Forecasters at the United States Weather Bureau issued advisories for ships and oceangoing vessels, while posting hurricane warnings for areas in western Florida stretching from Key West to Apalachicola on October 24 and October 25. Additionally, storm warnings were issued eastward from mouth of the Mississippi River and along the east coast of Florida.
Preparations
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Preparations
Storm warnings were issued eastward from mouth of the Mississippi River and along the east coast of Florida. The Weather Bureau issued advisories for ships and oceangoing vessels, while posting hurricane warnings for areas in western Florida stretching from Key West to Apalachicola. Additionally, storm warnings were issued eastward from mouth of the Mississippi River and along the east coast of Florida. Forecasters at the United States Weather Bureau issued advisories for ships and oceangoing vessels, while posting hurricane warnings for areas in western Florida stretching from Key West to Apalachicola on October 24 and October 25. Additionally, storm warnings were issued eastward from mouth of the Mississippi River and along the east coast of Florida. Forecasters at the United States Weather Bureau issued advisories for ships and oceangoing vessels, while posting hurricane warnings for areas in western Florida stretching from Key West to Apalachicola.
when was the last time a hurricane hit tampa bay area
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1921
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which areas did it effected?
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Cuba, Pasco County, Manatee County and Sarasota County.
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who ruled the first place?
user
Communist Party of Cuba
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which ethnic groups immigrated here?
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Afro-Cubans
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what is one of the principles of its communist party?
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It entails democratic and open discussion of policy issues within the party, followed by the requirement of total unity in upholding the agreed policies.
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when was it founded?
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3 October 1965
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what arrangements were made before the 1921 hurricane?
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Forecasters at the United States Weather Bureau issued advisories for ships and oceangoing vessels, while posting hurricane warnings for areas in western Florida stretching from Key West to Apalachicola on October 24 and October 25. Additionally, storm warnings were issued eastward from mouth of the Mississippi River and along the east coast of Florida.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Preparations
A group of about 40 volunteers rescued a number of women and children. A total of 50 homes were destroyed by cedar logs used to construct cigar boxes at the Tampa Box Company on 22nd Street.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Impact
After receiving reports of mass casualties and destruction at Pass-a-Grille, the American Red Cross stocked a United States Navy subchaser with pine caskets and relief supplies, but found no bodies and only a fraction of the reported damage. Because of fears that the hurricane might hinder the Florida land boom of the 1920s, rebuilding and cleanup of the area commenced quickly and the land boom in the Tampa Bay region and in southern Florida continued. Local officials, businessmen, realtors, and later the press soon attempted to cover up or downplay the damage, which threatened to distort Tampa's advertised image as the "Year Round City".
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Aftermath
About six hours later, the remnants of the hurricane became indistinguishable.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Meteorological history
In mid-October, a significant drop in atmospheric pressures over the western Caribbean Sea coincided with the development of a trough on October 17. Observations suggested that a circulation formed on October 20, with the Atlantic hurricane database listing a tropical storm beginning at 00:00 UTC, with the system was situated about 95 mi (155 km) southeast of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. The cyclone initially moved slowly northwestward due to a high pressure system over Bermuda. Early on October 22, the storm intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, based on sustained winds of on Great Swan Island.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Meteorological history
After entering the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane gradually curved northeastward and weakened to a Category 3 before making landfall near Tarpon Springs, Florida, late on October 25, becoming the first major hurricane to hit the area since a hurricane in 1848. The storm quickly weakened to a Category 1 hurricane while crossing Central Florida, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean early on the following day. Thereafter, system moved east-southeastward and remained fairly steady in intensity before weakening to a tropical storm late on October 29. The storm was then absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone early the next day, with the remnants of the hurricane soon becoming indistinguishable.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
On October 28, a writer for "The Tampa Tribune" stated, "Everyone is accepting the storm as an incident and all are going to work to rebuild the devastated areas, with the firm conviction that there will not be another storm of such severity during the life of anyone now living." One of the destroyed buildings at the Ballist Point Pavilion was soon rebuilt after the storm. However, the building was destroyed again by fire in 1922. In 1925, a new pavilion was built. On Captiva Island, the Wayside Chapel suffered extensive damage, but was repaired and reopened as Captiva School and Chapel-by-the-Sea, which has been listed as a National Historic Place since 2013.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Aftermath
The Tampa Bay hurricane of 1921 (also known as the 1921 Tarpon Springs hurricane) is the most recent major hurricane to strike the Tampa Bay Area. The eleventh tropical cyclone, sixth tropical storm, and fifth hurricane of the season, the storm developed from a trough in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 20. Initially a tropical storm, the system moved northwestward and intensified into a hurricane on October 22 and a major hurricane by October 23. Later that day, the cyclone peaked as a Category 4 on the modern day Saffir–Simpson scale with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h).
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
Hospitals set up emergency facilities in case of power failure, and some coastal residents left their homes. Initially, the storm was forecast to strike the Tampa area, but missed to the north as it weakened. It reportedly left little damage in the sparsely populated land where it made landfall.
1950 Atlantic hurricane season | Hurricane Love
At 12:00 UTC on October 25, the cyclone weakened to a Category 3 hurricane. About 10 hours later, the hurricane made landfall near Tarpon Springs, Florida, 115 mph (185 km/h). The storm further weakened to a Category 1 hurricane over Central Florida early on October 26, about six hours before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near New Smyrna Beach. Reaching the Atlantic with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), the hurricane briefly re-strengthened to reach winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) early on October 27. It then moved east-southeastward after the high pressure weakened further. Late on October 29, the system accelerated northeastward and weakened to a tropical storm, before being absorbed by a large extratropical cyclone about southeast of Bermuda at 00:00 UTC on October 30.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Meteorological history
Hopkins' organization, to determine whether there was any fault that would lie against anyone in the Administration. Hines's representative in Florida was to take full charge of the situation and all other organizations and agencies were ordered to cooperate. The President's first order was straightforward and promptly executed. 124 injured veterans were treated in Miami area hospitals; 9 of these died and 56 were later transferred to VA medical facilities. Uninjured veterans were removed to Camp Foster in Jacksonville and evaluated for transfer to the CCC; those declining transfer or deemed unemployable were paid off and given tickets home. All of the FERA transient camps were closed in November 1935.
