NHC AL031965 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Betsy (1965)
August 27, 1965 – September 13, 1965
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Betsy peaked at Category 4 with 138 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 278 US cities, 170 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Betsy in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Betsy for 17 days, from August 27, 1965 to September 13, 1965. Its first position, at 11.0°N 50.5°W, records it as a tropical depression; its last, at 39.0°N 83.0°W, as an extratropical cyclone. It reached tropical-storm strength on August 29, hurricane strength on September 1 and major-hurricane strength on September 2. Its peak was 138 mph (120 knots), Category 4, on September 2, and its lowest central pressure was 942 millibars on September 2. It spent about 10 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks 2 landfalls within 50 miles of a US city on this site; they were on September 8 at 115 mph (Category 3), 2 miles from Tavernier, FL; on September 10 at 132 mph (Category 4), 10 miles from Golden Meadow, LA. It has 3 more landfalls in the record farther from the cities here. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 278 US cities, in 4 states, most in Louisiana (204) and Florida (36), between September 8 and September 11. The strongest pass was 132 mph (Category 4) 33 miles from Buras, LA; the centre came closest to White Castle, LA, less than a mile away. 170 of the cities had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 58 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 68% of the 737 storms on this site, and ranks 2nd of the 4 storms of 1965 here.
- Peak strength
- Category 4
- Cities within 75 mi
- 278
- At hurricane strength
- 170
- States
- 4
138 mph
when closest
Cities Betsy passed near, strongest first
Louisiana (204)
- BurasCategory 4 · 33 mi
- Port SulphurCategory 4 · 29 mi
- Golden MeadowCategory 3 · 2 mi
- Saint BernardCategory 3 · 45 mi
- GallianoCategory 3 · 4 mi
- LafitteCategory 3 · 23 mi
- Belle ChasseCategory 3 · 35 mi
- VioletCategory 3 · 44 mi
- Cut OffCategory 3 · 7 mi
- MerauxCategory 3 · 45 mi
- MontegutCategory 3 · 6 mi
- ChalmetteCategory 3 · 44 mi
- LaroseCategory 3 · 3 mi
- HarveyCategory 3 · 36 mi
- GretnaCategory 3 · 38 mi
- ArabiCategory 3 · 43 mi
- ChauvinCategory 3 · 12 mi
- MarreroCategory 3 · 34 mi
- New OrleansCategory 3 · 41 mi
- LockportCategory 3 · 5 mi
- WestwegoCategory 3 · 33 mi
- SlidellCategory 3 · 68 mi
- HoumaCategory 2 · 6 mi
- Des AllemandsCategory 2 · 16 mi
- HarahanCategory 2 · 34 mi
- MetairieCategory 2 · 37 mi
- RacelandCategory 2 · 5 mi
- BoutteCategory 2 · 23 mi
- LulingCategory 2 · 25 mi
- Saint RoseCategory 2 · 30 mi
- KennerCategory 2 · 35 mi
- HahnvilleCategory 2 · 25 mi
- DestrehanCategory 2 · 27 mi
- Pearl RiverCategory 2 · 74 mi
- GrayCategory 2 · 3 mi
- NorcoCategory 2 · 27 mi
- LacombeCategory 2 · 63 mi
- SchrieverCategory 2 · 5 mi
- ThibodauxCategory 2 · overhead
- La PlaceCategory 2 · 27 mi
- MandevilleCategory 2 · 59 mi
- VacherieCategory 2 · 12 mi
- ReserveCategory 2 · 23 mi
- Abita SpringsCategory 2 · 67 mi
