an extratropical storm; these remnants lasted until September 13.

As a developing tropical cyclone, Betsy tracked over the northern Leeward Islands, producing moderate gusts and slight rainfall, though only minimal damage was reported. After tracking over open waters for several days, Betsy had significantly strengthened upon moving through the Bahamas. There, considerable damage occurred, particularly to crops on the archipelago's islands. For the island chain, Betsy was considered the worst hurricane since a tropical cyclone impacted the region in 1929. Widespread power outage and property damage ensued due to the storm's strong winds. Overall, damage on the Bahamas amounted to at least $14 million, and one fatality occurred. From there Betsy tracked westward and made landfall on southern Florida, where it was considered the worst tropical cyclone since a hurricane in 1926. Betsy's strong storm surge inundated large portions of the Florida Keys, flooding streets and causing widespread damage. The only route out of the Keys onto the mainland was cut off by the storm. In the state alone, Betsy caused $139 million in damage and five deaths.

Betsy's most severe impacts were felt in Louisiana, where it made landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. The cyclone propelled damaging storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain, breaching levees in New Orleans and inundating several neighborhoods, most notably the lower Ninth Ward. Strong winds caused widespread power and telecommunications outages across the region. Further inland, effects wrought by Betsy were considerably weaker, though precipitation caused by the storm extended as far northeast as Pennsylvania. Rainfall was primarily beneficial in Arkansas, though localized flooding impacted rice and cotton crops. In Kentucky and Illinois, strong winds caused moderate property damage. By the time the remnants of Betsy moved into the northeastern United States, the storm's winds and rainfall had substantially lessened, and as such resulting wind damage was negligible while precipitation benefited crops. In total, the damage wrought by Betsy throughout its existence equated to roughly $1.42 billion, making it the costliest Atlantic hurricane at the time. In addition the hurricane caused 81 deaths, primarily in Louisiana. After the season, the United States Weather Bureau retired the name Betsy from their rotating lists of tropical cyclone names.

Meteorological history

Origins of Hurricane Betsy can be traced back to an area of disturbed weather southwest of Cape Verde that first identified via TIROS satellite imagery on August 23.<ref name=MWR-Season>Template:Cite journal</ref> Tracking westward, the tropical wave was intercepted by a United States Navy reconnaissance airplane early on August 27,<ref name=TCR-1>Template:Cite report</ref> which concluded that the disturbance had become a tropical cyclone of moderate intensity.<ref name=ADV-1>Template:Cite report</ref> Based on information from the flight, it was estimated that the system had organized into a tropical depression by 0000 UTC on August 27,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Template:Convert east-southeast of Barbados.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Although operationally the United States Weather Bureau office in San Juan, Puerto Rico upgraded the disturbance to tropical storm intensity three hours after their first tropical cyclone bulletin that same day,<ref group="nb">Until the inception of the present-day National Hurricane Center in 1966, the United States Weather Bureau and later Miami Hurricane Warning Office handled tropical cyclone operations in the northern Atlantic basin.<ref name=WFOMiami>Template:Cite web</ref></ref><ref name=TCR-1 /><ref name=ADV-1 /> post-analysis indicated that the tropical depression had remained at the same intensity up until 1200 UTC on August 29.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Nonetheless, the tropical cyclone was given the name Betsy for a period of time as a tropical depression,<ref name=TCR-1 /> contrary to typical tropical cyclone naming procedure.<ref name=TCNATL>Template:Cite report</ref> As Betsy approached the Windward Islands, it began to move in a more northwesterly direction,<ref name=ADV-1 /><ref name=ADV-2>Template:Cite report</ref> and was briefly located in the Caribbean Sea during the overnight hours of August 28 before re-emerging into the Atlantic Ocean the following day,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=ADV-2 /><ref name=ADV-3>Template:Cite report</ref> after which Betsy was upgraded to tropical storm classification in post-analysis.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track

Error creating thumbnail:

Betsy prior to being upgraded to hurricane intensity on August 29.

Upon moving to the northwest of the Leeward Islands, Betsy entered conditions favorable for marked development. An upper-level trough centered a short distance north of the tropical storm enhanced outflow conditions and speed divergence.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Under these conditions, Betsy proceeded to quickly intensify,<ref name=MWR-Season /> and reconnaissance missions tasked by the United States Air Force<ref group="nb">Betsy saw the first use of the now-familiar WC-130 Hercules in the Hurricane Hunter role, with a "fix" mission into the eye of the storm on 27 August.<ref name=fuller>*Fuller, John F. (1990). Thor's Legions: Weather Support to the U.S. Air Force and Army, 1937-1987. Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society. Template:ISBN. p. 355</ref></ref> and Weather Bureau indicated that the tropical storm had reached hurricane intensity by 0000 UTC on August 30,<ref name=TCR-1 />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track centered roughly Template:Convert north-northeast of Puerto Rico. By coincidence, forecast responsibilities were transferred to the Weather Bureau Office in Miami, Florida at the same time;<ref name=TCR-1 /> however, the hurricane was still under the purview of the Weather Bureau per se.<ref name=ADV-3 /> Due to increasing atmospheric pressure heights to the north,<ref name=MWR-Season /> Betsy drastically slowed in forward speed and intensification,<ref name=TCR-1 />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track and remained stationary for a period of time on August 31 before it began to drift westward.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=ADV-4>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=ADV-5>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=ADV-6>Template:Cite report</ref> On September 2, Betsy began to quickly intensify,<ref name=ADV-7>Template:Cite report</ref> and after strengthening to a Category 3 hurricane-equivalent – a major hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale<ref group="nb">A major hurricane is a storm that ranks as Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.<ref name=BASIC>Template:Cite book</ref></ref> – the small hurricane attained Category 4 intensity and reached an initial peak intensity with winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) at 0000 UTC on September 4, while situated well north of the Turks and Caicos.<ref name=TCR-1 />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=ADV-11>Template:Cite report</ref>

