On This Date: A May Hurricane Was Born
On rare occasions, hurricanes have formed before hurricane season. One mid-20th century example of this even flirted with parts of the U.S.
On May 15, 1951, 74 years ago this evening, what was likely a subtropical depression formed west of Bermuda, according to post-analysis from NOAA. It then moved westward and became Tropical Storm Able by the following morning.
As Able turned southwestward over the warm Gulf Stream, it intensified into a hurricane on May 17 about 100 miles east of what is now Cape Canaveral. At the time, a ship reported waves of 25 to 30 feet near Able, according to NOAA's report. A Navy reconnaissance aircraft also confirmed hurricane force winds that day.
Able produced some showers over parts of Florida, and NOAA estimated winds up to 45 mph occurred over parts of the southern peninsula. However, its center dropped southward near parts of the northwestern Bahamas by May 18. Winds from 90 to 95 mph were reported at Walker's Cay.
Then Able made a hairpin turn northward to just off the Outer Banks of North Carolina on May 21, before it dog-legged right out to sea.
At the time, still prior to the age of weather satellites, Able was the only known May Atlantic Basin hurricane. But NOAA's re-analysis project has found three other May hurricanes, including a brief Hurricane Alma in 1970. A fourth other May hurricane - Amanda - was discovered by a 2013 study which made a Florida Panhandle landfall during the Civil War in 1863.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
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