Hurricane Carla was one of two Category 5 hurricanes during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, one of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States. The storm caused over $2 billion (2005 US dollars) in damages, but due to a massive evacuation the death toll was only 43.
A tropical depression formed in the western Caribbean Sea on September 3 from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is an area of low pressure that forms where the Northeast Trade Winds meet the Southeast Trade Winds near the earth's equator. It moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm on September 5th and a hurricane on the 6th. After skimming the Yucatán Peninsula as a minor hurricane, Carla entered the Gulf of Mexico and headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
As it moved slowly across the Gulf of Mexico, Carla steadily strengthened to its peak of 175 mph (280 km/h) winds (Category 5 intensity) on September 11. Just before landfall, it weakened, but Carla was still a very strong and unusually large Category 4 hurricane at its landfall between Port O'Connor and Port Lavaca on the 11th. Along the entire Texas coast, hurricane warnings were put into effect, causing a large evacuation of low-lying areas. The "eye" of the storm came within 65 miles to the east of Corpus Christi.
Rainfall amounts were heaviest from Port Lavaca up the coast to Galveston and within 50 miles inland, ranging from 10 to 16 inches in some spots. Galveston Airport recorded 16.49" of rain in a four-day period. Closer to home, at the airport in Corpus Christi, a relatively light 1.22" fell, but downtown Corpus had 5.15". Victoria recorded a notable 6.25" of rain.
Lowest central pressure recorded at the Corpus airport was 28.88" and at the navy base, 28.73". As the center of the storm passed over Port Lavaca, a calibrated barometer positioned at a dredging company recorded the lowest pressure anywhere on land, with 27.62" before the needle dipped below the reported scale.
Storm surge was measured at 22 feet (6.7 m) near the heads of bays, in some places penetrating 10 miles inland. Because of its large size, the entire Texas coast was affected, and damage was reported as far inland as Dallas. Wind gusts as high as 170mph were recorded at Port Lavaca. Pressure at landfall was measured at 931 mbar (hPa), making it the eighth most intense hurricane to strike the United States in the 20th century.
Much of the damage was done well away from the landfall site, as Carla spawned one of the largest hurricane-related tornado outbreaks on record. One F4 tornado ripped through downtown Galveston, killing several (sources differ on the exact number, varying from 6 to 12). Outside the protection of the Galveston Seawall, structures on the island were severely damaged by storm surge. Damage was reported as far east as the Mississippi River delta.
As Carla weakened, it dropped heavy rain in the Midwest.
Watch vs Warning - Know the Difference
A HURRICANE WATCH issued for your part of the coast indicates the possibility that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. This watch should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated, especially those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat, leaving a barrier island, etc.
A HURRICANE WARNING issued for your part of the coast indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 24 hours or less. Once this warning has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.