1935 Labor Day hurricane | Rescue
The combined population of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties has increased from about 135,000 people in 1921 to approximately 2.7 million by 2011. In Pasco County, more than half of the homes were constructed prior to the enactment of stronger building codes in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. A Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) computer model from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates that portions of Downtown Tampa would be flooded with over of water in the event of a Category 4 hurricane, while St. Petersburg would be surrounded by water. CoreLogic, an international property information firm, estimated in 2016 that nearly 455,000 homes were at risk of being damaged by storm surge, with costs of property damage and repairs reaching approximately $80.6 billion (2016 USD).
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Aftermath
Many farmers on the island sold their land for a significantly reduced price to Clarence B. Chadwick, who would transform more than of property into the South Seas Island Resort. The hurricane was the first major hurricane to strike the Tampa Bay region since a hurricane in 1848 and the most recent to date. Additionally, since this storm, only a hurricane in 1946 has made landfall in the area. In the past few decades especially, local officials have been concerned about a major hurricane impacting the area due to population increases, older building codes, storm surge projections, and complacency among some residents.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Aftermath
The 1946 Florida hurricane also known as the 1946 Tampa Bay hurricane was the last hurricane to make direct landfall in the Tampa Bay Area of the U.S. state of Florida to date. Forming on October 5 from the complex interactions of several weather systems over the southern Caribbean Sea, the storm rapidly strengthened before striking western Cuba. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, it peaked with winds corresponding to Category 2 status on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale; however, it quickly weakened before approaching Florida. It made landfall south of St. Petersburg and continued to weaken as it proceeded inland.
1946 Florida hurricane | Introduction
Overall, the hurricane left at least eight deaths and about $10 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in damage.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
The hurricane strengthened significantly over the northwestern Caribbean, becoming a Category 2 hurricane at 00:00 UTC on October 23 and a Category 3 hurricane six hours later. Around 18:00 UTC, the cyclone reached Category 4 intensity and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . The latter was observed by the schooner "Virginia", while the former was estimated using the southern wind-pressure relationship. Early on October 24, the hurricane moved northward across the Yucatán Channel and entered the Gulf of Mexico. Thereafter, the system gradually curved to the northeast as the high pressure weakened and the storm became under the influence of a southwesterly air current.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Meteorological history
Rodney Kite-Powell, the curator of the Tampa Bay History Center, opines that neither the voters of 1924 nor the city's hospital construction committee gave much thought to the location of the hospital, with their primary motivation apparently being merely that the city already owned the land. The location of the hospital has proven to be inconvenient over the years, as Davis Islands were originally accessible from elsewhere via just one bridge (now two). The impact of Hurricane Elena caused the hospital's main generator plant to be moved out of its previous location in the basement to a higher location, reducing the risk of it being rendered in-operational by flooding, but the hospital site is still vulnerable to the Davis Islands bridges being washed out during a hurricane.
Tampa General Hospital | Emergency Preparedness
The 1921 Atlantic hurricane season featured the most recent major hurricane to strike the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. Although no "hurricane season" was defined at the time, the present-day delineation of such is June 1 to November 30. The first system, a tropical depression, developed on June 1, while the last, a tropical storm, dissipated on November 25. Of note, three of the twelve cyclones co-existed with another tropical cyclone during the season. Of the season's twelve tropical cyclones, seven became tropical storms and five strengthened into hurricanes. Furthermore, two of these strengthened into a major hurricane—Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale—the most since the 1917 season.
1921 Atlantic hurricane season | Introduction
A survivor called the storm "the granddaddy of all hurricanes."
1848 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
Another joint effort between the American Legion, Red Cross, and other volunteer groups was established in Miami. Similar units were formed in Jupiter and Lake Worth. The Red Cross designated the lobby of a hotel in West Palm Beach as an emergency hospital to process all medical and surgical cases during the storm.
1929 Bahamas hurricane | Preparations
in November. A temporary increase in ceiling prices on citrus fruits was eventually implemented for the state of Florida. The WPB, operating jointly with the Red Cross, made of lumber and 5,000 shingle squares available for repairs and in the Tampa area. The Federal Housing Administration allowed mortgage loans of $5,400 for residents whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane, based on the agency's assessment that "property damage was limited to roofs and broken glass" in the state.
1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane | Aftermath
The MIM-23 Hawk antiaircraft missiles in the city were moved to higher ground, having been in place since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Further north, officials ordered the evacuation of Captiva Island and Sanibel Island. The causeways to Sanibel Island were closed, isolating residents who had not evacuated. Ten emergency shelters were opened in Fort Myers and two in Naples. Overall, about 100,000 people were advised to seek shelter, though many of them chose to stay in their homes. All Phantom jet fighters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa were transported to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, while aircraft were also evacuated from Homestead Air Reserve Base.
Hurricane Alma (1966) | Preparations
Although the storm affected several Caribbean islands, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas, preparations there, if any, were unclear. Residents across Puerto Rico boarded up windows and secured roofs in anticipation of damaging winds. Governor Robert Hayes Gore placed the Hurricane Relief Organization and Red Cross on standby. As the storm neared Florida, the United States Weather Bureau—later the National Weather Service—posted storm warnings between Miami and Titusville. These were later extended to include the west coast of the state from Punta Rassa to Tarpon Springs. At the time, forecasters were unaware that the storm was of hurricane status; this unawareness extended to the storm's passage over the Gulf of Mexico.
1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane | Preparations
Storm preparations also began farther inland, with relief operations and evacuations in the Orlando area coordinated between the Red Cross and the Army Air Forces Tactical Center.
1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane | Warnings and preparations
Hurricane warnings were issued for coastal areas of Florida, including the Florida Keys, the Tampa Bay area and the Panhandle. Storm advisories were also posted along the state's Atlantic coast, and portions of the Eastern Seaboard. They were discontinued on October 8, although small craft warnings remained in place along the Northeastern Coast. Pan American Airways canceled flights between Miami and Havana, Cuba, and also to Guatemala and Mérida, Yucatán. Small navy vessels were secured, while larger ships rode out the storm at sea. In the Key West neighborhood of Poinciana Plaza, 2,000 residents evacuated their homes. Emergency shelters in the area were opened, and local business slowed considerably with the exception of a few grocery stores selling emergency supplies.
1946 Florida hurricane | Preparations and impact
The Civilian Conservation Corps also evacuated 150 of its workers from West Summerland Key to Key West. Local chapters of the American Red Cross organized first-aid stations and shelters; transportation was provided to those who were unable to reach the shelters. In advance of the storm, Pan American World Airways suspended flights departing from and arriving at Miami and redirected them to Havana, Cuba. The United States Navy also prepared its bases in the Florida Keys for the arrival of the storm by securing boats to piers and canceling all shore leaves, while the United States Army Air Corps moved its planes from Morrison Field to a safer location inland.