However, on September 5, a blocking ridge of high pressure situated over the Eastern United States forced Betsy to make a tight,<ref name=ADV-13>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=ADV-16>Template:Cite report</ref> clockwise loop and track in an unusual southwesterly path, redirecting it towards Florida and The Bahamas.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=TCR-1 /> At roughly the same time, the hurricane weakened to Category 2 intensity, though it later restrengthened to Category 3 intensity on September 6.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Betsy's atypical southwesterly path brought it directly over several islands in the northern Bahamas,<ref name=TCR-1 /> including Great Abaco Island.<ref name=ADV-19>Template:Cite report</ref> After stalling for a third time over portions of the central Bahamas, the major hurricane resumed its prior westward track towards South Florida.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=TCR-1 />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=ADV-24>Template:Cite report</ref> Early on September 8,<ref name=ADV-27>Template:Cite report</ref> Betsy made landfall on Key Largo in extreme southeastern Florida with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 953 mbar (hPa; 28.15 inHg).<ref name=TCR-2>Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Without much change in strength,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track the intense hurricane quickly traversed the Upper Keys and Florida Bay before emerging midday on September 8 into the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=ADV-28>Template:Cite report</ref>

Situated in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico on September 8,<ref name=TCR-2 /> Betsy began to strengthen and accelerate towards the west and then northwest,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track under the influence of the same ridge of high pressure that had forced it southwestward three days prior.<ref name=MWR-Season /> At roughly the same time, hurricane forecast operations were handed over the Weather Bureau Office in New Orleans, Louisiana.<ref name=ADV-30>Template:Cite report</ref> During its trek through the gulf, Betsy accelerated to a maximum forward speed of 22 mph (35 km/h), a speed anomalously high for a tropical cyclone traversing the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name=MWR-Season /> At 0600 UTC on September 9, the hurricane was estimated to have regained Category 4 intensity, and continued to strengthen as it neared the Central United States Gulf Coast. At 0000 UTC the next day, Betsy reached its primary peak intensity with winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 942 mbar (hPa; 27.79 inHg) shortly before moving ashore a rural area of Louisiana coastline adjacent to Houma and Grand Isle early on September 10.<ref name=TCR-2 /><ref name=LAHurricanes>Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Atlantic hurricane best track Once inland, Betsy quickly weakened,<ref name=TCR-2 /> and paralleled the Mississippi River before degenerating into a tropical depression by 0600 UTC the following day. Afterwards, it began to track northeastward along the Ohio River before it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 12.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track The remnant extratropical circulation of Betsy persisted into southern Ohio before dissipating entirely by 0000 UTC on September 13.<ref name=WPCRain>Template:Cite web</ref>

Preparations

The Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida

Contoured map of a tropical cyclone in a body of water. Contours denote isobars, and the location of the storm is marked with a tropical cyclone symbol.

Surface weather analysis map of Betsy on September 8

At Cape Kennedy, NASA delayed the erection of an Atlas-Centaur rocket which was to be used to launch a craft towards the Moon as part of the Surveyor Program on September 2. Several other prepared rockets on the site's launch pads were readied for potential emergency scramble should the hurricane impact the area.<ref name=GoldCoastLeery>Template:Cite news</ref> Other American space personnel stationed in Grand Turk Island and Mayaguana began preparatory measures after the United States Air Force issued a No. 1 alert for the region.<ref name=RagingNearBahamas>Template:Cite news</ref> Personnel from a small outpost on Allan Cay were evacuated to Grand Bahama, despite indications at the time that Betsy would curve away from the Bahamas or the East Coast of the United States.<ref name=FicklyBetsy>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=AimsAtCarolina>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> At Brunswick, Georgia's Naval Air Station Glynco, 21 jet fighter-bombers were evacuated inland.<ref name=RelentlessBetsy>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 4, helicopters arrived at the Frying Pan Shoals Light to evacuate the lighthouse's operators due to the impending threat of a hurricane strike.<ref name=500MiSC>Template:Cite news</ref> In the Palm Beach area, a group composed of regional Red Cross disaster chairman Forest W. Dana and nearby town officials held a nearly nonstop radio vigil service.<ref name=PBNoChance>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Red Cross volunteers in The Carolinas set up three district headquarters to prepare shelters, first aid programs, and communications.<ref name=BetsyStalls /> The relief agency also readied seven first aid and food vans in the cities of New Bern and Wilmington in North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina.<ref name=ThreatensBahamasFlorida>Template:Cite news</ref> The United States Department of Agriculture prepared food supplies in the event of an emergency for the two states.<ref name=BetsyStalls>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

After Betsy stalled and assumed a southwesterly course towards southern Florida, precautionary measures ceased in the Carolinas but were initiated in Florida and The Bahamas. Mackey Airlines assisted in the evacuation of 227 residents of West End Island to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, over the course of three flights. Three additional Douglas DC-6 airliners from Mackey Airlines evacuated 240 people, primarily American tourists, from Nassau to Miami. Various commercial flights between the archipelago and Florida were cancelled due to the impending storm. In Florida, various relief agencies prepared 9,000 hot dogs, 8,000 hamburgers, and 6,000 servings of chicken, to be donated to local hospitals and charitable organizations.<ref name=WarningsExpected>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> The United States Weather Bureau urged for the reopening of grocery stores and lumberyards which had been closed for Labor Day in order to increase availability of hurricane preparedness materials to potentially affected populations.<ref name=SwingSW>Template:Cite news</ref> In downtown Miami, a traffic coordination plan for the evacuation of vehicles and aquatic craft through the Brickell Avenue Bridge was set in place. Homestead Air Reserve Base went into Phase 2 of its hurricane preparedness plan, in which aircraft stationed at the base were serviced for potential evacuation to bases in Michigan and Indiana.<ref name=BridgePlanBetsy>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Upon Betsy's recurvature southwestward toward the peninsula on September 7, the Weather Bureau strongly advised evacuation procedures between Fort Lauderdale and Key Largo.<ref name=BetsyAimsFury /> Evacuation was strongly advised in the Florida Keys, where rising water as a result of the storm could potentially flood over portions of U.S. Route 1 – the only primary access route from the Keys to the mainland.<ref name=BetsyAimingFloridaSpokane /> Overall, an estimated 50,000 residents were within coastal regions where evacuations were advised. The U.S. Navy abandoned its housing project on Big Pine Key to avoid the hurricane, while sheriff deputies in Marathon, Tavernier, and Islamorada strongly advised evacuation in those respective cities.<ref name=ShredsMiami>Template:Cite news</ref> Various offices, businesses, and schools were closed in advance of the hurricane.<ref name=BetsyAimingFloridaSpokane>Template:Cite news</ref> Airlines cancelled service to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.<ref name=BetsySpokesmanReviewFlorida /> In the latter, city crews dismantled traffic lights along Biscayne Boulevard; such procedure was influenced by the damage wrought by Hurricane Cleo a year prior.

