Hurricane Carol path, 1953

What the record says

Carol was a hurricane in the North Atlantic basin that lasted about 12 days, from 28 August 1953 to 9 September 1953. Its peak was Category 5 (140 kt) on 3 September 1953, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 140 kt (161 mph, 259 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 929 hPa.

• Category 5peak intensity
• 140 ktpeak wind (161 mph)
• 929 hPalowest pressure
• 12 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: NOAA National Hurricane Center (HURDAT2, Atlantic).

It has its own page because it reached category 5 or stronger.

This page gives the official record's figures. It does not describe the human cost of the storm, which is far larger than any wind speed or pressure here.

Where it came ashore

• 8 September 1953: Canada (60 kt)

A landfall here is the first tropical position over land after time at sea, so it is within about six hours of the real event. The record shows up to 8.

Countries it came within 50 km of

Strongest effect first.

• Canada

How to read this track

The line joins the storm's six-hourly positions with straight lines, coloured by its intensity at each point, so it shows how the storm strengthened and weakened. The real path curved between the positions. A dashed grey stretch means the storm had become post-tropical. Records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are estimates.

Source: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS, public domain. See data sources and caveats.