1941 Florida hurricane | Preparations
Another property firm, Karen Clark & Co., estimated in 2015 that storm surge could inflict as much as $175 billion (2015 USD) in damage in a worst-case scenario.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Aftermath
During the days before the storm's arrival in Florida, the Weather Bureau issued 40 tropical cyclone-related advisories. Extensive preparations that resulted in a low loss of life and property were attributed to the warnings. In southern Florida, residents boarded up homes and businesses, and sought shelter in large structures. Hurricane parties took place in bars and hotel rooms, while some residents sat in hotel lobbies, listening to radio broadcasts. In Miami, stores sold out of various essentials—including bread and butter—as people prepared for the storm. Evacuations were recommended from Homestead to Key West, and three Coast Guard planes dropped warnings to boats near the Florida coast.
1941 Florida hurricane | Preparations
Though there were no deaths as a result of the floods, two people were rescued by police after their house was surrounded by water. Telecommunications in the Tampa Bay Area were delayed for up to two hours due to damage sustained to communication lines as a result of the rains. Despite its nearby proximity, effects in Tampa, Florida were much less severe, with only small showers and gusts never exceeding 25 mph (40 km/h). Upon making landfall on the Texas coast late on August 27, the hurricane caused a wide swath of destruction, and was considered one of the worst hurricanes to impact the state in at least 25 years.
1945 Texas hurricane | Preparations and impact
Damage from the wind was generally minor, while most of the impact wrought by the storm was due to abnormally high tides in Tampa and elsewhere in the area. Much of the city was flooded, with the worst along Bayshore Boulevard, where some of the most expensive properties were located. At Hyde Park, dwellings were inundated about halfway up the first story, prompting several people to be rescued by boat. Electrical poles and wires were washed away near the intersection of Bayshore Boulevard and Howard Avenue. The latter was also left impassible by car. In the Palmetto Beach neighborhood, much of the section was inundated.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Impact
The storm left two additional fatalities in St. Petersburg. A number of streets in Tarpon Springs were littered with masses of debris, with many structures and trees suffering extensive damage. Southward in Manatee County and Sarasota County, many waterfront communities along Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, such as Cortez and Sarasota, suffered heavy structural losses. Strong winds occurred as far east as the Atlantic coast of the state, though wind damage east of the Tampa Bay area was generally limited to downed trees and power lines, resulting in power outages, particularly in Orlando. Agriculture throughout the state experienced significant impact as well, including over $2 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in damage and the loss of at least 800,000 boxes of citrus crops alone.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
The storm appears to have formed in the central Gulf of Mexico before moving northeast to make landfall near Clearwater, Florida. It then crossed the Florida peninsula and exited near Cape Canaveral. After moving into the extreme western Atlantic, the cyclone continued to the northeast just offshore of the East Coast of the United States to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
1848 Tampa Bay hurricane | Meteorological history
Strong winds also damaged hundreds of trees, signs, buildings, and homes. Five deaths occurred in Tampa, two from drowning and three after people came into contact with a live wire. The storm left two additional fatalities in St. Petersburg. A number of streets in Tarpon Springs were littered with masses of debris, with many structures and trees suffering extensive damage. Strong winds occurred as far east as the Atlantic coast of the state, though wind damage east of the Tampa Bay area was generally limited to downed trees and power lines, resulting in power outages, particularly in Orlando. Agriculture throughout the state experienced significant impact as well, including over $2 million in damage and the loss of at least 800,000 boxes of citrus crops alone.
1921 Atlantic hurricane season | Hurricane Six
In the Bahamas after the storm, a boat sailed from Nassau to deliver food and building materials to Eleuthera. After the storm, the National Guard offered shelters for at least 400 homeless residents in Stuart. Of the 7,900 families adversely affected by the hurricane, 4,325 required assistance from the American Red Cross. Farmers in Texas, also affected by a major hurricane, requested growers in Florida wait 15 days so they could sell their citrus crop that fell. The damaged dam near Tampa initially resulted in waters from the Hillsborough River being pumped into the city's water treatment plant, and a new dam was eventually built in 1944.
1933 Treasure Coast hurricane | Aftermath
Weather Bureau was relayed by various radio and local press services, though the bureau specifically acknowledged the Mobile Register for their efforts in disseminating storm details.
1926 Miami hurricane | Preparations
A strong hurricane in late September 1848 almost washed away the budding growth. Every building in Tampa was either damaged or destroyed, including most of Fort Brooke. Much of the population stayed to rebuild, and some desperate lobbying in Washington, D.C. persuaded the US Army to reconsider a plan to abandon the fort and its garrison of troops.
History of Tampa, Florida | 1848 hurricane
To aid these families, the Duke of Windsor announced on October 7 that he would establish a relief fund for those affected by the storm.
1941 Florida hurricane | Bahamas
On July 1, 1956, a National Hurricane Information Center was established in Miami, Florida, which became a warehouse for all hurricane-related information from one United States Weather Bureau office. The Miami Hurricane Warning Office (HWO) moved from Lindsey Hopkins Hotel to the Aviation Building to the northwest on July 1, 1958. Forecasts within the hurricane advisories were issued one day into the future in 1954 before being extended to two days into the future in 1961, three days into the future in 1964, and five days into the future in 2001. The Miami HWO moved to the campus of the University of Miami in 1964, and was referred to as the NHC in 1965.
National Hurricane Center | Early history
As the storm intensified into a hurricane, forecasters shifted their predicted landfall point eastward; early on June 24 the Weather Bureau expected the storm to strike between Tampa and Cross City, Florida. Hurricane warnings were issued for the coastline between Tampa and Carrabelle, Florida; meanwhile, storm warnings were issued from Punta Gorda to Titusville. The city of Tallahassee prepared to receive evacuees, and evacuations were ordered for coastal communities in the Big Bend. The Florida Highway Patrol warned local residents to leave the area, and soldiers were transported out of Carrabelle. As the hurricane moved closer to the Big Bend, storm warnings were extended up the Eastern Seaboard to Savannah, Georgia.
1945 Outer Banks hurricane | Preparations and impact
In Florida, various relief agencies prepared 9,000 hot dogs, 8,000 hamburgers, and 6,000 servings of chicken, to be donated to local hospitals and charitable organizations. The United States Weather Bureau urged for the reopening of grocery stores and lumberyards which had been closed for Labor Day in order to increase availability of hurricane preparedness materials to potentially affected populations. In downtown Miami, a traffic coordination plan for the evacuation of vehicles and aquatic craft through the Brickell Avenue Bridge was set in place. Homestead Air Reserve Base went into Phase 2 of its hurricane preparedness plan, in which aircraft stationed at the base were serviced for potential evacuation to bases in Michigan and Indiana.
Hurricane Betsy | The Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida
Most highways leading out of Fort Myers were impassible due to high water. Damage to railroad tracks resulted in a suspension of service for three days. On Estero Island, a number of buildings were damaged, including the casinos, cottages, and Crescent Beach resort. The storm also destroyed the mausoleum of Dr. Cyrus Teed, the founder of Koreshanity. Damage in Lee County reached about $1.5 million. Along the Myakka River near Boca Grande, the railroad bridge washed away, while the storm also destroyed two vehicular bridges over the Charlotte Harbor Bay. The streets of Punta Gorda were inundated, where a tide of above normal was recorded.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Impact
Hurricane advisories issued every six hours by the regional hurricane offices began at this time. The Jacksonville hurricane warning office moved to Miami, Florida, in 1943. Tropical cyclone naming began for Atlantic tropical cyclones using the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet by 1947. In 1950, the Miami Hurricane Warning Office began to prepare the annual hurricane season summary articles. In the 1953 Atlantic season, the United States Weather Bureau began naming storms which reach tropical storm intensity with human names. The National Hurricane Research Project, begun in the 1950s, used aircraft to study tropical cyclones and carry out experiments on mature hurricanes through its Project Stormfury.
National Hurricane Center | Early history
In 1921, a hurricane hit Tampa for the first time since 1848. Despite this, the 1920s saw the Florida Land Boom. During this time, Davis Islands, two man-made islands, were built by developer and Tampa native D. P. Davis. After the bubble burst, in 1926, the Tampa Municipal Hospital on Davis Islands was opened, now Tampa General Hospital. In 1924, the Gandy Bridge to St. Petersburg was built. Also in 1924 the Old People's Home was built.
History of Tampa, Florida | Florida Land Boom
Several counties issued a state of emergency. Residents prepared individually by, for example, securing boats and lawn furniture. Free sand and sandbags were made available to the general public and inmates filled bags for those physically unable to do so themselves. Officials at Lake Manatee began lowering the water level to help avoid flooding. In Hillsborough County the threat of the storm forced the cancellation of local football programs.
Tropical Storm Harvey (1999) | Preparations
Winds in the Tampa Bay Area reached tropical storm force, , at 05 UTC on June 24. At that time, the "center" of the storm was estimated to be across. Near the point of landfall, the hurricane defoliated "citrus" trees and downed power lines, and flash floods washed out roadways. Throughout its path, the hurricane generated prolific rains. Peak rainfall along the path totaled at Lake Alfred; West Palm Beach recorded of rain within a 24-hour period. Rainfall in Orange County exceeded , which proved beneficial to dry orange groves; the heavy rains ended one of the worst droughts in Florida's history.
1945 Outer Banks hurricane | Preparations and impact
The state of Florida stockpiled food for those affected by the storm, establishing depots in West Palm Beach, Miami, and Fort Myers, and the Governor of Florida, Spessard Holland, ordered state agencies to prepare for relief work. A detachment of officers from the Florida Highway Patrol was sent to Miami and patrolled along highways to provide gasoline to motorists evacuating the storm. The state also opened all of the school buildings in Dade County as emergency shelters.
1941 Florida hurricane | Preparations
Additionally, a hurricane watch was issued in South Florida from Fort Myers to Palm Beach, including the Florida Keys. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the campgrounds of Bahia Honda and John Pennekamp state parks. Shelters were also prepared to open in the Florida Keys if necessary. Typically, when a tropical cyclone approaches South Florida, the South Florida Water Management District drains Lake Okeechobee using the floodgates. However, due to a severe drought, water was instead directed into the lake from the connector canals. The storm resulted in a postponement of a second spraying to combat the spread of Mediterranean fruit flies in the Tampa Bay Area.
Hurricane Dennis (1981) | Preparations and impact
In Cuba, heavy rainfall in Pinar del Río Province caused rivers and creeks to rise. However, only minimal damage was reported. The hurricane passed to the west of the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane. Its large wind field caused tropical storm force winds to the islands, with the highest wind report being 48 mph (71 km/h) in Key West. Rainfall from the hurricane's outer bands was intermittent, and storm tides of 5 ft (1.5 m) were reported. Further north, Captiva and Sanibel islands were completely inundated with water. In Punta Rassa, the majority of homes were either extensively damaged or washed away.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Impact
On the golf course, Davis asked Farrior, who was then chairman of the city's Committee for the Construction of Tampa Municipal Hospital, where he wanted the hospital sited, drawing a rough map of the Islands in the sand. Farrior indicated the tip of the island. This site is where the hospital construction began in March 1926, voters in the city having approved a USD215,000 bond issue to fund construction in 1924. The hospital building was complete by the next year, the final construction cost having been US$300,000, with patients moving to there from the George Keller Memorial Hospital on 1927-11-15.
Tampa General Hospital | History
Shops and residences were "boarded up" in Nassau. Precautionary hurricane signals were hoisted along the Florida east coast from Titusville to Miami, and the center was expected to make landfall between Miami and West Palm Beach. Later, hurricane warnings were issued from Palm Beach to Naples. 200 men were evacuated from the Snake Creek area in the upper Florida Keys. Workers in the Florida Keys were transported to concentration points in Miami and Homestead. Maritime interests in the Gulf of Mexico were also warned, though the cyclone's remnants remained off the west coast of Florida.
1935 Yankee hurricane | Preparations
In Texas, the Weather Bureau notified people early enough to allow mass evacuations: most coastal residents and camping visitors evacuated the vulnerable islands as the storm neared. Between 60–70% of Port Isabel's 500 residents left before the storm, with the remainder sheltering in a sturdy brick store on the highest land available.
1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane | Preparations
U.S. Representative John Nance Garner brought forth a proposal to the Army Corps of Engineers to survey and dredge a channel from Aransas Pass to Corpus Christi's wharves. A bayfront improvement plan was developed to meet government mandates for protection of the city's populace in order to proceed with the deep-water port's development, including a possible seawall. However, the high costs involved and political divisions prevented the project from proceeding promptly; by August 1919, only property valuation of lands near the proposed seawall had been conducted. The 1919 hurricane began as a tropical depression over the Leeward Islands on September 2, 1919.
Effects of the 1919 Florida Keys hurricane in Texas | Background
The first aid arriving from outside the impacted areas was a relief train guarded by state militiamen that carted medical staff, medicine, potable water, and other relief supplies into Miami immediately following the storm's passage. Afterwards, then-U.S. president Calvin Coolidge placed the United States Army and Coast Guard on standby should relief efforts necessitate their presence in Florida and the Bahamas. The Red Cross offered its facilities and the Pullman Company offered its resources for use in relief efforts. The National Guard of the United States dispatched several companies of guardsmen to disaster areas following urgent appeals from then-Florida governor John W.
1926 Miami hurricane | Aftermath
Aerial reconnaissance of tropical storms first began in September 1935. In that year the United States Weather Bureau decentralized its hurricane warning system, which depended to a great extent on reports from ships at sea, opening three warning centers in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Jacksonville, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana. In August the Jacksonville center followed the progress of a developing hurricane east of the Bahamas, determining that it would pass through the Straits of Florida and strike the north coast of Cuba. It contacted the Cuban weather service when ship information was no longer available, but track of the storm was lost when the Cubans observed no evidence of it.
53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron | Hurricane hunting
Six hours later, a tropical storm warning replaced the watch, and it was extended west to Progreso, Yucatán; a hurricane watch was also posted. Cuban officials issued a bulletin on the night of November 20, advising that tropical storm conditions would spread over the west part of Cuba. A subsequent bulletin indicated the possibility for hurricane conditions, but as the storm continued further to the northwest, the threat diminished. Two days before the storm struck Florida, emergency management workers began working to prepare for its onslaught. The next day, the water levels in five lakes in Hillsborough County were decreased as a precaution.
Tropical Storm Keith (1988) | Preparations
At around 2:00 PM, Fred Ghent, Assistant Administrator, Florida Emergency Relief Administration, requested a special train to evacuate the veterans work camps located in the upper keys. It departed Miami at 4:25 PM; delayed by a draw bridge opening, obstructions across the track, poor visibility and the necessity to back the locomotive below Homestead (so it could head out on the return trip) the train finally arrived at the Islamorada station on Upper Matecumbe Key at about 8:20 PM. This coincided with an abrupt wind shift from the northeast (Florida Bay) to southeast (Atlantic Ocean) and the arrival on the coast of the storm surge.
1935 Labor Day hurricane | Preparations
Its remnants persisted for several days longer. In advance of the storm, preparations were taken along threatened areas of coastal Florida (mainly the Tampa Bay Area), including the evacuation of thousands of residents. Damage was extensive in Cuba, and five people were killed there. The cyclone's effects in the United States were minor to moderate, and the most significant impact was to citrus crops. No deaths occurred in the country, although high tides caused some flooding of low-lying terrain. The cyclone's structure was extensively observed and investigated.
1946 Florida hurricane | Introduction
On June 19, a weak tropical depression formed from the tail end of a dying cold front, north of western Bahamas and east of Florida. The tropical depression moved generally north after its formation. Failing to intensify further, it was absorbed by a stronger cold front sweeping down the East Coast of the United States on June 22.
1923 Atlantic hurricane season | Other systems
The storm brought strong winds to the Swan Islands, including hurricane-force winds on the main island. Heavy rains fell in Cuba, particularly in Pinar del Río Province, but only minor damage occurred. In Florida, storm surge and abnormally high tides caused damage along much of the state's west coast from Pasco County southward. Several neighborhoods and sections of Tampa were inundated, especially in Ballast Point, DeSoto Park, Edgewater Park, Hyde Park, Palmetto Beach, and other areas in the vicinity of Bayshore Boulevard. Strong winds also damaged hundreds of trees, signs, buildings, and homes. Four deaths occurred in Tampa, three from drownings and another after a man touched a live wire.
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Introduction
The storm surge caused by this hurricane prompted the city of Corpus Christi to construct a breakwater in 1925, and a seawall was subsequently built in 1940. Robert Simpson, a storm survivor who was 6 years old at the time, related his experience in an interview in 1989. Simpson, citing inspiration from this hurricane, pursued a career in meteorology and later served as the first director of the National Hurricane Research Project and as a director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Additionally, he co-developed and published the Saffir–Simpson scale with Herbert Saffir in 1973, a hurricane intensity scale implemented by the NHC in 1974.
1919 Florida Keys hurricane | Aftermath
After Congress appropriated funding for four hurricane forecast centers in 1935, Norton became the chief forecaster of the Jacksonville office. He was able to issue hurricane warnings more than twelve hours in advance when the 1935 Labor Day hurricane hit South Florida.
Grady Norton | Introduction
Boats were utilized to transport people from barrier islands, and small watercraft were secured along the Miami River. However, Grady Norton, the head of the United States Weather Bureau, stated before the storm that Miami would "miss the worst of it". The American Red Cross reported that 25,000 people sought shelter within their services during the storm. Local officials from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Brunswick, Georgia, ordered evacuations for coastal locations.
1945 Homestead hurricane | Preparations
B. P. Curry, the fort's assistant surgeon, reported the hospital destroyed. Only five houses were left standing in Tampa, and they were all damaged. The water rose twelve feet higher than had been noted in the past, and strong winds downed many old trees. On the Pinellas Peninsula, the storm destroyed the fishing "rancho" of Antonio Máximo Hernández, reputedly lower Pinellas' first white settler, forcing him to emigrate permanently. The storm almost obliterated the citrus crop and destroyed the main house at St. Helena plantation—now part of Safety Harbor—forcing the residents to shelter on an elevated Tocobaga midden. Even so, they nearly drowned as the storm tide eroded part of the shell mound.
1848 Tampa Bay hurricane | Gulf of Mexico and Florida
The storm was then absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone early the next day, with the remnants of the hurricane soon becoming indistinguishable. The storm brought strong winds to the Swan Islands, including hurricane-force winds on the main island. Heavy rains fell in Cuba, particularly in Pinar del Río Province, but only minor damage occurred. In Florida, storm surge and abnormally high tides caused damage along much of the state's west coast from Pasco County southward. Several neighborhoods and sections of Tampa were inundated, especially in Ballast Point, DeSoto Park, Edgewater Park, Hyde Park, Palmetto Beach, and other areas in the vicinity of Bayshore Boulevard.
1921 Atlantic hurricane season | Hurricane Six
The Second Tampa Bay Hurricane of 1848. October 5–15. An eastward moving major hurricane passing Cuba hit Tampa Bay again for the second time in less than a month on October 11 before heading northward into the Florida Panhandle.
1840s Atlantic hurricane seasons | Hurricane Six
On July 1, 1956, a National Hurricane Information Center had become established in Miami, Florida which became a warehouse for all hurricane-related information from one office. The Miami Hurricane Warning Office (HWO) was moved from Lindsey Hopkins Hotel to the Aviation Building to the northwest on July 1, 1958. Forecasts for tropical cyclone movement were extended to two days in advance (at one day intervals) in 1961. The Miami HWO moved to the campus of the University of Miami in 1964, which is when tropical cyclone forecasts were extended to three days into the future, at one day intervals. The Miami HWO tropical cyclone reports were done regularly and took on their modern format in 1964.
History of Atlantic hurricane warnings | National Hurricane Center
The storm was still a hurricane when it passed east of Tampa Bay and over Central Florida later that day; a pressure of 967 mbar (hPa; 28.55 inHg) recorded at a weather station in Tampa, Florida, was a record low for the site in its over-50-year observational history. The large hurricane finally weakened to tropical storm status south of Jacksonville, Florida, on the afternoon of October 19. It straddled the Georgia coast before pressing farther inland over South Carolina. As it did so, the storm began to become more baroclinic, transitioning into a fully extratropical cyclone over South Carolina on October 20.
1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane | Meteorological history
The first hurricane warning service was set up in the 1870s from Cuba with the work of Father Benito Viñes. After his death, hurricane warning services were assumed by the United States Signal Corps and United States Weather Bureau over the next decade, first based in Jamaica in 1898 and Cuba in 1899 before shifting to Washington, D.C. in 1902. The central office in Washington, which evolved into the National Meteorological Center and Weather Prediction Center (formerly known as the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center), assumed hurricane warning/advisory responsibility at that time. This responsibility passed to regional hurricane offices in 1935, and the concept of the Atlantic hurricane season was established to keep a vigilant lookout for tropical cyclones during certain times of the year.
National Hurricane Center | Early history
U.S. Army and Navy aircraft and non-essential personnel were evacuated from Florida. In the Miami area, flights were grounded and schools were closed. A total of sixty schools and public buildings in Miami were repurposed as shelters by the Red Cross. The University of Miami suspended classes for a day. U.S. Coast Guard personnel assisted in storm preparations, evacuating small craft and allocating vehicles for municipal emergency use. Schools were closed in Pinellas County in advance of the storm and repurposed as potential shelters, though ultimately none were used. Fort Myers served as a place of refuge for soldiers stationed at nearby Buckingham Army Airfield and surrounding areas around the city.
1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane | Warnings and preparations
One death occurred in the city due to drowning. At Egmont Key, above normal tides forced 75 people to seek shelter in the lighthouse. The entire island was inundated by water. The hurricane brought a storm surge of 10–12 ft (3–3.5 m) to Tampa Bay. The highest rainfall total in Tampa was at 8.53 in (23.5 mm). However, the observer noted that winds probably blew water out of the gauge. The barometric pressure fell to , breaking a previous record set in 1910. The hurricane also brought sustained winds of 75 mph (119 km/h) and a storm tide of 10.5 ft (3 m).
1921 Tampa Bay hurricane | Impact
On the evening of the 13th, northwest storm warnings were in effect for the entire Texas coast.
1919 Florida Keys hurricane | Preparations
The Florida Department of Health prepared to dispatch health specialists in the risk area. The 124th Infantry Regiment, serving as the Florida National Guard, was mobilized to assist in the hurricane aftermath if necessary. Emergency relief groups were formed in Broward, Dade, Okeechobee, and Palm Beach counties. The windows of homes and businesses along the coast were boarded up. Storeowners moved vulnerable awnings and signage away to safeguard their stores. Pan American Airlines suspended service between Miami and Havana, Cuba, and also evacuated ten planes from Miami worth $700,000 total to Havana. A partial evacuation of the Everglades was conducted on September 25; several hundred people sought refuge in West Palm Beach while others fled to Arcadia and Sebring.
1929 Bahamas hurricane | Preparations
Due to the lack of hurricane observations at sea, the first tropical cyclone warning prompted by the United States Weather Bureau was a storm warning on September 8 issued for areas along the Florida coast from Jupiter on the east coast to Fort Myers on the peninsula's west coast with the storm already a major hurricane over the Bahamas. The first hurricane warning was issued the next day for coastal areas from Jupiter to Key West, with all vessels requested to avoid the Florida Straits and the waters off Florida's Atlantic coast. In addition, the storm's projected path into the Gulf of Mexico prompted the bureau to also direct the clearance of ships in the hurricane's trajectory.
1919 Florida Keys hurricane | Preparations
Two days before the hurricane, an engineer predicted, "[i]f we have a blow, even a gale, Moore Haven is going under water". The engineer lost his wife and daughter in the flood. The City of Miami responded to the hurricane by downplaying its effects and turning down aid. "The Miami Herald" declared two weeks after the storm that almost everything in the city had returned to normal. The governor supported the efforts to minimize the appearance of the destruction by refusing to call a special legislative session to appropriate emergency funds for relief. As a result, the American Red Cross was able to collect only $3 million of $5 million needed.
Draining and development of the Everglades | 1926 Miami Hurricane
In Miami, Florida, the city's power plant cut off its electrical output as a precautionary measure, forcing an intentional power outage in the city. On the 10th at 10:30 p.m., northeast storm warnings were issued from Carrabelle, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana. On the 11th at 4 p.m., the storm warnings for the northeast Gulf coast were changed to hurricane warnings, and extended westward along the length of the Louisiana coast. At 9 p.m., northwest storm warnings were issued for the northwest Gulf coast from Port Arthur to Velasco, Texas. At 4 p.m. on the 12th, storm warnings were in effect from Mobile, Alabama to Pensacola, Florida, with hurricane warnings in effect along the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts.
1919 Florida Keys hurricane | Preparations
On October 9—a day before Hurricane Michael made landfall—President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration for Florida, which authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster efforts, with Thomas McCool serving as Federal Coordinating Officer in the state. The declaration also authorized funding for 75% of the cost of emergency protective measures and the removal of storm debris in 14 Florida counties. The federal government also provided for 75% of the cost of emergency protective measures in an additional 21 counties. On October 11, President Trump declared a major disaster in five counties: Bay, Franklin, Gulf, Taylor, and Wakulla.