File:Hurricane Betsy eye.jpg

A view from a Hurricane Hunter aircraft in the eye of Hurricane Betsy on September 3.

On September 7, the United States Weather Bureau predicted that Betsy would make landfall in Matanzas Province in Cuba.<ref name="BeadCuba" /> The National Observatory of Cuba expressed concern for the island's northern coast from the provinces of Havana to Camagüey, and in particular the provinces of Matanzas and Las Villas.<ref name="BahamasBatteredBlasts" /><ref group="nb">The former Cuban province of Las Villas, initially known as Santa Clara until 1940,<ref name=ProvincesOfCuba>Template:Cite web</ref> was split into the present-day provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Sancti Spíritus in 1978.<ref name=CubaGenWeb>Template:Cite web</ref></ref> Cuban radio alerted residents along the country's northern coast, potentially threatened by the hurricane, to take the necessary precautions in the event of an emergency.<ref name="LashesNassauCuba" /> Radio services in Havana alerted residents along the shores of Pinar del Río Province of potentially dangerous storm surge, and urged immediate precautionary measures.<ref name="BahamasBatteredBlasts" />

Watches and warnings

Template:See also Upon the operational development of Betsy into a tropical storm on August 27,<ref name=TCR-1 /> the San Juan Weather Bureau Office issued gale warnings for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Martinique. The weather office advised for small craft in the Windward and Leeward Islands to remain in port until the storm passed. These gale warnings were later expanded to include Dominica and Guadeloupe the next day.<ref name=ADV-1 /> Midday on August 28, warnings were lowered for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and raised for areas of the northern Leeward Islands and later Puerto Rico. Late that day, warnings in Dominica and Guadeloupe were discontinued.<ref name=ADV-2 /> All warnings associated with the developing tropical cyclone were discontinued for a period of time on August 29,<ref name=ADV-3 /> as Betsy was pulling away from any landmasses. After the hurricane temporarily stalled and began to track westward on September 1,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track the Weather Bureau began to warn interests in the Bahamas. Though no warnings were specified, the tropical cyclone tracking agency forecasted winds of potentially hurricane-force and strong surf to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands and Mayaguana;<ref name=ADV-6 /> such forecasts were changed after Betsy began tracking northwest.<ref name=MWR-Season />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=ADV-7 /> Threatening the coasts of Georgia and The Carolinas on September 4,<ref name=MWR-Season /> the Weather Bureau announced the possibility of a hurricane watch for those coastal areas, but decided to delay the issuance of such watches due to Betsy's slow movement at the time.<ref name=ADV-13 /> Nonetheless, the organization advised for small craft in coastal waters adjacent to the coast between Cape Kennedy to Sandy Hook, New Jersey to remain in port, and other small craft north of Miami, Florida and into Bahamian waters to exercise caution.<ref name=ADV-14>Template:Cite report</ref> As a result of Betsy executing a loop and beginning to tracking southwestward, these watches were never issued, however, the Weather Bureau advised extreme caution in several Bahamian islands, though once again no warnings were specified.<ref name=ADV-16 /> However, general emergency hurricane warning was issued early on September 16 for islands in the northern Bahamas, as well as adjacent waters.<ref name=ADV-17>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=ADV-18>Template:Cite report</ref> Hurricane watches and gale warnings were also issued for surrounding islands at the same time.<ref name=ADV-18 /> These warnings and watch products for the Bahamas held until late on September 7.<ref name=ADV-24 />

Early on September 6, as Betsy was tracking through the Bahamas,<ref name=TCR-1 /> a hurricane watch and gale warning were issued for portions of the Southeastern Floridian coast from Cape Kennedy to Key West. Late that day, however, areas of the watch zone from Palm Beach to Key West and Everglades City were upgraded to hurricane emergency warning status. Additional hurricane watches were hoisted for areas of Florida's western coast from Everglades City to Punta Gorda.<ref name=ADV-18 /> The following evening, the hurricane emergency warning zone was expanded to include areas of the east coast northward to Fort Pierce and on the west coast northward to Venice. Gale warnings were also expanded to include coastal areas from Jacksonville to St. Marks. Hurricane watches were similarly extended to include coastal regions of Florida from the boundaries of the hurricane warnings to Daytona Beach and Cedar Keys on the peninsula's eastern and western coasts, respectively.<ref name=ADV-24 /> Once Betsy began moving through the peninsula, however, warning and watch products began to be discontinued by regions, with all products pertaining to Florida discontinued by midday on September 8.<ref name=ADV-28 /><ref name=ADV-29>Template:Cite report</ref> After leaving the Florida area, the first hurricane watch pertaining to the Central Gulf Coast of the United States occurred late on September 8, when the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans issued a hurricane watch for coastal areas from Matagorda Bay to the Mississippi River Delta.<ref name=ADV-30 /> Early the following day, hurricane emergency warnings were issued for areas stretching from Galveston, Texas to the Mississippi River Delta and gale warnings elsewhere from Mobile Bay to Matagorda Bay.<ref name=ADV-31>Template:Cite report</ref> Upon completing its northwestward recurvature, hurricane emergency warnings were shifted eastward to include areas from the mouth of the Mississippi River Delta to Mobile, Alabama. Gale warnings were effected by this change, and as such were also extended to include areas west of Panama City, Florida.<ref name=ADV-33>Template:Cite report</ref> On September 9, hurricane warnings were once again extended eastward to Pensacola, Florida, while they were lowered for the Texas coast.<ref name=ADV-34>Template:Cite report</ref> These warnings remained in effect until September 10, by which time Betsy had weakened sufficiently enough not to warrant such warnings and watches.<ref name=ADV-38>Template:Cite report</ref> Template:Clear

Impact

Filled contoured map showing areas of North America; each contour represents a change of 3 in (75 mm) in precipitation totals.

