NHC AL031956 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Betsy (1956)
August 9, 1956 – August 21, 1956
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Betsy peaked at Category 3 with 121 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 86 US cities, 86 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Betsy in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Betsy from August 9, 1956 to August 21, 1956; its peak was 121 mph (Category 3). Its centre passed within 75 miles of 86 US cities, all in Puerto Rico. The strongest pass was 98 mph (Category 2) 3 miles from Patillas, PR; the centre came closest to Aibonito, PR, less than a mile away.
- Peak strength
- Category 3
- Cities within 75 mi
- 86
- At hurricane strength
- 86
- States
- 1
121 mph
when closest
Cities Betsy passed near, strongest first
Puerto Rico (86)
- PatillasCategory 2 · 3 mi
- MaunaboCategory 2 · 6 mi
- YabucoaCategory 2 · 10 mi
- HumacaoCategory 2 · 17 mi
- Las PiedrasCategory 2 · 18 mi
- Punta SantiagoCategory 2 · 20 mi
- NaguaboCategory 2 · 24 mi
- ViequesCategory 2 · 28 mi
- CeibaCategory 2 · 29 mi
- FajardoCategory 2 · 33 mi
- LuquilloCategory 2 · 33 mi
- AibonitoCategory 2 · overhead
- ArroyoCategory 2 · overhead
- CayeyCategory 2 · 3 mi
- GuayamaCategory 2 · 4 mi
- CidraCategory 2 · 6 mi
- CoamoCategory 2 · 6 mi
- ComerioCategory 2 · 7 mi
- AguirreCategory 2 · 8 mi
- SalinasCategory 2 · 8 mi
- Aguas BuenasCategory 2 · 11 mi
- San LorenzoCategory 2 · 12 mi
- Santa IsabelCategory 2 · 13 mi
- CaguasCategory 2 · 14 mi
- BayamonCategory 2 · 17 mi
- GuraboCategory 2 · 18 mi
- JuncosCategory 2 · 18 mi
- GuaynaboCategory 2 · 19 mi
- Trujillo AltoCategory 2 · 22 mi
- San JuanCategory 2 · 23 mi
- CarolinaCategory 2 · 26 mi
- CanovanasCategory 2 · 26 mi
- Rio GrandeCategory 2 · 30 mi
- LoizaCategory 2 · 31 mi
- OrocovisCategory 2 · 1 mi
- CialesCategory 2 · 1 mi
- FloridaCategory 2 · 2 mi
- BarranquitasCategory 2 · 2 mi
- MorovisCategory 2 · 5 mi
- JayuyaCategory 2 · 8 mi
- CorozalCategory 2 · 8 mi
- ManatiCategory 2 · 9 mi
- VillalbaCategory 2 · 9 mi
- NaranjitoCategory 2 · 10 mi
- Vega BajaCategory 2 · 13 mi
- Vega AltaCategory 2 · 14 mi
- Juana DiazCategory 2 · 14 mi
- Toa AltaCategory 2 · 15 mi
- Coto LaurelCategory 2 · 15 mi
- DoradoCategory 2 · 17 mi
- MerceditaCategory 2 · 18 mi
- Toa BajaCategory 2 · 19 mi
- PonceCategory 2 · 20 mi
- PenuelasCategory 2 · 22 mi
- CatanoCategory 2 · 22 mi
- GuayanillaCategory 2 · 25 mi
- AreciboCategory 1 · 2 mi
- Sabana HoyosCategory 1 · 3 mi
- HatilloCategory 1 · 3 mi
- CamuyCategory 1 · 5 mi
and 26 more
Other storms of the 1956 season
- Unnamed (AL011956)Tropical storm · 153 cities
- FlossyCategory 1 · 698 cities
- Unnamed (AL111956)Tropical storm · 397 cities
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.