Hurricane Donna was a historically significant, long-track tropical cyclone during the 1960 Atlantic season. It carved a destructive path spanning over half of the Atlantic basin, affecting the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and a vast stretch of the U.S. East Coast. Its legacy is rooted in the continuous, prolonged intensity it maintained across multiple regions.
Chronology of the Storm’s Track
Hurricane Donna began as a tropical wave off the coast of West Africa, developing into a tropical depression on August 29, 1960. Tracking west-northwestward, the system quickly intensified, reaching hurricane status by September 1. It became a Category 4 major hurricane by September 4 with maximum sustained winds estimated at 145 miles per hour.
Donna maintained this intensity as it passed through the Leeward Islands, causing widespread destruction on islands like Sint Maarten and Anguilla. The storm skirted Puerto Rico, where heavy rainfall led to catastrophic flash flooding. The hurricane then swung west, raking the Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas, regaining Category 4 status before approaching the U.S. mainland.
The storm made its first U.S. landfall in the middle Florida Keys near Marathon early on September 10 as a potent Category 4 hurricane. It weakened slightly while crossing the Florida Peninsula, making a second landfall near Naples on the southwest coast as a Category 3 storm. After crossing, the hurricane emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona Beach.
Impact on the U.S. Mainland
The Florida Keys bore the initial brunt of the storm, experiencing the most severe conditions since the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. The eye passed directly over the area, generating a devastating 13-foot storm surge at Marathon. Coastal flooding severely damaged or destroyed an estimated 75 percent of the buildings in the middle Keys, with Marathon and Tavernier suffering near-total destruction of less substantial structures.
On the southwest Florida mainland, the storm caused extensive property damage, including 5,200 damaged houses and the destruction of over half the buildings in Everglades City. High winds extended into the interior, severely impacting agriculture. The citrus and avocado crops suffered massive losses, including an estimated 50 percent of the state’s grapefruit yield.
The storm briefly moved offshore before making a second U.S. landfall near Topsail Beach, North Carolina, as a Category 2 hurricane late on September 11. In North Carolina, the primary impact was from strong winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour and significant storm surge, causing severe beach erosion and destroying numerous piers. The storm also spawned multiple tornadoes, extending wind damage far inland.
Donna then tracked back over the Atlantic, accelerating rapidly up the coast before its final U.S. landfall on Long Island, New York, as a Category 2 storm. This trajectory brought hurricane-force winds across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Storm surges of 5 to 10 feet caused major damage to seaside communities and ports, particularly in Rhode Island. The extreme wind field damaged thousands of homes across the northeastern United States before the storm transitioned into an extratropical low.
Statistical Metrics and Aftermath
Hurricane Donna was an exceptionally long-lived storm, holding the record for maintaining major hurricane status for nine consecutive days. The storm resulted in extensive casualties and financial losses across its entire track. In the United States, the storm was directly responsible for 50 fatalities, with an additional 114 deaths reported across the Caribbean, including 107 in Puerto Rico due to flash flooding.
The total property damage in the United States reached approximately $387 million in 1960 currency. This figure made Donna the costliest hurricane in Florida history at the time. Due to its widespread destruction and unique record of impacting three distinct regions of the U.S. coast with hurricane-force winds, the name “Donna” was permanently retired following the 1960 season.