NHC AL081958 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Helene (1958)
September 21, 1958 – October 4, 1958
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Helene peaked at Category 4 with 150 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 90 US cities, 90 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Helene in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Helene for 13 days, from September 21, 1958 to October 4, 1958. Its first position, at 17.0°N 52.0°W, records it as a tropical depression; its last, at 51.2°N 5.5°W, as an extratropical cyclone. It reached tropical-storm strength on September 23, hurricane strength on September 25 and major-hurricane strength on September 26. Its peak was 150 mph (130 knots), Category 4, on September 27, and its lowest central pressure was 930 millibars on September 27. It spent about 6 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks no landfall for it, so the figures below are its closest approaches to cities. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 90 US cities, in 2 states, most in North Carolina (68), between September 27 and September 28. The strongest pass was 150 mph (Category 4) 68 miles from Isle Of Palms, SC; the centre came closest to Kure Beach, NC, 17 miles away. All of them had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 90 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 35% of the 737 storms on this site, and more than any other storm of 1958 on this site.
- Peak strength
- Category 4
- Cities within 75 mi
- 90
- At hurricane strength
- 90
- States
- 2
150 mph
when closest
Cities Helene passed near, strongest first
South Carolina (22)
- Isle Of PalmsCategory 4 · 68 mi
- Mount PleasantCategory 4 · 72 mi
- Sullivans IslandCategory 4 · 72 mi
- AwendawCategory 4 · 64 mi
- HugerCategory 4 · 73 mi
- Mc ClellanvilleCategory 4 · 55 mi
- North Myrtle BeachCategory 4 · 42 mi
- Little RiverCategory 4 · 42 mi
- Pawleys IslandCategory 4 · 44 mi
- Murrells InletCategory 4 · 44 mi
- Surfside BeachCategory 4 · 45 mi
- Myrtle BeachCategory 4 · 48 mi
- LongsCategory 4 · 49 mi
- GeorgetownCategory 4 · 52 mi
- ConwayCategory 4 · 58 mi
- LorisCategory 4 · 61 mi
- HemingwayCategory 4 · 67 mi
- AndrewsCategory 4 · 67 mi
- AynorCategory 4 · 69 mi
- Green SeaCategory 4 · 70 mi
- Galivants FerryCategory 4 · 72 mi
- JohnsonvilleCategory 4 · 74 mi
North Carolina (68)
- Kure BeachCategory 4 · 17 mi
- Carolina BeachCategory 4 · 19 mi
- SouthportCategory 4 · 22 mi
- Oak IslandCategory 4 · 23 mi
- Wrightsville BeachCategory 4 · 24 mi
- WilmingtonCategory 4 · 27 mi
- WinnabowCategory 4 · 29 mi
- BoliviaCategory 4 · 30 mi
- SupplyCategory 4 · 33 mi
- Castle HayneCategory 4 · 35 mi
- LelandCategory 4 · 36 mi
- ShallotteCategory 4 · 36 mi
- Ocean Isle BeachCategory 4 · 36 mi
- Sunset BeachCategory 4 · 38 mi
- Rocky PointCategory 4 · 41 mi
- CalabashCategory 4 · 41 mi
- AshCategory 4 · 45 mi
- DelcoCategory 4 · 46 mi
- CurrieCategory 4 · 47 mi
- BurgawCategory 4 · 49 mi
- RiegelwoodCategory 4 · 50 mi
- BoltonCategory 4 · 52 mi
- NakinaCategory 4 · 54 mi
- AtkinsonCategory 4 · 54 mi
- Lake WaccamawCategory 4 · 58 mi
- WillardCategory 4 · 59 mi
- WallaceCategory 4 · 61 mi
- Tabor CityCategory 4 · 62 mi
- TeacheyCategory 4 · 64 mi
- WhitevilleCategory 4 · 66 mi
- Rose HillCategory 4 · 68 mi
- HarrellsCategory 4 · 68 mi
- ChadbournCategory 4 · 71 mi
- ClarktonCategory 4 · 71 mi
- HampsteadCategory 4 · 32 mi
- Sneads FerryCategory 4 · 32 mi
- Holly RidgeCategory 4 · 34 mi
- Maple HillCategory 4 · 48 mi
- BeulavilleCategory 4 · 65 mi
- Pink HillCategory 4 · 71 mi
- MagnoliaCategory 4 · 72 mi
- KenansvilleCategory 4 · 74 mi
- Emerald IsleCategory 4 · 29 mi
- SwansboroCategory 4 · 34 mi
- HubertCategory 4 · 37 mi
- Camp LejeuneCategory 4 · 37 mi
- Midway ParkCategory 4 · 41 mi
- Tarawa TerraceCategory 4 · 44 mi
- JacksonvilleCategory 4 · 47 mi
- MaysvilleCategory 4 · 48 mi
- RichlandsCategory 4 · 58 mi
- TrentonCategory 4 · 65 mi
- Atlantic BeachCategory 4 · 25 mi
- BeaufortCategory 4 · 25 mi
- Morehead CityCategory 4 · 26 mi
- NewportCategory 4 · 32 mi
- HavelockCategory 4 · 39 mi
- Cherry PointCategory 4 · 40 mi
- GrantsboroCategory 4 · 50 mi
- New BernCategory 4 · 57 mi
and 8 more
Other storms of the 1958 season
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.