Hurricane Michael | Aftermath
Several railway companies lent free transport to their passengers, and trains were conveniently stationed around the lake. The evacuations took place in the communities of Belle Glade, Pahokee, Canal Point, Okeechobee, and Clewiston. Relief organizations and local mayors distributed milk, biscuits, and coffee to evacuees. On the west coast of the state, some residents covered their windows, but many others did not, anticipating little damage from the weak storm. Citizens received radio updates from the Weather Bureau, which gave the position and movement of the storm. Some beachfront residents, such as in Sarasota, left their homes for safety, while boaters secured their vessels.
1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane | Preparations
Advisories, along with coordination between the National Observatory at Havana and U.S. Weather Bureau, were credited for the reduced deaths in Cuba. Weather observations were also readily available from Cuban meteorological stations. On October 25, the cyclone's hurricane-force winds were expected to remain off the Florida east coast, although gale-force winds were anticipated from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach, Florida. Accordingly, storm warnings were issued from Key West, Florida to Vero Beach, Florida. Military aircraft were transported to safer locations, while watercraft were stored in harbors and rivers. Hotels and resorts were boarded up on the barrier islands. The Bahamas received warnings well in advance of the hurricane.
Hurricane Fox (1952) | Preparations
Prior to the storm's first landfall in southern Florida, the Weather Bureau issued hurricane warnings beginning on August 29 for areas of Florida's east coast from Palm Beach south to Key West, while storm warnings were issued from Key West to Boca Grande on the peninsula's western coast. Electrical power was purposely stopped in Miami as a precautionary measure prior to the storm's landfall. Two Red Cross officials were sent to Miami to monitor the area during the storm's passage. Other relief agencies were also preparing supplies in the event of an emergency. In Pahokee and Belle Glade, an estimated 2,000 people evacuated to Okeechobee, fearing a repeat of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.
1932 Florida–Alabama hurricane | Florida
As early as June 19, the U.S. Weather Bureau began sending reconnaissance missions to monitor the developing storm in the Caribbean. The regular reports sent by the airplanes provided valuable data about the intensity of the small cyclone. At 16 UTC (10:00 a.m. local time) on June 23, the U.S. Weather Bureau in New Orleans advised residents from Mobile, Alabama, to Cedar Key, Florida, to prepare for gale-force winds. Areas from Tampa to Grand Isle, Louisiana, were placed under a storm warning. The center of the storm was expected to strike land early on June 24 between Mobile and Panama City, Florida.
1945 Outer Banks hurricane | Preparations and impact
Although hurricane warnings were initially issued for the Leeward Islands, the cyclone passed north of the Lesser Antilles. In advance of the storm, aircraft were evacuated from the Naval Air Station in Miami, Florida, where hundreds of planes left vulnerable locations. Residents were advised to heed advisories in Florida, the Bahamas, and northern Cuba. On September 15, hurricane-force winds were expected to affect areas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through the Florida Keys, and hurricane warnings were accordingly released for this region. Storm warnings also extended north to Melbourne and Tampa. Military personnel sought shelter at Hialeah Race Track, while residents boarded homes and evacuated from coastal areas to public structures.
1945 Homestead hurricane | Preparations
By November 18, a hurricane warning was in effect for the southeast and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flood warnings were issued for northern Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In preparation for the hurricane's arrival, officials forced 360,000 people to evacuate in north-central Cuba. While Kate was moving through the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a hurricane warning from Jupiter to Fort Myers, Florida, including the Florida Keys. Then-Governor of Florida Bob Graham declared a state of emergency for six counties in South Florida. However, it was reversed following the relatively minor effects in the area.
Hurricane Kate (1985) | Preparations
Additionally, there were about 300 injuries and an estimated $6 million in damage. After the storm, Cuban President Ramón Grau, President-elect Carlos Prío Socarrás, and Major General Genovevo Pérez Dámera – Chief of Staff of the Army – assessed damage in the Havana area and developed plans for recovery. The Hurricane Warning Service, operated by the United States Weather Bureau and the predecessor to the National Hurricane Center, issued hurricane warnings from Fort Myers to Miami, including the Florida Keys on October 4. Miami Weather Bureau chief Grady Norton urged residents to take precautions and concentrate on further advisories. On October 5, the hurricane warning was revised to include Naples to Jupiter.
1948 Miami hurricane | Impact
The United States Weather Bureau issued 58 storm warnings and advisories via its hurricane warning centers in Miami, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts. The 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane was the first time widespread rawinsonde data were available for a fully developed hurricane; the first complete atmospheric sounding from the center of a tropical cyclone was later collected by a rawinsonde in the eye of the storm as it crossed Tampa. The head of the Weather Bureau's hurricane forecast office in Miami, Grady Norton, used the information from these upper-tropospheric observations to accurately predict the storm's general northward trajectory, despite the presence of a high-pressure area at the surface that would conventionally prevent a northerly track.
1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane | Warnings and preparations
In mid-June, a mid-level center of circulation formed in association with a quasi-stationary cold front that stretched across northern Florida and the extreme northeast Gulf of Mexico. On June 20, a weak and disorganized area of low pressure developed in conjunction with the front and it passed by Tampa Bay, Florida the following day. Upon moving into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, there was little convection observed on satellite imagery, although a distinguishable wind-shift was noted by an offshore buoy. However, by June 23, the presence of deep convection atop a circulation had become well-defined enough for the National Hurricane Center to classify the disturbance as a tropical depression, while centered 330 mi (535 km) southwest of Cape Coral, Florida.
Hurricane Bonnie (1986) | Meteorological history
In October 1921, Cortez was unexpectedly and brutally hit by a hurricane estimated to have been either a category three or four. The hurricane of 1921 was reportedly the most damaging to hit the Tampa Bay area since the mid 1800s. The people of Cortez had little to no warning that the storm was coming before it hit, so they took refuge in the 1912 Rural Graded Schoolhouse. The hurricane of 1921 almost completely destroyed the waterfront. Leaving few structures standing, the waterfront had to be rebuilt and is now barely recognizable from what it once was.