- PaulinaCategory 2 · 13 mi
- LutcherCategory 2 · 16 mi
- GramercyCategory 2 · 17 mi
- Morgan CityCategory 2 · 22 mi
- MadisonvilleCategory 2 · 56 mi
- CovingtonCategory 2 · 63 mi
- BerwickCategory 2 · 24 mi
- NapoleonvilleCategory 2 · 5 mi
- PattersonCategory 2 · 28 mi
- PonchatoulaCategory 2 · 46 mi
- RobertCategory 2 · 55 mi
- FolsomCategory 2 · 64 mi
- Belle RoseCategory 2 · 2 mi
- Pierre PartCategory 2 · 12 mi
- SorrentoCategory 2 · 15 mi
- Saint AmantCategory 2 · 18 mi
and 144 more
Florida (36)
- TavernierCategory 3 · overhead
- IslamoradaCategory 3 · 6 mi
- MarathonCategory 3 · 22 mi
- Big Pine KeyCategory 3 · 29 mi
- Florida CityCategory 3 · 30 mi
- Summerland KeyCategory 3 · 32 mi
- Key WestCategory 3 · 41 mi
- Marco IslandCategory 3 · 53 mi
- NaplesCategory 3 · 70 mi
- Key LargoCategory 3 · 9 mi
- HomesteadCategory 3 · 34 mi
- Cutler BayCategory 3 · 38 mi
- Palmetto BayCategory 3 · 42 mi
- South MiamiCategory 3 · 47 mi
- MiamiCategory 3 · 50 mi
- DoralCategory 3 · 56 mi
- HialeahCategory 3 · 59 mi
- WestonCategory 3 · 74 mi
- Key BiscayneCategory 3 · 46 mi
- Coral GablesCategory 3 · 49 mi
- Miami BeachCategory 3 · 54 mi
- Miami ShoresCategory 3 · 56 mi
- Bay Harbor IslandsCategory 3 · 58 mi
- North MiamiCategory 3 · 59 mi
- Miami LakesCategory 3 · 61 mi
- Opa LockaCategory 3 · 61 mi
- North Miami BeachCategory 3 · 62 mi
- Sunny Isles BeachCategory 3 · 62 mi
- Miami GardensCategory 3 · 63 mi
- AventuraCategory 3 · 64 mi
- Hallandale BeachCategory 3 · 65 mi
- MiramarCategory 3 · 66 mi
- HollywoodCategory 3 · 68 mi
- Pembroke PinesCategory 3 · 69 mi
- Dania BeachCategory 3 · 70 mi
- DavieCategory 3 · 71 mi
Mississippi (17)
- MagnoliaCategory 1 · 75 mi
- CentrevilleTropical storm · 43 mi
- LibertyTropical storm · 60 mi
- WoodvilleTropical storm · 28 mi
- GlosterTropical storm · 50 mi
- SmithdaleTropical storm · 71 mi
- RoxieTropical storm · 51 mi
- MeadvilleTropical storm · 62 mi
- NatchezTropical storm · 37 mi
- FayetteTropical storm · 58 mi
- LormanTropical storm · 59 mi
- Port GibsonTropical storm · 67 mi
- VicksburgTropical storm · 74 mi
- Rolling ForkTropical storm · 62 mi
- GreenvilleTropical storm · 59 mi
- HollandaleTropical storm · 66 mi
- LelandTropical storm · 68 mi
Arkansas (21)
- Junction CityTropical storm · 43 mi
- CrossettTropical storm · overhead
- StrongTropical storm · 20 mi
- WarrenTropical storm · 35 mi
- El DoradoTropical storm · 38 mi
- MonticelloTropical storm · 38 mi
- DermottTropical storm · 42 mi
- Lake VillageTropical storm · 45 mi
- SmackoverTropical storm · 46 mi
- Mc GeheeTropical storm · 51 mi
- FordyceTropical storm · 56 mi
- BeardenTropical storm · 57 mi
- RisonTropical storm · 59 mi
- Star CityTropical storm · 59 mi
- DumasTropical storm · 62 mi
- GouldTropical storm · 67 mi
- MagnoliaTropical storm · 70 mi
- HamburgTropical storm · 7 mi
- HamptonTropical storm · 37 mi
- EudoraTropical storm · 38 mi
- CamdenTropical storm · 56 mi
Other storms of the 1965 season
- Unnamed (AL011965)Tropical storm · 788 cities
- DebbieTropical storm · 45 cities
- Unnamed (AL091965)Tropical storm · 141 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.