Edna

History

Tropical Cyclone Edna developed from a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea on approximately 2 September 1954, during the Atlantic hurricane season. The system tracked west-northwestward, bypassing Hispaniola to the north, and intensified into a hurricane by 7 September. It reached its peak intensity as a Category 3 major hurricane on 8 September, sustaining winds of around 120 mph (190 km/h) north of the Bahamas. Edna subsequently weakened to Category 2 strength before making landfall over Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on 11 September, closely following the track of Hurricane Carol, which had struck the same region just eleven days earlier.

The storm caused 29 deaths across its lifetime, with 21 fatalities occurring in New England alone, including eight drowning deaths in Maine. Puerto Rico experienced severe flooding from heavy rainfall, while high waves affected North Carolina's coastline without causing casualties. In New York City, the storm produced the heaviest single day of rainfall in 45 years, and strong waves severed Montauk from the rest of Long Island. New York sustained approximately $1.5 million in crop losses and six highway deaths. Power outages affected 260,000 people across New England, including nearly all of Cape Cod. Maine experienced its costliest hurricane on record, with flooding that destroyed roads and rail lines. Edna later transitioned to an extratropical cyclone over Atlantic Canada before dissipating around 15 September.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia