Edith rapidly intensified on September 9 and made landfall on Cape Gracias a Dios as a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h).

It quickly lost intensity over Central America and after briefly entering the Gulf of Honduras it crossed the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

After moving across the Gulf of Mexico a trough turned the storm to the northeast and Edith, after having restrengthened while accelerating towards the coast, made landfall on Louisiana with winds of 105 mph (170 km/h) on September 16.

Striking northeastern Central America as a Category 5 hurricane, Edith destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 35 people.

Edith caused moderate to heavy damage in portions of Louisiana due to flooding and a tornado outbreak from the storm.

It moved westward into the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and organized into a tropical disturbance on September 2 with a small, circular area of convection.

[2] The wave gradually became detached from the ITCZ, and based on a reconnaissance flight that confirmed the existence of a low-level circulation, it is estimated the system developed into a tropical depression on September 5 while located 255 miles (410 km) east of Grenada.

The cause for the explosive deepening is unknown, though it is speculated that the transformation in the upper troposphere from an upper-level low to an anticyclone led to a release of baroclinic energy.

It continued to weaken as it moved northwestward, and made landfall near Belize City with tropical storm winds of 70 mph (110 km/h).

Edith initially failed to re-intensify as it moved northwestward, despite low amounts of wind shear and warm waters.

[3] As Fern moved inland over Texas, the flow became more favorable around Edith, and 36 hours after entering the Gulf of Mexico, the storm began to reintensify slightly.

A mid-latitude trough of low pressure approached the storm, and caused Edith to turn to slowly drift towards the northeast.

Located only miles from the Mexican coast, Edith again failed to strengthen until September 15, when it accelerated northeastward and regained hurricane status.

[4] In Belize, officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas, resulting in hundreds of residents leaving to the United States through the international airport.

The meteorological service in British Honduras stated there were 100 fatalities near Cape Gracias,[7] though a later report indicated 35 people died in Nicaragua.

[8] Three United States Air Force aircraft delivered food, medical supplies, and fuel to the hurricane victims of Nicaragua.

While moving past the state, Edith produced above normal tides of over 4 feet (1.2 m) in locations,[1] which flooded a portion of Highway 87.

[7] About a month after Edith struck the United States, President Richard Nixon declared portions of Louisiana as a disaster area, which allocated relief funds to aid the affected citizens.