Storm history › Atlantic › 1961 season
Hurricane Esther (1961)
Esther was a Category 5 hurricane of the 1961 Atlantic season. It was tracked from September 10, 1961 to September 27, 1961, about 17 days, and covered 5,568 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 919 mb.
It made 3 landfalls, the first near Hyannis, United States.
Its closest pass to a major city was 48 miles from South Boston, United States.
- Peak wind
- 160 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 919 mb
- Strongest
- Category 5 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 3
- Duration
- 17 days
- Track length
- 5,568 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 48.7
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 26, 1961 | Hyannis, United States | 60 mph (95 km/h) |
| 2 | September 26, 1961 | Barnstable, United States | 60 mph (95 km/h) |
| 3 | September 26, 1961 | Portland, United States | 40 mph (65 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| South Boston, United States | 48 mi (77 km) |
| Boston, United States | 48 mi (78 km) |
| Québec, Canada | 92 mi (149 km) |
| Queens, United States | 120 mi (194 km) |
| Brooklyn, United States | 125 mi (201 km) |
| The Bronx, United States | 126 mi (203 km) |
| Manhattan, United States | 129 mi (208 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 28th highest of 2,017 Atlantic storms on record, tied with Hurricane Erin (2025), Hurricane Humberto (2025), Hurricane Ian (2022) and 7 more.
- Lowest pressure: 27th lowest of 1,294 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Hurricane Michael (2018).
- Energy: 26% of the 1961 Atlantic season's ACE.