Abstract
As hurricane Hilda approached the Louisiana coast it began to entrain more and more of the cool dry air situated over the continent. This resulted in a diminution of the storm to a lesser level of intensity while the center was still well offshore. A much more rapid increase in central pressure occurred after the eye passed inland and the supply of oceanic moisture and heat became inadequate to support a hurricane. Finally, the storm rapidly acquired extratropical characteristics and moved eastward off the southeastern coast.