Rainfall totals in the United States

The effects of Hurricane Betsy were of far-reaching and unprecedented severity.<ref name=TCR-1 /><ref name=TCR-2 /> Though the extent of impacts were limited to the Bahamas and portions of the United States, the damage in these respective regions were considerable.<ref name=MWR-Season /> According to the Hurricane Research Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Betsy produced Category 3 winds (111 mph (179 km/h) or greater) in Southeastern Florida and Southeastern Louisiana.<ref name=ChronologyHurricane>Template:Cite web</ref> However, winds of such intensity were also reported in the Bahamas.<ref name=MWR-Season /> The final, enumerated damage figure of $1.42 billion in damage costs made Betsy the first tropical cyclone in the United States to accrue more than $1 billion in damage, unadjusted for inflation.<ref name=DeadliestTCs>Template:Cite report</ref> For this reason, the tropical cyclone was nicknamed "Billion Dollar Betsy."<ref name=USATodayBillionBetsy>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=HurricaneScienceBetsy>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Bahamas

During Betsy's initial approach of the Bahamian archipelago on September 2, strong surf and high swells were reported in the Southeastern islands, though no damage was reported.<ref name=BetsyLashPittsburgh>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=BetsySkirt /> Much of the damage inflicted to the Bahamas by Betsy occurred between September 6–8, when the tropical cyclone moved across the northern Bahamas as a Category 3 hurricane.<ref name=MWR-Season />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track The preceding track was similar to that of another major hurricane in 1929, which had also drastically curved southwestward before causing significant damage to the island group.<ref name=WarningsExpected /> Likewise, Betsy was considered the worst hurricane to strike the region since then.<ref name=BetsyClobber>Template:Cite news</ref> Stalling over the Bahamas for a period of time as it moved through the islands, several locations sustained the Betsy's effects for prolonged periods of time, despite the tropical cyclone's relatively small size.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=TCR-1 /> Widespread power outage and communication blackouts ensued, preventing the flow of reports between the northern Bahamas and other outlets as the storm took place.<ref name=BetsyHover />

File:Eye of Betsy 03 sept 1965.jpg

In the eye of Hurricane Betsy.

This included NASA communication centers in Cape Kennedy, which had lost contact with downrange missile tracking stations in the archipelago.<ref name="LashingNassauFLSquall" /> Over the duration of the hurricane, the lowest pressure measured was 961 mbar (hPa; 28.40 inHg) in Dunmore Town on Harbour Island. However, no wind measurement was recorded alongside the pressure reading due to a resulting power failure.<ref name="MWR-Season" />

Offshore, the Dutch freighter Sarah Elizabeth was caught in rough seas and had lost control of its rudder while it was pulled by continuous wave action towards Egg Island.<ref name=BahamasBatteredBlasts /><ref name=LashingNassauFLSquall /> As a result, the ship's operators relayed a SOS signal, to which the United States Coast Guard responded by dispatching a cutter and several merchant ships to assist in escorting the stricken freighter to safety. However, roughly five hours later the crew of the Sarah Elizabeth was able to navigate to safer waters within the Providence Channel.<ref name=LashingNassauFLSquall /> Two luxury yachts within the harbor were destroyed, with dozens of smaller craft damaged, as a result of the wind and waves.<ref name=BetsyClobber />

Map showing the erratic track of a tropical cyclone as denoted by a thick black line. A gray, shaded region around the line indicates the width of the eye.

Track of Betsy through the Bahamas

Passing to the north of Nassau, Betsy caused considerable damage to the capital city and the rest of New Providence Island as the hurricane's eyewall stalled over the area.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=BetsyAimsFury /><ref name=BahamasBatteredBlasts>Template:Cite news</ref> The last message received by the Miami Weather Bureau office from communication operators in Nassau during the storm was a report of Template:Convert winds and rough seas late on September 6.<ref name=BetsyHover>Template:Cite news</ref> The strong winds downed power lines,<ref name=BetsyAimsFury /> trees,<ref name=BeadCuba>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> and destroyed homes, while the heavy rainfall, having accumulated over several days, flooding city streets.<ref name=BetsyAimsFury>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Other streets were littered with coconuts, palm fronds, and other debris blown or felled by the strong winds.<ref name=BetsyClobber /> Heavy loss of shrubbery was also reported due to the storm's effects.<ref name=LashesNassauCuba>Template:Cite news</ref> A strong storm surge estimated at Template:Convert swept into the Bay Street waterfront shopping district, inundating the renowned shopping area.<ref name=BeadCuba /><ref name=LashingNassauFLSquall>Template:Cite news</ref> The local police detachment, which had been holed up within a waterfront barracks, was forced to take refuge in a nearby high school due to the storm surge.<ref name=BahamasBatteredBlasts /> Along the coast, 500 American tourists remained stranded in waterfront hotels.<ref name=BetsyClobber /><ref name=StalledBahamas>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite the severe effects, only one person died in the Nassau area after his ship was destroyed and capsized in Nassau Harbor; this would be the only fatality associated with Betsy in the Bahamas.<ref name=MWR-Season />

On West End on Grand Bahama, a weather station reported maximum sustained winds of Template:Convert,<ref name=MWR-Season /> with other locations elsewhere on the island experiencing gusts of at least Template:Convert. However, no damage was reported.<ref name=NassauTakesBeat>Template:Cite news</ref> Out of all the islands, the strongest winds were reported on Abaco Island, where areas were within Betsy's swath of hurricane-force winds for over 20 hours.<ref name=TCR-1 /><ref name=HurricaneCityAbaco>Template:Cite web</ref> In Green Turtle Cay, a station clocked winds of Template:Convert, well into Category 4 intensity on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. Another station in Hope Town measured a peak wind gust of Template:Convert.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=HurricaneCityBetsy>Template:Cite web</ref> The entirety of Hope Town was covered with sand to a depth of Template:Convert, and the local harbor club was extensively damaged. Other docks were either damaged or completely destroyed. Though there was relatively little rainfall,<ref name=HurricaneBetsyRainsHelp>Template:Cite news</ref> coastal flooding damaged many houses to a point beyond repair. In Marsh Harbour, a majority of homes were unroofed. Heavy crop and fruit tree losses were reported in Little and Northern Abaco, with damage enumerated at well over a million dollars.<ref name=MajorHurricanesBahamas>Template:Cite book</ref> In the southern Berry Islands, which experienced hurricane-force winds for over 25 hours and the eye for 3 hours, all the islands suffered damage of some degree. Frazers Hog Cay had several houses badly damaged, one totally destroyed and the entire power distribution destroyed. Only Bird Cay, which had underground utilities, was able to restore electricity and water the next day. The harbor at Chub Cay was severely damaged. and would take months to repair.

