page_title: Hurricane Isbell
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Isbell / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: English: Track map of Hurricane Isbell of the 1964 Atlantic hurricane season. The points show the location of the storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir–Simpson scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm, according to the legend below. Saffir–Simpson scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm type Tropical cyclone Subtropical cyclone Extratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance / Monsoon depression
context_page_description: Hurricane Isbell was the final hurricane to affect the United States during the 1964 season. The eleventh tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the season, Isbell developed from a dissipating cold front in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 8. The depression initially remained disorganized as it track northwestward, but strengthened into Tropical Storm Isbell on October 13. Re-curving northeastward, Isbell quickly strengthened further and reached hurricane status by later that day. Late on October 13, Isbell made landfall in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. The storm continued strengthening and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane on the following day. Isbell moved northeastward and made landfall near Everglades, Florida, late on October 14. After reaching the Atlantic on the following day, the storm began to weaken. Isbell turned northward and continued weakening, before transitioning to an extratropical cyclone while located just offshore eastern North Carolina on October 16.
  The storm produced strong winds throughout western Cuba. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, as were several tobacco warehouses.
context_section_description: Hurricane Isbell was first identified as a weak tropical disturbance on October 7, 1964 over the western Caribbean Sea. Situated to the south of a diffuse trough, the system remained weak and relatively disorganized as it moved generally northwest near Honduras and Nicaragua. Despite the presence of an upper-level anticyclone, which promotes favorable outflow for tropical cyclones and aids in tropical cyclogenesis, a lack of distinct low-level inflow inhibited intensification. Additionally, an area of warm mid-tropospheric air was present within the cyclone. Though a disheveled system, it is analyzed to have become a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC on October 8. The following day, the depression skirted the eastern coast of Honduras. Operationally, it was not until October 10 that the Weather Bureau initiated advisories on the depression. On that date, a weather reconnaissance mission into the system found a weak low-level circulation with a barometric pressure of 1007.3 mb (hPa; 29.75 inHg) and winds of 20–30 mph (30–45 km/h) in squalls. Throughout October 11 and 12, the depression slowly executed a tight cyclonic loop over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. It finally organized into a tropical storm and was given the name Isbell by 00:00 UTC on October 13 after completing the loop and acquiring a north-northeast trajectory.
  Throughout October 13, marked intensification of the cyclone occurred. Over a 24‑hour span, ending at 18:00 UTC, its central pressure fell from 1005 mb (hPa; 29.68 inHg) to 979 mb (hPa; 28.91 inHg) which was reflected in Isbell's winds more than doubling from 35 mph (55 km/h) to 90 mph (150 km/h). Shortly thereafter, the storm made landfall in extreme western Cuba, near Guane, before emerging over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Isbell's brief stint over land did not hinder development, which continued unabated until 12:00 UTC on October 14 at which time it reached its maximum intensity. Situated to the south of Key West, Florida, Isbell attained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) which ranks it as a Category 3 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Additionally, its central pressure bottomed out at 964 mb (hPa; 28.47 inHg). Around this time, a new low-pressure area formed 300 mi (480 km) to Isbell's northwest over the Gulf in response to a powerful cold-core low over the Mississippi Valley. The cyclonic flow of this second system brought cool, dry air from the north and circulated it into the hurricane. This in turn caused the storm to become asymmetric in structure with radar imagery indicating little to no reflectivity along the western periphery of the hurricane.
  The degrading structure of Isbell resulted in some weakening as it accelerated toward Florida. At 22:00 UTC on October 14, the hurricane made landfall near Everglades City as a Category 2 with sustained winds between 100 and 110 mph (160 and 175 km/h). Within five hours, the system cleared the Florida Peninsula and emerged over the western Atlantic Ocean north of West Palm Beach. The storm's passage over land resulted in notable weakening, though Isbell remained of hurricane-strength. During the afternoon of October 15, the low that had formed the previous day induced a northward turn of the cyclone and directed it toward North Carolina, a result of what is known as the Fujiwhara effect. Thereafter, the two systems began to intertwine as Isbell began transitioning into an extratropical cyclone; rapid weakening accompanied this phase. Isbell completed this process by 12:00 UTC on October 16 as it moved onshore near Morehead City, North Carolina. On October 17 the two non-tropical systems merged into a single storm over the Outer Banks. Isbell's remnants emerged back over the Atlantic Ocean on October 18 near the Delmarva Peninsula before accelerating northeast. The system was last noted on October 19 as it moved over Atlantic Canada.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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