1968 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1968 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1968, and lasted until November 30, 1968. These dates are conventionally the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
Season summary map | |
First storm formed | June 1, 1968 |
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Last storm dissipated | October 21, 1968 |
Strongest storm | Gladys – 965 mbar (hPa) (28.51 inHg), 85 mph (140 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
Total depressions | 10 |
Total storms | 8 |
Hurricanes | 5 |
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 0 |
Total fatalities | 10 |
Total damage | $9.85 million (1968 USD) |
Atlantic hurricane seasons 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 |
Three storms formed in June, making it one of the most active Junes on record. The early part of the season had the most activity, and the season ended quietly compared to the beginning. There were eight named storms, and no major hurricanes. This shows that early season activity has no indication on the entire season. Hurricane Gladys was the costliest storm of the season, causing more than $6 million (1968 USD) in damage as it moved northward through Florida, Cuba, and North Carolina.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1968.
The list is mostly the same as the 1964 season, save for Candy, Dolly, Edna, Frances, Hannah, and Ingrid, which replaced Cleo, Dora, Ethel, Florence, Hilda, and Isbell (although Ethel, Florence, and Isbell were not retired). A storm was named Candy for the first time in 1968. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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Retirement
No names were retired this season. However, the name Edna was later retroactively retired because of the Hurricane Edna of the 1954 season, and has not been used since.