Fifty years ago, Hurricane Ginger would drift across the Atlantic Ocean throughout all of September, before finally making landfall on the North Carolina coast on the last day of the month. Not only did it become known for its longevity, but also for its unusual track.

Ginger originated from an upper-level weather system that settled over the western Atlantic, with an area of low pressure and thunderstorms intensifying during the first few days of September in 1971. By September 6^th, it had strengthened enough to be classified as a tropical depression and was about 235 miles to the northeast of the Bahamas. The depression slowly drifted across the western Atlantic through September 9^th, first moving to the southeast and then the northeast.

It continued its trek east farther into the Atlantic on September 10^th, intensifying into a tropical storm. This would make it the seventh named storm in the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season. Ginger quickly strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on September 11^thas it moved southeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm reached its highest intensity of maximum sustained winds of 110 mph on September 14^th, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Ginger was halfway between Bermuda and the Azores when its eastward movement ended abruptly due a building ridge of high pressure to the north and east. The storm first took a sharp turn to the south and then eventually to the west, aimed right towards the U.S. Maintaining a Category 1 hurricane status, Ginger drifted west and occasionally south and southwest over the central Atlantic Ocean, very close to its initial eastward path. This put it south of Bermuda on September 23^rd. By September 26^th, Ginger absorbed the smaller and weaker Tropical Storm Janice to its southeast.

The storm made a northwest turn towards the North Carolina coast on September 28^th. It also strengthened and reached a secondary peak intensity with sustained winds of 105 mph on September 29^th, which it maintained for about 18 hours. Thankfully, there was some weakening right before landfall, and Ginger moved over land near Morehead City, N.C., September 30^th as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

While Ginger quickly deteriorated over land, it wouldn’t be until October 5^th when the storm finally disappeared. This was due to it a taking a sharp north and then east turn back into the Atlantic Ocean. Ginger was downgraded to a tropical storm on September 30^th, a tropical depression on October 1^st and then a remnant low pressure on October 3^rd. A cold front absorbed the remaining moisture from Ginger on October 5^th.

Ultimately, Ginger was estimated to have caused $10 million (1971 USD or $63.9 million 2021 USD) in North Carolina. Rainfall amounts peaked around 15.5 inches in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with tropical rainfall amounts up to 5 inches extending into South Carolina and 8 inches in southern Virginia. The storm produced a storm tide of 4 to 7 feet, and wave heights as high as 8 feet. Widespread severe flooding occurred due to heavy rain, storm tide and rivers rising above flood stage. Above normal tide and waves caused moderate to heavy beach erosion from Florida to the Delmarva Peninsula, with Virginia Beach, Va., seeing the most extensive damage.

Tens of thousands of people were left without power. The combination of strong winds and rains left heavy crop damage, destroying around 3 million bushels of corn and another million bushels of soybeans. Heavy damage was also observed to the peanut crops and various fruits and vegetables. Several oil tanks along the rivers broke open, creating dangerous boating conditions. Several roads and bridges were closed due to flooding and damage, and the winds also destroyed several mobile homes. There was also one reported death due to the high waves, and another death that could have been due to a wind gust.

Ginger was classified as a tropical cyclone between September 6^th through October 3^rd, a total of 27.25 days. This is the second longest-lived tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean and 3^rd longest-lived tropical cyclone worldwide, with Hurricane/Typhoon John coming in first at 31 days and the 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane at 27.75 days. Ginger remained classified as a hurricane between September 11^th through September 30^th, which is a total of 20 days.

Credit: NOAA, Wikipedia

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Story Image: This ESSA 9 weather satellite image of Hurricane Ginger was taken on September 27, 1971 at 1904 UTC (Marines Weather Log, November 1971, pg. 388 via Wikimedia Commons)

50 Years Ago - Long Lasting Hurricane Ginger Drifted Across the Atlantic