Across the northern portion of Eleuthera Island, Betsy wrought considerable damage.<ref name=HurricaneCityEleuthera>Template:Cite web</ref> Communications from the island's missile tracking center were lost, with the last transmitted message indicating winds of Template:Convert which subsequently destroyed an anemometer. A submarine communications cable connecting the missile tracking center to Cape Kennedy was cut by the strong wave action.<ref name=150PoundsNassau>Template:Cite news</ref> In Tarpum Baya police station sustained heavy damage after being hit by storm surge. Other coastal installments and property were severely damaged by the waves. The Glass Window Bridge was also damaged by the storm surge. Elsewhere, vehicles were damaged by fallen debris kicked up by the strong winds associated with Betsy.<ref name=MajorHurricanesBahamas /> Overall, Hurricane Betsy caused an estimated $14 million in damage across the Bahamas, primarily to crops. Insurance claims were estimated at $4 million. The low death toll from the hurricane was accredited by the United States Weather Bureau to the relatively low storm tide, which,<ref name=MWR-Season /> although rough,<ref name=LashingNassauFLSquall /> was negligible in areas including in Nassau, and the heeding of posted hurricane warnings by the affected populations.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Template:Clear

Florida

Black and white radar image of a tropical cyclone; gray areas denote areas where rainfall is occurring. Although only a portion of the tropical cyclone is visible, rainbands and a central eye feature can be clearly made out.

WSR-57 radar image of Betsy near Miami on September 8

Beginning on September 7, intermittent squalls associated with Betsy's outer rainbands began affecting the coast, producing gusts in excess of Template:Convert.<ref name=LashingNassauFLSquall /> One of these squalls toppled trees and damaged awnings in Stuart.<ref name=FloodingMainProblem /> Early the following day, Betsy made landfall on the southeastern Florida coast near Key Largo with a strength equivalent to that of a Category 3 hurricane.Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=TCR-2 /> Intense winds were felt across the region, with the highest officially wind speed clocked at Template:Convert in Big Pine Key; the same station also recorded the strongest gust documented while Betsy was over southern Florida at Template:Convert. The lowest barometric pressure recorded was 952 mbar (hPa; 28.12 inHg) at a station in Tavernier while it was within the eye of the storm.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=StormData />

The strong winds knocked down utility poles, causing widespread power outage and a telecommunications blackout.<ref name=BetsyMuddy /> At one point, an estimated 25,000 telephones were knocked out of service, with half of the central telephone exchange operating on emergency backup power.<ref name=FloodingMainProblem /> Some transformers that were blown down sparked localized fires.<ref name=BetsyMuddy>Template:Cite news</ref> One person was killed after being electrocuted by a fallen power line.<ref name=WallOfWater>Template:Cite news</ref> The blackouts cut electric service to 80 percent of customers in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas. House trailers were smashed by flying debris in the same areas. Several roads were blocked by debris thrown by the wind. U.S. Highway 1 in Florida was cut off by fallen telephone poles, preventing land access from the mainland to the Florida Keys. Similarly, numerous portions of the Tamiami Trail were blocked by fallen trees.<ref name=FloridaBatteredHighWind>Template:Cite news</ref> A person was killed after a prostrated tree fell, crushing the individual.<ref name=BetsyTurnsFury /> At the Miami International Airport, two twin-engine cargo craft were blown off the airport's perimeter.<ref name=FloodingMainProblem>Template:Cite news</ref> Heavy agricultural losses resulted from the strong winds as well. Approximately 25 to 50 percent of Florida's citrus crop was damaged after being blown down by strong winds. In addition, 90 percent of Dade and Broward counties' avocado crop,<ref name=MWR-Season /> valued at $2 million, was destroyed.<ref name=FloridaBatteredHighWind />

File:Hurricane Betsy effects in Key West MM00036424 (7562494434).jpg

Riviera Canal in Key West battered by storm surge flooding during Hurricane Betsy

Much of the damage inflicted in the state was caused by an unusually strong storm surge, which inundated the coastal and low-lying areas of Florida.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Although the strongest storm surge was positioned north of the eye, away from the more densely populated regions of Greater Miami, an abnormally high storm tide still prevailed and caused extensive damage along the southern coast of the peninsula.<ref name=HurricaneBetsySwamps>Template:Cite news</ref> Northerly winds well in advance of Betsy's landfall forced water from Florida Bay onto the Florida Keys, and the resulting damage was then further exacerbated when southerly winds during and after the hurricane's approach forced water from the Atlantic onto the isolated Keys. Storm surge was further exacerbated by (this writer remembers) high tide (cannot substantiate) and near full moon<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> at the peak of the storm in the Miami area. This resident living one block north of the Miami city line remembers the waters of Biscayne Bay came within mm of entering his family's home on NE 88th Street perhaps 300 meters from the bay. Though storm surge was estimated to have peaked along the coast of North Key Largo at Template:Convert, a measurement of Template:Convert in Tavernier was the highest measured total. However, a high water mark of Template:Convert on a highway west of Sugarloaf Key indicated that such estimations in North Key Largo were valid.<ref name=MWR-Season /> The strong storm surge caused severe beach erosion, mostly to areas south of Clearwater on the state's western coast while Betsy was traversing the Gulf of Mexico. In Fort Pierce, the waves washed away up to Template:Convert of beach.<ref name=FloodingMainProblem />

Slightly elevated photo taken in the middle of a flooded street. Palm trees, utility poles, and residences are visible on both the left and right sides of the street.

Street flooding in Key West

Coastal flooding in the Upper Keys was severe, with areas being inundated under several feet of seawater. Along the Miami Beach waterfront, a storm tide measuring Template:Convert caused extensive damage to shoreline property along Biscayne Bay.<ref name=StormData /> Eight people on the beach were injured, primarily due to flying glass shards.<ref name=FloridaShambles>Template:Cite news</ref> Roads were inundated, with water exceeding the first floor heights of some buildings.<ref name=StormData /> As a result of the waves and wind, three barges were torn out of their moorings, and later drifted downwind before severing a portion of the Rickenbacker Causeway,<ref name=FloridaBatteredHighWind /> rendering it impassable and isolating Key Biscayne from the mainland.<ref name=BetsyTurnsFury>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name=HurricaneFloodsMiami /> Along the waterfront, the waves blew into hotels and shoreline residences.<ref name=BetsyMuddy />

