Storms of 1968

Brenda | Candy | Dolly | Gladys

Brenda began as a tropical depression over the Florida Straits on June 17, 1968. This depression then drifted up the Florida peninsula for two and a half days with little change in intensity. The depression left northeastern Florida early on the 20^th and then turned toward the east over the open Atlantic. Brenda reached storm intensity on June 21 and it began to move toward the northeast. The storm reached minimal hurricane force for little over a day in the Atlantic, during which time it passed about 320 kilometres north of Bermuda. Brenda lost intensity on the 26^th when it was engulfed by a strong extratropical system.

No deaths or damages have been attributed to Brenda.

Candy formed as a depression off the Mexican coast on June 22 and was upgraded to a tropical storm the following day. The storm moved towards the north-northwest on the 23^rd and crossed the Texas coast near Port Aransas during the late afternoon. Over land, Candy weakened slowly and passed over Fort Worth early on the 24^th. The remnants accelerated towards the northeast on the 25^th ahead of an approaching cold front, encountered cold air on the 26^th, and lost tropical characteristics.

Heavy rains caused minor flooding from Texas to Illinois, with the highest rainfall amount recorded as 27 centimetres. Nineteen tornadoes or funnel clouds were spawned on June 23 and 24. Total property losses was conservatively estimated to be about $1 million with crop damage in east Texas approaching $2 million. There were no known deaths connected with Tropical Storm Candy.

A tropical wave that emerged from the African coast on July 31, provided the initial impulse from which Dolly eventually developed. This wave traversed the tropical Atlantic in a rather typical fashion, reaching the Florida Straits on August 9. A depression formed just off southeast Florida coast late on the 9^th. The depression moved inland just north of Fort Lauderdale during the night and back out to sea during the afternoon of the 10^th. For the next two days the depression showed no significant intensification. The depression moved northeastward, moving parallel to and about 200 kilometres off the Georgia and Carolina coasts. Tropical Storm Dolly was christened on the morning of August 12^th, while moving east-northeastward. Dolly attained hurricane force late on the same day but was able to maintain it for only about 24 hours. After being downgraded to a tropical storm for about 36 hours, Dolly once again became a hurricane. Dolly finally became extratropical 480 kilometres north of the Azores on August 16. The hurricane posed no threat to any land areas and caused no injuries or damage.

The 1968 hurricane season had been relatively quiet until Gladys formed in the Caribbean on October 15. Tropical Storm Gladys was forecast on a slow northward course and, with further intensification expected, the threat to Florida’s Keys and lower west coast increased. Gladys became a hurricane shortly before crossing the south coast of western Cuba and continued to strengthen while crossing this narrow but mountainous part of the island. Gladys emerged into the Florida Straits and continued slowly northward. Gladys then took a temporary jog to the north-northwest as it passed abeam of the lower west coast. Then hurricane took its expected turn toward the east on October 18. Gladys maintained only minimum hurricane intensity during its trek through the southeast Gulf of Mexico. The centre passed inland between Bayport and Crystal River, very near Homosassa, about midnight on the 19^th. Gladys began to accelerate, crossing the peninsula just north of Ocala, and back out to sea near St. Augustine around daybreak. As Gladys crossed the state of Florida, about 85% of the citrus crop was affected to varying degrees. Gladys moved from the upper coast of Florida to the northeast and skirted the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas. The centre passed very near Cape Hatteras early on October 20 while continuing to accelerate northeastward.

Gladys turned north-northeastward and gradually became extratropical as it merged with a cold front off the coast of Nova Scotia on October 21. The remnants passed over Cape Breton Island as a deep low pressure area, which produced rainfalls of 3.2 to 6.4 centimetres. The benefits resulting from these rains overcompensated for the minor damage that occurred in this area; however, one death in Nova Scotia was attributed to the storm.