page_title: Hurricane Flora
section_title: Aftermath
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Flora / Aftermath
caption_attribution_description: English: Isolated by Hurricane Flora in 1963, Haitians wave at a rescue helicopter from Anti-submarine Squadron 11. Helicopters from USS Lake Champlain and USS Thetis Bay flew some 271 sorties, evacuating an estimated 347 persons and air-lifting some 330,105 pounds of relief supplies
context_page_description: Hurricane Flora is among the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, with a death total of at least 7,193. The seventh tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season, Flora developed from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 26 while located 755 miles southwest of the Cape Verde islands. After remaining a weak depression for several days, it rapidly organized on September 29 to attain tropical storm status. Flora continued to quickly strengthen to reach Category 3 hurricane status before moving through the Windward Islands and passing over Tobago, and it reached maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour in the Caribbean.
  The storm struck southwestern Haiti near peak intensity, turned to the west, and drifted over Cuba for four days before turning to the northeast. Flora passed over the Bahamas and accelerated northeastward, becoming an extratropical cyclone on October 12. Due to its slow movement across Cuba, Flora is the wettest known tropical cyclone for Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
context_section_description: In Tobago, the great agricultural damage from Flora caused the crop plantations to be abandoned. As a result, the economy of the island changed towards tourism. The destruction of the Tobagonian rainforests resulted in a continual decline of agriculture on the island due to animals previously in the forest eating the crops for food. The passage of the hurricane reduced the height of the rainforest canopy above 800 ft (240 m) by half. Twenty-five years passed before the canopy reached its previous height.
  In the Dominican Republic, damage reports were largely unknown by a month after the hurricane passed the island, primarily in the western provinces. There, roads were still impassable, large areas remained without electricity, and helicopters could not land in remote areas due to mud, silt, and up to 3 ft (0.91 m) of water in all landing fields. One official estimated several months would pass before survey teams could obtain information on loss of life and overall damages.
  The government of Cuba implemented further restrictions on ongoing rations, including adding rations on sugar for the first time in the country's history. Amidst a political crisis between Cub and the United States, the Cuban Red Cross refused aid from the American Red Cross, referring to the offer of aid as hypocritical "by a country [the United States] that is trying to destroy us [Cuba] with economic blockades and other measures." The Soviet Union delivered large quantities of food, medicine, and other supplies vital to recovery, while the other satellite states in Europe promised aid. China sent medicine and powdered milk totaling about $200,000 in value while also contributing the same amount in cash.
  Due to its impact on the Caribbean nations, the name Flora was retired after this year and was replaced by Fern.
caption: Haitians isolated by Flora awaiting rescue. USS Lake Champlain and USS Thetis Bay launched marine helicopters that evacuated 347 storm victims and distributed 330,105 lbs of relief supplies.
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