Hurricane Ginger -
September 29-October 4,
1971
A tropical depression formed on September 5th, near an upper level
low. The cyclone drifted for 4-5 days
before developing into a tropical storm by the 10th. The cyclone
moved east to northeast through the 13th
while strengthening into a category two hurricane. A blocking
ridge stopped its eastward motion, but it
took until the 21st before it moved decidedly to the west. On the
23rd, Ginger passed 100 miles south of
Bermuda, bringing seventeen hours of gale force winds. The
cyclone drifted southwest between the 24th
and 27th before turning northwest towards the Carolinas. On the
morning of the 30th, Ginger finally made
landfall near Morehead City, North Carolina as a category one
hurricane. Wandering on a slowly recurving
track while inland, the center did not emerge back into the northern
Atlantic until October 3rd, when it
became a frontal wave which subsequently moved east-southeast and
weakened.
Below is the storm total rainfall graphic and track relating to
Ginger. Rainfall data was
provided by the National
Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Note that most
of the rain fell to the right of its track.