Jim Bradshaw
Cristobal was a storm for the record books as soon as it was named on Tuesday, June 2. That is the earliest an Atlantic or Gulf storm beginning with the letter C has formed since record-keeping began in 1851 (or that would have been a C-storm before we began naming them).
Tropical Storm Colin, which was named on June 5, 2016, previously held that distinction.
That’s a bit surprising, since June storms form pretty regularly, visiting the Gulf about once every two years.
The good news is that most of those storms don’t get very strong. Only four Gulf storms have reached hurricane strength since 1950.
The strongest of them was Audrey, the never to be forgotten storm that came ashore in Cameron Parish on June 27, 1957, pushing a tidal wave that destroyed practically everything in its path and left more than 400 people dead. Only Katrina that ravaged New Orleans in August 2005 and Maria that devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017 have caused more deaths on the mainland U.S. or in one of its territories. Audrey is the only Category 3 storm ever to hit Louisiana in June.
The other three Gulf hurricanes that made landfall in June were Alma (1966) and Agnes (1972), both of which came ashore in Florida as Category 1 storms, and Bonnie (1986), which struck Texas as a Category 2.
There are stories of what may have been Gulf hurricanes in June before 1950, but those also appear to be small storms, if they reached hurricane strength at all.
There is a reference to what may have been a hurricane in Lake Charles school teacher Thomas Rigmaiden’s diary for 1840. An “all day rain” began on June 9th and continued for days, until “corn was blown down from the field” on the 21st.
On June 9, 1871 a storm that apparently struck hardest just west of Galveston caused a “terrific gale” at Morgan City and along the Louisiana coast.
On June 16, 1934, a storm moved inland at Vermilion Bay after making a complete loop in the Gulf. According to press reports, every building in Morgan City received damage of some sort during this one. Chimneys were blown down, roofs ripped from homes, and windows smashed by debris driven by what was described as 75-mile-per-hour winds.
But historically we have been pretty safe in early June. More than 100 storms have touched someplace in Louisiana over the last 200 years, the huge majority of them in August, September, or October. Through 2019 none have struck Louisiana in May or December. April and November have had one each. Ten have been recorded in July.
Of course, hurricanes are unpredictable and seem to be coming more frequently, but an old sailor’s adage still seems about right in predicting the months they are most likely to appear here:
June too soon.
July stand by.
August look out you must.
September remember
October all over.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, Cajuns and Other Characters, is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.