Hurricane Donna - Definition and Overview

Hurricane Donna in 1960 started in the Caribbean, then crossed the Florida Keys, into the Gulf of Mexico, where it would make a turn to the north and make a second landfall over Florida at Fort Myers as a Category 4 hurricane. (Aug. 29-Sept 14)

After crossing Florida, It continued and moved back out into the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona Beach. Donna headed up the East Coast, and made another landfall at Topsail Island, North Carolina. It then finished its trip by heading into New England, and a final landfall across Long Island, New York.

At its peak, Donna had wind gusts ranging between 175 and 200 mph, a minimum central pressure of 27.46 inches, and a 13 foot storm surge when it slammed into Florida. Although weaker, it caused a lot of damage in North Carolina and New York. Donna was one of the few hurricanes to affect every state along the East Coast. Its total damage cost was over one billion 1960 United States dollars while Donna left 50 people dead.

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