Hurricane Carla slammed onto the Texas coast in between Port O'Connor and PortLavaca on September 11, 1961. The storm was a dangerous Category 4 hurricanewith maximum sustained winds of 140 mph at landfall, but had reached Category 5status over the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.Winds gusted to 150 mph at Victoria and 170 mph at Port Lavaca. A sustainedwind speed of 115 mph was measured in Matagorda.
The winds created a significant storm surge from Port Aransas to the border ofTexas and Louisiana. The tide level measured 18.5 feet above normal at PortLavaca. The pounding surf caused extensive beach and damage to nearby homes andbusinesses.
Torrential rain also accompanied Carla. Over the course of four days, the stormdropped 16.49 inches of rain on Galveston. Bay City topped the storm's rainfalltotal list with 17.62 inches.
Hurricane Carla caused $300 million in damages (over $2 million in current U.S.
dollars) and was blamed for the deaths of 43 people.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