Offshore, the strong waves caused a freighter to run aground near Palm Beach, and nine people became stranded in houseboats near a mangrove island in Biscayne Bay.<ref name=BetsyChurnsHavoc /> Another cargo ship, the Panamanian, ran aground within Lake Worth Inlet.<ref name=HurricaneFloodsMiami /> At Key Largo, a Template:Convert sailboat was blown out of the water onto an adjacent neighborhood. Elsewhere in Key Largo, homes were unroofed by the strong winds, with other buildings damaged by flying debris.<ref name=BetsyChurnsHavoc>Template:Cite news</ref> Water forced into the Miami River caused it to overflow its banks and spread inland for several city blocks in Miami. In the Miami area, Betsy caused the most severe seawater inundation since a major hurricane struck in 1926;<ref name=BetsyMuddy /> this record was attributed to the highest storm surge reported in as many years.<ref name=HurricaneFloodsMiami>Template:Cite news</ref> A Template:Convert section of State Road A1A,<ref name=BetsySlamsIntoSE>Template:Cite news</ref> which runs adjacent to Miami and the nearby beach, was blocked by sand dunes piled inland by the strong winds.<ref name=FloridaBatteredHighWind /> The high tide also washed out a some portions of the road between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach.<ref name=BetsySpokesmanReviewFlorida>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Hurricane Betsy effects in Key West MM00036244 (7349429380).jpg

Severe damage to homes in Key West after Hurricane Betsy

Precipitation was localized, albeit heavy, in South Florida. Rainfall peaked at Template:Convert in Plantation Key on September 8.<ref name=MWR-Season /><ref name=FLRain>Template:Cite web</ref> The weather station in Big Pine Key observed the second highest state rainfall total at Template:Convert.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Elsewhere, rainfall spread as far northward as Tampa Bay.<ref name=WPCRain /> Although intense, the rains helped partially alleviate a concurrent drought in the Everglades.<ref name=HurricaneBetsyRainsHelp /><ref name=FuriousBetsyBatters>Template:Cite news</ref> No damage was reported in association with the rainfall.<ref name=TCR-2 /> A total of three tornadoes formed in association with Betsy,<ref name=StormData /> of which two occurred while the major hurricane was landfalling in South Florida.<ref name=TCR-2 /> On September 8, a tornado developed and track near Marathon, while another occurred near Big Pine Key; both tornadoes caused no reported damage.<ref name=StormData /> However, a waterspout formed near Fort Walton Beach off the Florida Panhandle the following day and later destroyed a marina with twelve boats.<ref name=TCR-2 /><ref name=StormData /> The relatively low number of tornadoes that formed as a result of Betsy was due to the anomalously rapid forward motion that Betsy traveled at during its traverse of the Florida peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico. Overall, five people were killed in the state,<ref name=StormData /> and damage totaled $139 million, primarily due to the strong storm surge generated by Betsy.<ref name=MWR-Season />

Gulf of Mexico

File:HurricaneBetsyFloodingAirForceONE.jpg

Aerial view of flooding in New Orleans

File:NOLA9thFloodedBetsy.jpg

Flooding in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans after Betsy

Eight offshore oil platforms were destroyed during Betsy, with others experiencing damage. A Shell oil platform off the Mouth of the Mississippi River was not seen again. The oil rig Maverick, owned by future president George H. W. Bush's Zapata corporation also disappeared during the cyclone. It was insured by Lloyd's of London for US$5.7 million (1965 dollars).<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>

Louisiana

File:BetsySep1019652246CSTLastNEWradarimage.jpg

This is the last radar image of Hurricane Betsy, taken by the New Orleans radar on September 10

Hurricane Betsy slammed into Grand Isle on the evening of September 9, 1965. Template:Convert winds and power failures were reported in New Orleans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The eye of the storm passed to the southwest of New Orleans on a northwesterly track. The northern and western eyewalls covered Southeast Louisiana and the New Orleans area from about 8 pm until 4 am the next morning. In Thibodaux winds of Template:Convert to Template:Convert were reported.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Baton Rouge weather bureau operated under auxiliary power, without telephone communication.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Around 1 am, the worst of the wind and rain was over.

Betsy also drove a storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain, just north of New Orleans, and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a deep-water shipping channel to the east and south. Levees for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet along Florida Avenue in the Lower Ninth Ward and on both sides of the Industrial Canal failed. The flood water reached the eaves of houses in some places and over some one story roofs in the Lower Ninth Ward. Some residents drowned in their attics trying to escape the rising waters.

File:Hurricane Betsy weather map, September 10, 1965 (188754342).jpg

Weather map of Hurricane Betsy shortly after landfall in Southeast Louisiana on September 10

These levee breaches flooded parts of Gentilly, the Upper Ninth Ward, and the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans as well as Arabi and Chalmette in neighboring St. Bernard Parish.

On the morning of September 10, 1965, US Senator Russell Long called President Lyndon Johnson pleading for federal aid and for him to visit the city of New Orleans.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> During the phone call Long suggested that the gesture would help Long, US Representative Edwin Willis, and Johnson himself win re-election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Five hours later, Johnson arrived in the, promising New Orleans Mayor Vic Schiro federal aid.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

It was ten days or more before the water level in New Orleans went down enough for people to return to their homes. It took even longer than that to restore their flooded houses to a livable condition. Those who did not have family or friends with dry homes had to sleep in the shelters at night and forage for supplies during the day, while waiting for the federal government to provide emergency relief in the form of trailers. In all, 164,000 homes were flooded at the second landfall.

Evidence suggests that cheap construction and poor maintenance of the structures led to the failure of the levees. However, popular rumor persists that they were intentionally breached,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> possibly as a means of salvaging the French Quarter and central business district. Template:Clear

Many of the barges that had been traveling on the Mississippi River were engulfed by the hurricane. One of the barges, MTC-602, contained 600 tons of deadly chlorine gas contained in cylinders. Chlorine gas, which was used frequently as a chemical weapon in World War I, is a powerful irritant that can inflict damage to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and (at high concentrations and prolonged exposure) cause death by asphyxiation. It was estimated that the amount of chlorine loaded on the barge was enough to kill 40,000 people. The barge had sunk near Baton Rouge, where an estimated 300,000 people lived. The residents in the harbor area were evacuated until the barge was recovered. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the Navy and Army Engineers to find and raise the barge. While it took months to locate and make the appropriate plans for raising the barge, the actual process of raising it took around two hours. The barge was reportedly recovered, without any problems, on November 12, 1965.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Mississippi

