Storms of 1967

Arlene | Chloe | Doria | Heidi

Arlene was first classified as a strong tropical depression on August 28 , 1967, while located near 16° North, 36° West. Once the strong depression had formed, it moved northwestward. The first advisory on Tropical Storm Arlene was issued on August 30. During the evening of September 1, Arlene began to re-curve sharply and accelerated to the north. Arlene continue northward through the 3^rd and during this period attained hurricane force. Arlene became absorbed in a warm frontal system during the next 12 hours, filled rapidly, and decelerated appreciably. No deaths or injuries were reported from shipping interests, and no warnings, other than marine, were required since Arlene remained well at sea.

Chloe originated from a disturbance that moved off the African coast on September 4, 1967. The next day, the low passed through the Cape Verde Islands and on the 7^th, the depression turned northwestward . Slowly intensifying during the northward motion, Chloe attained tropical storm strength on September 8. The following day, Chloe reached hurricane status and turned sharply westward. The hurricane deepened again on the 11^th, as it took on a northward component of motion. Approaching Doria on the 15^th, Chloe turned northward. Westerlies steered the storm eastward, away from Doria on the 17^th. It is suggested that Chloe remained rather intense and probably retained tropical character while crossing the North Atlantic. The remnants of this storm reached Europe. The only casualties attributed to Chloe resulted from the sinking of the Fiete Schulze in the Bay of Biscay on September 21. Three crewmen drowned and eleven were reported missing.

Doria was one of the most erratic storms ever observed. It moved in every possible direction at one time or another during its life and, if one goes back to the beginning as a wave cyclone, it crossed over its previous track twice. Circulation was first observed around a cold frontal low pressure system off the northeast Florida coast on September 4, 1967. This low drifted aimlessly for three days in a small areas centered 400 kilometres east of Jacksonville, Florida. On September 7, the centre was located about 80 kilometres north of Grand Bahamas Island and lowest pressure was at 1010 millibars. Doria reached tropical storm intensity the following day about 160 kilometres east of Cape Kennedy and began moving more rapidly northeastward. Doria reached hurricane intensity and passed about 160 kilometres southeast of the North Carolina capes on the 10^th. The following day cold air entering Doria’s circulation weakened it to less than hurricane force as the centre moved due east. Doria warmed again on September 12 as its movement slowed markedly and its winds reached hurricane force once more. Doria turned westward and continued as a hurricane to within a few kilometres of the Virginia Capes on September 16. Then Doria again encountered cold and drier air and moved over colder water. These influences and that of a large portion of its circulation being over land weakened Doria rapidly as it turned southward. The weakened centre reached land near the Virginia-North Carolina boarder and continued southward across the North Carolina capes and back to sea on September 17. Doria continued southward and then eastward as a weak depression but was still recognizable four days later south of Bermuda.

Only minor damage occurred along the coast from New Jersey to North Carolina. Doria claimed three lives when a small boat sank in high seas off Ocean City, New Jersey.

On October 19, a depression formed about 800 kilometres northeast of the Lesser Antilles. On the 20^th, a ship passed through the depression and found winds of 93 kilometres per hour (50 knots) in squalls and a lowest pressure of 1008 millibars. Although the winds were of tropical storm intensity, the system did not appear to have a warm core, and its designation as a named storm was withheld pending receipt of additional data.

Heidi was upgraded to hurricane status late in the evening on October 22. At this time Heidi was re-curving into a trough in the westerlies, and the hurricane proceeded on an east-northeastward course for the next two days, while maintaining minimal hurricane intensity. On October 25, the westerlies weakened and retreated northward as a strong upper ridge built from Nova Scotia to Bermuda. The hurricane was thus embedded in an environment of light and variable winds at upper levels, while at the surface, high pressure, extending from the east around through the north and northwest, impeded appreciable northward movement. The hurricane’s path thus became essentially blocked, and for the next five days, from the 25^th until the 30^th, Heidi wandered mainly northward. Heidi’s slow northward movement permitted progressively cooler air and water to weaken Heidi to tropical storm intensity on October 29. By October 30 the storm had lost its tropical characteristics and turned eastward as a low pressure area. Finally, on November 1, the remnants of Heidi were absorbed into the broad-scale features of the North Atlantic.

Heidi posed no serious threat to any land areas and was of interest mainly to shipping. No reports of casualties or of damage attributable to the hurricane were received.