On this day: Hurricane Camille made landfall in Mississippi on August 17, 1969

[pavelneuman]

Today is the 51st Anniversary of the Hurricane Camille landfall in Mississippi on August 17, 1969.

Hurricane Camille made landfall late in the evening near Waveland, Mississippi. Combination of wind, surge, and rainfall resulted in 256 deaths (143 along the Gulf Coast and 113 in the Virginia floods).

Quick Facts

• Hurricane Camille made landfall, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast near Waveland late in the evening on August 17
• Camille is one of only four Category 5 hurricanes ever to make landfall in the continental United States (Atlantic Basin)
• Camille ranks as the 2nd most intense hurricane to strike the continental US, and resulted in 256 deaths
• The actual maximum sustained winds of the hurricane are not known as Hurricane Camille destroyed all the wind-recording instruments in the landfall area
• Re-analysis data found landfall intensity and peak winds of 150 knots (roughly 175 mph) along the coast, with 900 mb pressure
• A devastating storm tide of 24.6 feet occurred west of our area in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

Hurricane Camille path, timeline of the damage, in-depth description of the event, and also short fact-check of the often-publicized “hurricane party” story can be found in my Hurricane Camille article at Extreme Weather Club website.