Hurricane Able (1950)

Hurricane Able was the first tropical cyclone of the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed in the western Caribbean Sea on August 12, 1950, and tracked generally northward, intensifying into a hurricane on August 15. Able reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Able made landfall near Beaufort, South Carolina, on August 18 as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm weakened rapidly after landfall as it moved inland, becoming a tropical storm over North Carolina and then a tropical depression over Virginia. The remnants of Able continued to move northeastward, eventually dissipating over the Canadian Maritimes on August 22.

Hurricane Able caused significant damage along the coast of the Carolinas, primarily from storm surge and heavy rainfall. Coastal flooding was widespread, and many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Further inland, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides. The storm was responsible for at least five deaths, all in the United States. Damage estimates were around $2.7 million (USD 1950), a relatively modest amount for a landfalling hurricane. While not exceptionally powerful or long-lived, Hurricane Able served as a reminder of the potential for significant impacts from tropical cyclones along the U.S. East Coast.