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PRELTMTKARY REPORT OK HURRICANE BETSY
August 2? - September 10.	1865
On August 27, 19fcS at 10:30	AM EST a Havy hurricane reconnaissance aircraft	discovered a tropical depression at 13*	Sorth	Latltudi
and 54* West Longitude or about 350 miles east loutheast of Barbado* In the	Windward Inlands, Kelt Indie*. Haximan	surfac* winds
were about 38 knots and minimum sea level pressure was 1010 at, which soon lowered to 1006.$ mb.
Ac 11:30 AM EST a National Weather Satellite Center bulletin stated that TIROS X had photographed a circular scorn at 9:06 AM EST It vu centered at 13*N and 5l”V. There were two distinct coiled cloud bands around the center covering A* of latitude which 1* Indicative of winds of near	SO toots (about 60 miles an hour).
At 2:00 PH EST the San Juan	Weather Bureau Office issued tha first bulletin	on the moderate tropical depression. By 5:00	FM EST
the disturbance intensified to tropical store stage. Weather Bureau Office, San Juan, issued the first formal advisory and •uoad the storm "Betsy". Maximum winds at the tiae were about 45 mile* an hour in • band of squalls extending abewt 100 miles in a semicircle to the north of the center. Gale force winds extended about 250 miles Is the northers semicircle. Betsy «as centered 300 mile* cast southeast of Barbados and vat moving west northweatward at IS sstles an hour. C*le warnings were issued for the lesser Antilles.
Ob August 28,wea* Tropical Storm Betsy moved through the lesser Antilles in a northwesterly direction at 21 miles an hour. At 6:00 PH EST gale warnings were extended to Include Puerto	Rico and the Virgin 1*lands,
On August 29,report* from Air Force	and Weather Bureau aircraft, ships «pd island stations	indicated	that	Betsy	had intensified
to hurricane strength while centered 200 miles north northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Highest winds had reached 30 miles so hour near the center. The first hurricane advisory was issued at 5:00 PM 1ST by Weather Bureau Office, Miami. By coincidence this was the first release by the Miami office after the transfer of forecast responsibility froa San Juan to Miami.
On August 30*31, Betsy elowed to a halt, lost intensity, and made a gradual loop about 275 Biles north of Puerto Rico. Maxlmm wind* decreased from 65 to 65 miles	an hour to change the	$tozm classification from a hurricane	back	to	a	tropical storm.
Central pressure rose fro* 991 mbs.	(29.25 inches) to 998	mbs. (19,47 inches).
On September I, Betsy began moving westward and regained hurricane intensity. At 5:00 AH it was cantered about 260 nil** north northwest of Sen Juan (22,3* North Latitude and 66.9“ Nest longitude) end was moving westward about 6 miles an hour. Highest winds were SO nil** an hour near the center with gales extending out 150 Miles In th* northeast seaicirele and 75 miles in the southwest sealclrcle. Central pressure was 984 mbs. or 29.05 inches. The Bahama Islands were alerted to the possibility of the effect* from Bfctay in one or tvo day*.
On September 1 and 2, the radar of the Eastern Teat Range Station on Grand Turk Island tracked the hurricane. At 5:00 AK EST Betsy was located 125 Biles northeast of Grand Turk. Highest wind* were 100 olles an hour near the center and gale* extended ou for 200 miles in all directions except anly 75 miles in the southwest quadrant.	By 11:00 PH EST the highest	winds	increased to
125 to 150 miles an hour near die center and	the central pressure lowered to 945	mb*, or 27.90	inches.
On Septenter 3, Hurricane Betsy skirted the Bahsnas moving northwest at 10 mile* an hour. On September 4, it slowed down, case to s standstill, and then gradually performed another loop. Betsy reached its farthest north location in the Atlantic of 430 miles south of Cape Battcrat, H. C. *t 8:00 AM EST. A large high pressure area over the Eastern Pnited States effectively block any further northward movement of the hurricane, and at 11:00 PM on September 5, Betsy began an unusual southward movement at 8 miles an hour. The center was then located at 27.6" forth Latitude and 75,6* West Longitude or 125 miles northeast of Great Abcco Island, Bahamas, Highest winds were 125 miles an hour. Gales extended 300 miles to the north and 150 miles to the south of the center. The Bahamas were warned to expect hurricane force winds and cide* of 10 feet or a little higher where Che centei ueuld move through ehe Bahamas on Monday.
Early Labor Day morning, September 6, Hurricane Betsy turned toward a more southwesterly course at £ miles an hour. At 5:00 AM EST it was centered 75 xsiles northeast of Hope Town, Gret Ab*co, Bahamas, and 270 miles east northeast of Miasl, At this time i Hurricane Watch was issued for the southeast Florida coast. At 9:00 AS EST wind* reached 85 miles sn hour on Great Abacc Islam in the Bahamas when the center was 60 miles east of the Island. Central pressure was 95B mbs. or 28.29 inches. At 11:00 AH ES' a Hurricane Warning was issued for extreme southern Florida frtn Fain Beach to Key West and T»rthward to Everglade* City including Florida Bay. Hurricane Hatch vent Into effect from tile Beach to Cape Kennedy and on the vest coast north of Everglade* City to Cunts Cor da. At 1:00 FK EST winds were 135 mile* an hour on Gr*»t Ahaco Island end reached a high of 140 miles an hour by 3:00 PX EST. The highest wind at Crest Abaco of 147 miles an hour vas measured son* time before 7:00 I’M EST e hurricane force winds prevailed there for 20	hours.
The Hlaol Heather Bureau radar picked up the	eye of hurricane Betsy on September	6 vhen it was	over 220	nautical	nlles	sway.
Land based radar* tracked the hurricane for the remainder of its existence except for about 10 hour* early September 9 when Bet was roving through the eastern Gulf of Hcxlco. On September 7, severe Hurricane Betsy was under constant surveillance by land-based radars of the Weather Bureau at Miami, the Radar Laboratory of th* University of Miami, and the Air Force Missile Te Range station on Grand Bahama a* well a* Air Fore* and Navy r*tonrmi.»*»ncc aircxaft.
On Tuesday morning, September 7, the wall cloud swept over Kaesau with an open eye of shout 40 miles in diameter to the north. The severe hurricane stalled about noon while centered 30 miles north of Kastau and Eassau received a severe pounding from the violent winds and hlgjs tides. Lowest pressure reported at the time was 957 mbs.	or 28,25	Inches. In	the early afternoon
Uucricanc Betsy started moving westward. At 2:00 FK the Hurricane Warning* were	extended	on the Florida east coast ** far nort
at Pi. Fierce and on the Florida west coast to Venice.
At 5;00 FK ESI on September 7 the Weather	Bureau warned that stoiu tides up to 6 to	10	feet above normal	in	th* hurricane	area
would flood Inlands, keys, and coastal areas between Fort Lauderdale and Key Largo.	Persons subject to flooding by these	tidet
were urged to cvacuatt at once. Pertont In on* story dwelling* on Miami Beach end similar coastal areas were urged to considei moving either to buildings of two or more	stories or move to the mainland.
At 10:30 7M EST winds of Bl miles an hour	were recorded on Miami Beach and at 11:25	PM	EST winds reached	75	nlles an hour	at
Key Largo, By midnight the wlndB reached 83 miles an hour at Fort Everglades. Hurricane	force wind*	laabed the Miami area	up
12 hours. The peak gust at the National Hurricane Center, Coral Goble*, was 105	miles an	hour. High	winds, tidsl flooding	an
beach erosion caused damage along the lower Florida East Coast estimated to be fro« $100,000,000 to $150,000,000. There were four deaths in Florida.