The storm produced rainfall, high tides, and strong winds in Mississippi. Near the border with Alabama, tides of Template:Convert were reported, while ranging as high as Template:Convert near the state line with Louisiana. Wind speeds also varied greatly throughout the state. In Pascagoula, winds between Template:Convert were recorded. By contrast, winds were in excess of Template:Convert in Bay St. Louis. Despite the winds, much of the property damage in the state was caused by tides along the Gulf Coast. Strong winds and heavy rainfall caused significant crop damage in Harrison, Hancock County, Mississippi, and Jackson County, Mississippi. Throughout the state, 25,000 people lost electricity and more than 22,641 disruptions to telephone service occurred.<ref name="stormdata">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Overall, damage in the state of Mississippi totaled to $80 million (1965 USD).<ref name="mwr">Template:Cite web</ref>

Alabama

Though Betsy remained well south and west of Alabama throughout its existence,Template:Atlantic hurricane best track<ref name=WPCRain /> its outer rainbands and strong storm surge caused damage in some areas of the state, particularly in the southern portions of the state.<ref name=TCR-2 /> At the coast, the storm tide caused by Betsy were the highest since 1916.<ref name=AlabamaTCR1>Template:Cite report</ref> High tides peaking at Template:Convert in Mobile destroyed and damage some private piers and waterfront buildings.<ref name=StormData /> The Mobile Bay Causeway and adjacent infrastructure was flooded by the storm surge; as a result the causeway was closed between September 9–10.<ref name=AlabamaTCR1 /> Strong winds were also reported in southern Alabama. Gusts of Template:Convert were reported on Dauphin Island just off the Alabama coast; these would be the strongest winds or gusts reported statewide. Similarly, gusts of Template:Convert were estimated at Alabama Port. In the former, minor damage was reported to residences and other buildings, and numerous homes sustained minor roof and carport damage.<ref name=AlabamaTCR2 /> Mobile County reported similar damage. Extensive damage to utility lines in those same regions also occurred. The strong winds also resulted in the tearing of 20–25 percent of the state pecan crop from their trees.<ref name=StormData /><ref name=AlabamaTCR2 /> Damage to other crops was negligible.<ref name=AlabamaTCR2>Template:Cite report</ref>

Although rainfall occurred throughout Alabama, precipitation was more numerous in the northern part of the state after Betsy passed the region to the north as a weakening tropical cyclone.<ref name=WPCRain /> Rainfall peaked at Template:Convert in Guntersville.<ref name=GCRain /> Betsy's outer rainbands also produced two tornadoes in the state. The first occurred in a remote area near Theodore and as such did not cause any damage. However, the second tornado, which touched down near Cullman late on September 11, destroyed several acres of corn and uprooted over 300 fruit trees.<ref name=AlabamaTCR1 /> The tornado, described as one of "narrow" length, also slightly damaged some buildings and uprooted a number of other trees. Though no exact damage total could be calculated, the tornado caused anywhere between $5,500–$55,000 in damage.<ref name=StormData /> Statewide, Hurricane Betsy caused $500,000 in damage.<ref name=MWR-Season />

Elsewhere

Black and white contoured map of precipitation in a state. Cities and county borders are marked.

Rainfall totals in Arkansas

In its early formative stages, Betsy forced the shortening of NASA's Gemini 5 mission by one orbit due to the tropical storm's forecasted track over the initial target splashdown zone near Grand Turk Island.<ref name=GeminiVTrip/><ref name=TSBetsyGains>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result, the spacecraft, which had been orbiting the Earth since August 1965, had its target splashdown zone shifted northward to an area of the Atlantic Ocean well east of Jacksonville, Florida, away from the storm's projected path.<ref name=GeminiVTrip>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> In Martinique, the precursor tropical depression caused marginal rainfall and light gusts, and no damage was reported.<ref name=TSBetsyGains/> In Sint Maarten, winds and their associated gusts peaked at Template:Convert for several hours on August 28.<ref name=SanJuanBetsyReport>Template:Cite report</ref> Throughout the rest of the Windward Islands, gusts peaked at 40 mph (65 km/h),<ref name=MWR-Season /> though the resultant wind damage was marginal.<ref name=BetsyNowAHurricane>Template:Cite news</ref> As the hurricane was passing near the southeastern Bahamas, high swells were reported along the northern coast of Hispaniola, though no damage ensued.<ref name=BetsySkirt>Template:Cite news</ref>

Although the more significant effects of Hurricane Betsy in the United States were limited to coastal regions, areas further inland received rainfall and strong winds from the weakening tropical cyclone and its remnants, with precipitation extending inland as far northeast as Pennsylvania.<ref name=WPCRain /> Far offset from where Betsy made landfall, effects in Texas were minimal,<ref name=MWR-Season /> despite the large scale evacuations in Sabine Pass prior to landfall.<ref name=TexasTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> In Port Arthur a station received just Template:Convert of rain, coupled with storm tides Template:Convert above mean sea level.<ref name=MWR-Season /> From September 10–11, Betsy passed through Arkansas, which experienced the worst effects in the United States outside of states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name=ArkansasTCR1 /> The highest reported rainfall total from the hurricane in the state was in Wynne, where Template:Convert of rain was recorded.<ref name=GCRain>Template:Cite web</ref> Surrounding regions in northeastern Arkansas reported at least Template:Convert of rain.<ref name=NWS-LZK /> The heavy precipitation and resulting flooding there damaged cotton and rice crops.<ref name=MWR-Season /> Much of the rice crop in the eastern and southern portions of the state were flattened by the rains, and thus were highly susceptible to future rainfalls. A third of cotton, much of which defoliated, was lost to the rain.<ref name=ArkansasTCR2 /> However, these losses were offset by the increased soybean yield resulting from the same rainfall.<ref name=MWR-Season /> A number of pecan tree limbs were torn down, though relative to the overall pecan production for the state these losses were negligible.<ref name=ArkansasTCR2 /> The rains also caused both the Black and White Rivers in the eastern part of the state to rise from Template:Convert to Template:Convert; however, they did not exceed flood stage.<ref name=ArkansasTCR2>Template:Cite report</ref> Betsy's remnants were estimated to have brought winds of Template:Convert throughout the state.<ref name=NWS-LZK>Template:Cite report</ref> Most of the stronger winds were in the northern quadrant of the weakening tropical cyclone as it progressed through Arkansas. However, the highest measured wind gusts were only clocked at Template:Convert in stations at Pine Bluff and Walnut.<ref name=ArkansasTCR1>Template:Cite report</ref> The strong winds tore down power lines, leaving hundreds of electricity customers without power for several days. However, regional electrical crews were able to restore most power by the night of September 11.<ref name=ArkansasTCR2 /> Four people were killed by the weakening hurricane statewide.<ref name=ArkansasTCR2 />

