1956 Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 1956 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average Atlantic hurricane season that featured a low number of tropical cyclones, although every tropical storm and hurricane affected land. There were eight tropical storms, half of which became hurricanes. Two of the hurricanes strengthened to the equivalent of a major hurricane, which is a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The strongest hurricane of the season was Greta, which was also the final storm of the year; it was an unusually large storm that produced high waves from Florida to the Lesser Antilles. The most damaging storm was Hurricane Betsy, which destroyed 15,000 houses and left $40 million in damage in Puerto Rico. Betsy was also the deadliest of the season, having killed 18 in the French West Indies, 2 from a shipwreck in the Caribbean Sea, and 16 in Puerto Rico. Tropical Storm Dora struck Mexico in September and killed 27 people.

The season officially started on June 15, although an unnamed storm developed three days prior in the Gulf of Mexico; the storm alleviated drought conditions in the south-central United States. Hurricane Anna developed in late July and hit Mexico. Tropical storms Carla and Ethel both formed near the Bahamas and moved northeastward until dissipating. The lone hurricane that hit the contiguous United States was Hurricane Flossy. It developed in the western Caribbean and moved across much of the southeastern United States, causing $24.8 million in damage and 15 deaths. There were also several tropical depressions, as well as one subtropical cyclone, in the season.