Hurricane Barbara
Aug 11, 1953 to Aug 16, 1953Peak 92 mph973 mb
Hurricane Barbara passed within 50 miles of 30 counties in 3 states. It was strongest near Carteret County, NC, as a Category 1 on August 14, 1953.
- Major hurricane
- Hurricane
- Tropical storm
- Post-tropical
Hurricane Barbara · 1953
How it happened
Follow the storm’s path, strength and milestones.
The storm
- Peak strength
- Category 1
- 92 mph, 80 kt
- Lowest pressure
- 973 mb
- Over the whole track
- Counties within 50 miles
- 30
- MD, NC, VA
- Counties within 100 miles
- 92
- DE, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, RI, VA
- Landfalls recorded
- 3
- Anywhere on the track
Every county it passed
Closest approach to each county boundary, with the storm’s strength at that moment.
| Dare County | NC | 0.0 | Category 1 |
| Hyde County | NC | 0.0 | Category 1 |
| Currituck County | NC | 1.6 | Category 1 |
| Carteret County | NC | 3.1 | Category 1 |
| Tyrrell County | NC | 4.5 | Category 1 |
| Camden County | NC | 4.6 | Category 1 |
| Pasquotank County | NC | 9.5 | Category 1 |
| Virginia Beach city | VA | 9.8 | Category 1 |
| Perquimans County | NC | 16.3 | Category 1 |
| Chesapeake city | VA | 21.1 | Category 1 |
| Pamlico County | NC | 21.2 | Category 1 |
| Washington County | NC | 22.6 | Category 1 |
| Beaufort County | NC | 23.4 | Category 1 |
| Northampton County | VA | 27.9 | Category 1 |
| Chowan County | NC | 28.1 | Category 1 |
| Craven County | NC | 29.8 | Category 1 |
| Accomack County | VA | 31.0 | Category 1 |
| Norfolk city | VA | 31.7 | Category 1 |
| Worcester County | MD | 34.9 | Category 1 |
| Gates County | NC | 35.4 | Category 1 |
| Portsmouth city | VA | 35.6 | Category 1 |
| Suffolk city | VA | 41.1 | Category 1 |
| Bertie County | NC | 42.0 | Category 1 |
| Hampton city | VA | 42.5 | Category 1 |
| Martin County | NC | 45.0 | Category 1 |
| Hertford County | NC | 46.0 | Category 1 |
| Newport News city | VA | 46.6 | Category 1 |
| Poquoson city | VA | 46.7 | Category 1 |
| Somerset County | MD | 47.9 | Category 1 |
| Isle of Wight County | VA | 49.4 | Category 1 |
| Jones County | NC | 50.5 | Category 1 |
| York County | VA | 51.3 | Category 1 |
| Nantucket County | MA | 51.8 | Category 1 |
| Onslow County | NC | 51.9 | Category 1 |
| Sussex County | DE | 52.6 | Category 1 |
| Mathews County | VA | 53.3 | Category 1 |
| Wicomico County | MD | 54.0 | Category 1 |
| Gloucester County | VA | 55.8 | Category 1 |
| Pitt County | NC | 56.4 | Category 1 |
| James City County | VA | 62.9 | Category 1 |
| Southampton County | VA | 63.2 | Category 1 |
| Middlesex County | VA | 63.3 | Category 1 |
| Surry County | VA | 63.7 | Category 1 |
| Lancaster County | VA | 64.5 | Category 1 |
| Franklin city | VA | 65.2 | Category 1 |
| Northumberland County | VA | 68.5 | Category 1 |
| Williamsburg city | VA | 69.2 | Category 1 |
| Barnstable County | MA | 69.4 | Category 1 |
| Northampton County | NC | 70.1 | Category 1 |
| Dukes County | MA | 71.2 | Category 1 |
| Dorchester County | MD | 72.2 | Category 1 |
| Lenoir County | NC | 72.9 | Category 1 |
| Sussex County | VA | 73.3 | Category 1 |
| Pender County | NC | 73.3 | Category 1 |
| Halifax County | NC | 73.5 | Category 1 |
| Cape May County | NJ | 73.7 | Category 1 |
| Edgecombe County | NC | 76.0 | Category 1 |
| King and Queen County | VA | 76.7 | Category 1 |
| Greene County | NC | 77.5 | Category 1 |
| Charles City County | VA | 79.4 | Category 1 |
| New Kent County | VA | 80.8 | Category 1 |
| St. Mary's County | MD | 81.9 | Category 1 |
| Atlantic County | NJ | 82.4 | Category 1 |
| New Hanover County | NC | 82.7 | Category 1 |
| Richmond County | VA | 83.4 | Category 1 |
| Prince George County | VA | 83.4 | Category 1 |
| Greensville County | VA | 83.6 | Category 1 |
| Caroline County | MD | 83.9 | Category 1 |
| Duplin County | NC | 84.5 | Category 1 |
| King William County | VA | 84.8 | Category 1 |
| Ocean County | NJ | 86.2 | Category 1 |
| Cumberland County | NJ | 88.0 | Category 1 |
| Kent County | DE | 88.2 | Category 1 |
| Essex County | VA | 88.9 | Category 1 |
| Wilson County | NC | 90.0 | Category 1 |
| Talbot County | MD | 90.7 | Category 1 |
| Washington County | RI | 91.2 | Category 1 |
| Westmoreland County | VA | 91.6 | Category 1 |
| Brunswick County | NC | 92.5 | Category 1 |
| Burlington County | NJ | 92.9 | Category 1 |
| Bristol County | MA | 94.7 | Category 1 |
| Wayne County | NC | 95.8 | Category 1 |
| Suffolk County | NY | 96.3 | Category 1 |
| Calvert County | MD | 96.6 | Category 1 |
| Plymouth County | MA | 96.7 | Category 1 |
| Emporia city | VA | 97.5 | Category 1 |
| Dinwiddie County | VA | 97.8 | Category 1 |
| Hopewell city | VA | 98.2 | Category 1 |
| Newport County | RI | 98.4 | Category 1 |
| Petersburg city | VA | 99.1 | Category 1 |
| Henrico County | VA | 99.7 | Category 1 |
| Nash County | NC | 99.7 | Category 1 |
Distances are measured from hourly positions interpolated between the National Hurricane Center’s six-hourly fixes to each county boundary. Strength is shown only where the storm was still tropical. Methodology.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2. Storm totals cover the Atlantic and Northeast and Central Pacific basins.