In Illinois, the remnants of Hurricane Betsy brought heavy rainfall to the extreme southern portions of the state over a period of three days, ranging anywhere from Template:Convert;<ref name=StormData /> the highest recorded total was Template:Convert in Cairo, Illinois. The same station recorded Template:Convert of rain in a 24-hour period.<ref name=IllinoisTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> The resulting damage, if any, was minimal,<ref name=StormData /> though minor damage occurred to cotton and soy crops in the Cairo area.<ref name=KentuckyTCR3>Template:Cite report</ref> Hail and strong winds in Kentucky's Bluegrass region damaged tobacco fields and caused damage to 35 mobile homes and a number of other roofs.<ref name=StormData /> Though no deaths were directly associated with Betsy's effects, a car lost control during a rainstorm in Gallatin County and subsequently crashed; the two occupants later went missing and were presumed dead.<ref name=KentuckyTCR2>Template:Cite report</ref> Strong wind in Montgomery County downed trees. In western Tennessee, moderate to heavy rains in conjunction with gusts as strong as Template:Convert were reported.<ref name=StormData /> Precipitation peaked in the state at Template:Convert in Ripley.<ref name=SERain>Template:Cite web</ref> Though much of the rainfall was beneficial to the region's agricultural sector, localized flooding was also reported.<ref name=StormData>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref> Winds estimated between Template:Convert blew down some cotton and corn crops.<ref name=TNTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> Other opened cotton bolls were damaged, while soybeans were blown down, making mechanical harvesting difficult.<ref name=TNTCR2>Template:Cite report</ref>

Further north and east, the rains Betsy produced were mostly beneficial as the storm had substantially weakened by the time it had approached these regions.<ref name=MWR-Season />Template:Atlantic hurricane best track The outer fringes of Betsy caused moderate rainfall in the southeastern states of North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina, where state precipitation totals peaked at Template:Convert in Randleman, Template:Convert in Ailey, and Template:Convert in Laurens, respectively.<ref name=SERain /> Waves cresting as high as Template:Convert off of South Carolina caused minor beach damage during Betsy's initial approach of the South Atlantic States on September 7.<ref name=SCBetsy>Template:Cite web</ref> In West Virginia, the rains helped to saturate soils used for growing crops, benefiting crop production.<ref name=WVTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> From September 11–13, Betsy's rains were felt throughout Pennsylvania. Rainfall peaked at Template:Convert in the central and northeastern regions of the state.<ref name=PennTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> Further south, in Maryland and Delaware, the rains were also beneficial to arable land. Precipitation in the former peaked at Template:Convert in Bittinger, while precipitation in the latter peaked at Template:Convert.<ref name=MarylandTCR>Template:Cite report</ref> Template:Clear

Aftermath

Template:See also The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Hurricane Protection Program came into existence as a result of Betsy. The Corps built new levees for New Orleans that were both taller and made of stronger material, designed specifically to resist a fast-moving Category 3 hurricane like Betsy (Betsy was retroactively upgraded to a Category 4 at the time of its Louisiana landfall in 2019). The resulting levee improvements failed when Hurricane Katrina, a large, slow-moving, intense hurricane made landfall near New Orleans on August 29, 2005.

File:S-IC-D hurricane damage at Michoud.ogv

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans sustained some damage, as did Saturn V test hardware

Retirement

Template:See also Due to the storm's extent and severity of impacts, the name Betsy was retired following the season by the National Hurricane Center, and it will not be used again to name a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Consequently, the name was replaced with Blanche for the 1969 season.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>

Hurricane Betsy in popular culture

• In April 1969,<ref name=LightninHopkinsAllMusic /> Texan blues artist Sam John "Lightnin'" Hopkins wrote the song Hurricane Betsy as the fourth track of the album The Texas Bluesman.<ref name=LightninHopkinsAllMusic>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=AppleLightnin>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The song Georgia... Bush was recorded by artists DJ Drama and Lil Wayne and released along with the mixtape Dedication 2 on September 4, 2006.<ref name=Dedication2>Template:Cite web</ref> Produced by Vudu Spellz, the song described a first-person account of Hurricane Katrina and emasculated U.S. president George W. Bush, while also indicting institutional racism.<ref name=LilWayneCM>Template:Cite web</ref> Part of the song's lyrics – "Same shit happened back in Hurricane Betsy/ 1965" – makes direct reference to Hurricane Betsy, implying that the government intentionally destroyed levees such that the Lower Ninth Ward would be flooding and thus protecting more expensive lakefront property.<ref name=LWLyrics>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Written by Rachelle Burk and illustrated by Rex Schneider, the children's novel Tree House in a Storm is a fictional telling of two child siblings whose tree house, having long served as a safe haven, is destroyed by Hurricane Betsy.<ref name=AmazonTreeHouseStorm>Template:Cite book</ref>
• In the television series Flipper, Hurricane Betsy is referenced in the opening of the 10th episode of the second season (S02E10), titled "Dolphin Patrol," which aired on November 19, 1965, approximately two months after the hurricane dissipated. The episode begins with footage of ships in rough seas, accompanied by a narrator describing the storm’s impact: "Hurricane Betsy roared through southern Florida, leaving in her wake a tragic aftermath of destruction. The furious winds, without regard for life or property, tossed boats and automobiles as though they were matchsticks." The narration highlights Florida’s resilience and cleanup efforts before transitioning to the episode’s plot, which involves rescue operations and storm-related challenges at the park.

See also

• List of Florida hurricanes (1950–1974)
• List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
• Hurricane Elena (1985) – Storm of erratic nature struck a wide swath of the United States Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane during the Labor Day week causing major damage
• Hurricane Andrew (1992) – Small tropical cyclone devastated southern Florida as a Category 5 before impacting areas of southeastern Louisiana as a Category 3
• Hurricane Jeanne (2004) – Struck the Bahamas and Florida as a Category 3 hurricane
• Hurricane Katrina (2005) – Category 5 hurricane that struck South Florida as a Category 1 before causing unprecedented destruction in the New Orleans area as a Category 3 hurricane, becoming the costliest hurricane on record
• Hurricane Dorian (2019) – Stalled over The Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane causing catastrophic damage

External links

• Template:Internet Archive film clip
• Historic Images of Florida Hurricanes (State Archives of Florida)
• President Lyndon Johnson and the Response to Hurricane Betsy @ University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs