Hurricane Edith (1971)

Hurricane Edith (1971) was a powerful and erratic tropical cyclone that impacted the Lesser Antilles, Central America, and Mexico during September 1971. Edith formed on September 5th from a tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic Ocean. It initially moved westward, gradually strengthening to tropical storm status on September 6th and earning the name Edith.

The storm rapidly intensified as it approached the Lesser Antilles, becoming a hurricane on September 7th. Edith passed directly over Barbados and St. Vincent as a Category 3 hurricane, causing significant damage to infrastructure, crops, and homes. Thousands were left homeless.

After crossing the islands, Edith continued to intensify, reaching Category 5 status on September 8th with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). It weakened slightly as it approached the coast of Nicaragua, making landfall near Cabo Gracias a Dios on September 9th as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm brought torrential rainfall, widespread flooding, and destructive winds to northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras. Extensive damage was reported to banana plantations, homes, and communication infrastructure.

After crossing Central America, Edith emerged over the Gulf of Honduras and briefly regained hurricane strength. It then made a final landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on September 11th as a tropical storm. The storm quickly weakened over land and dissipated over southeastern Mexico on September 12th.

While the exact death toll from Hurricane Edith is difficult to determine due to the remoteness of the impacted areas, it is estimated that dozens of people lost their lives, primarily in Nicaragua and the Lesser Antilles. The storm caused millions of dollars in damage throughout the region.