The eighth named storm of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, Hilda formed from a tropical wave on September 10 near the Lesser Antilles.

It dropped heavy rainfall that flooded 90% of Tampico, while its strong winds damaged half of the homes, leaving 15,000 homeless.

The origins of Hurricane Hilda were from an easterly wave,[2] which spawned a tropical depression over the northern Lesser Antilles late on September 10.

[3] On September 12, Hilda attained hurricane status to the north of the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

[1] The hurricane weakened slightly as it neared the Yucatán Peninsula, and Hilda struck the sparsely populated area between Chetumal and Cozumel on September 16 with winds of about 110 mph (180 km/h).

[7] In Santiago de Cuba, Hilda produced heavy rains and gusty winds, which knocked down telephone lines and caused flooding.

[11] After the hurricane isolated the town of Caimanera, American workers sent a train there from Guantanamo Bay with a medical team and supplies.

[1] Ahead of Hilda's landfall on the Yucatán peninsula, officials warned the residents to prepare for high winds and waves.

[4] Ahead of the storm in South Texas, officials provided sandbags and advised businesses to move merchandise within 2 ft (0.61 m) of the floor, both an effort to mitigate potential flooding.

[15] Tides rose in advance of the storm, and before it made landfall, 10% of Tampico was still flooded from previous Hurricane Gladys.

[4] Although smaller than the previous Hurricane Gladys, Hilda dropped heavy rainfall that flooded local rivers.

[17] The rail line from Laredo, Texas to Mexico City was cut during the storm, but was restored ten days later.

The Mexican government flew medical supplies, food, and clothing from Mexico City to Tampico, while four United States helicopters assisted in rescue missions along the Pánuco River.

[19] About 10 days after Hilda struck Tampico, Hurricane Janet affected the same area, causing further damage and deaths.

Collectively, the two hurricanes caused 1,240 deaths along their paths,[4] and damage from the consecutive storms totaled about half of Mexico's 1955 national budget.