Hurricane Fern
Hurricane Fern was the sixth named storm and fourth hurricane of the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed from a tropical wave which interacted with a large trough of low pressure to form Fern, as well as Hurricane Ginger, Tropical Storm Heidi, and a system later designated as Tropical Depression Sixteen, which moved into South Carolina. Fern crossed southeastern Louisiana as a tropical depression on September 4 before swinging back out over the Gulf of Mexico. Fern reached hurricane status on September 8, reaching a peak intensity of 90 mph (140 km/h) before making landfall near Freeport, Texas, two days later.
Fern making landfall | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 3, 1971 |
| Dissipated | September 13, 1971 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 90 mph (150 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 979 mbar (hPa); 28.91 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 indirect |
| Damage | $30.2 million (1971 USD) |
| Areas affected | Louisiana, Texas, northern Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Fern's path was erratic, as it made three sharp turns during its duration, making it difficult for forecasters to track. The second Atlantic tropical cyclone to make U.S. landfall that year, Fern produced heavy rainfall across Louisiana and Texas, causing flash flooding that left 2 indirect fatalities and damage totaling over $30 million (1971 USD$, 219 million 2024 USD).