Cortez, Florida | The Hurricane of 1921
Hurricane warnings were ultimately issued for the Florida Keys once the hurricane reached the Florida Straits on September 27. Additional hurricane warnings were later issued for coastal extents between Mississippi and Apalachicola, Florida, in advance of the storm's final landfall. American and Cuban meteorologists initially anticipated the hurricane to strike Florida north of Miami. Although the storm was often erratic and difficult to precisely locate, its slow movement allowed for ample warning of potentially affected areas in Florida and time for storm preparations to be completed. In many Florida towns, all precautionary measures were in place by the night of September 25.
1929 Bahamas hurricane | Preparations
Later, reanalysis lowered this estimate to , equal to Category 2 on the modern Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, due primarily to the absence of corroboration. After peaking late on June 23, the storm quickly lost intensity. The hurricane continued northeast and made landfall at 08 UTC on June 24, north of the Tampa Bay Area. Although observations were sparse near the eye, the system was estimated to have had winds of , though only minor impacts were reported as few people lived in the landfall area. After making landfall, the center tracked inland between Brooksville and Dunnellon, near the Hernando–Citrus county line.
1945 Outer Banks hurricane | Meteorological history
The Jacksonville hurricane warning office moved to Miami, Florida in 1943, and a hurricane warning office was opened in Boston, Massachusetts. After World War II, the United States Navy and United States Air Force had separate warning centers for the military. In the case of tropical cyclones, the civilian and military warning agencies maintained close coordination. Tropical cyclone naming began for Atlantic tropical cyclones using the phonetic alphabet by 1947, switching to female names in 1953. Starting in 1950, the Miami Hurricane Warning Office began to prepare the annual hurricane season summary articles. Tropical cyclone track forecasts for one day in the future began in 1954.
History of Atlantic hurricane warnings | Early years
4,700 persons in Broward County moved into shelters established by the Red Cross, while up to 15,000 people evacuated the flood-prone Lake Okeechobee region. In all, more than 40,000 people statewide moved into shelters established by the Red Cross. Military aircraft were flown to safer locations, in some cases four days or more in advance. Hotels in the threatened area filled quickly due to fears of a disaster similar to the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane; at Melbourne and Cocoa no vacant hotels were left for evacuees. During the storm, the MacArthur, North Bay (now Kennedy), and Venetian Causeways in Miami were closed to traffic.
1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane | Preparations
Offshore, Shell Oil removed some workers and equipment from offshore platforms. A hurricane warning was issued from Fort Walton, Florida to Port St. Joe, Florida. Similarly, a gale warning was posted for coastal areas of Alabama and Florida. A hurricane watch was issued for locations in Mississippi and Louisiana. On July 22, a tornado watch was posted for northern Florida. Tornado warnings were also issued, and a flash flood watch was declared for parts of western North Carolina. Gale warnings were posted from Panama City, Florida to St. Marks, Florida, with the expectation of winds to . Heavy rainfall of up to was predicted, and tides of forecast.
Tropical Storm Becky (1970) | Preparations
Several ocean liners were delayed until the hurricane passed.
1935 Cuba hurricane | Florida
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression while situated in the central Gulf of Mexico on June 18. It headed rapidly northeastward and made landfall near the Tampa Bay Area of Florida later that day. The storm dropped moderately heavy rainfall in Florida, which caused damage to crops. An F3 tornado near Miami and high tides on the west coast of the state also resulted in damage. Losses in Florida were around $1.7 million. Shortly thereafter, in entered the Atlantic Ocean and strengthened into a tropical storm later on June 18. By the following day, it had strengthened into a hurricane; the storm simultaneously peaked with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (135 km/h).
1959 Atlantic hurricane season | Hurricane Three
Two disaster relief centers were opened in Franklin County, one in Apalachicola and the other in Eastpoint. On December 3, 1985, President of the United States Ronald Reagan declared seven Florida counties as disaster areas, making them eligible to receive federal aid. Due to the widespread power outages along the Florida Panhandle, electrical companies enlisted extra workers to repair downed lines. Officials had put a curfew in place for Tallahassee due to power outages created by the hurricane, and the curfew was lifted on November 24 after power was gradually restored and roads were cleared of debris. Police officers in the city arrested 20 people for violating curfew or creating unrest.
Hurricane Kate (1985) | Aftermath
Prior to the storm's arrival in Florida, its outer fringes caused gusty winds and torrential rainfall, causing some minor freshwater flooding of streets. The cyclone also spawned a tornado which struck the city of Tampa and inflicted minor damage. Sustained five-minute winds reached at the Dry Tortugas. Tides along the shore ran up to above-normal, and rainfall amounted to over at Ocala. Winds in the United States were not extreme; the storm's impact was considered relatively minor. Properties incurred around $200,000 in damage, primarily from high tides. Flooding up to deep occurred in Everglades, Punta Gorda, and Fort Myers, as well as other low-lying locations.
1946 Florida hurricane | Preparations and impact
On September 16, the United States Weather Bureau advised caution to ships tracking in Bahamian waters and the Florida Strait. The first tropical cyclone warning associated with the storm was a northeast storm warning issued on September 17 for the Florida coast from Jupiter Inlet to Key West, Florida. Warnings along the United States Eastern Seaboard eventually stretched as far north as Charleston, South Carolina, upon the storm's first landfall. Additional warnings were posted for the United States Gulf Coast on September 19 and covered coastal areas from Apalachicola, Florida, to Burrwood, Louisiana. Information on the storm as ascertained by the U.S.
1926 Miami hurricane | Preparations
Operationally, the cyclone was not believed to have attained hurricane intensity. The hurricane was generally unexpected in the Tampa, Florida area.
1924 Atlantic hurricane season | Hurricane Five
Florida governor Lawton Chiles, along with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director James Lee Witt, Congressman Joe Scarborough, and State Representative W. D. Childers, toured damage in the western Florida Panhandle on August 4. Governor Chiles then requested a disaster declaration, approved by President Bill Clinton for Bay, Brevard, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. However, as more damage assessments became available, a total of 24 counties eventually became eligible for some form of assistance from the federal government. The Small Business Administration (SBA) also made loans available to those who owned homes and businesses or rent properties in those six counties.
Hurricane Erin (1995) | Aftermath
The tropical storm watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning six hours later, simultaneous to a new tropical storm warning being issued from south of Anclote Key to Bonita Beach. On June 4, Florida governor Lawton Chiles declared a state of emergency for northern and central Gulf Coast counties of the state. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for portions of Citrus, Franklin, Jefferson, Liberty, Taylor, and Wakulla counties. Approximately 2,700 people evacuated from the Gulf Coast of Florida. Although no mandatory evacuation was issued in Bay County, 555 people sought shelter anyway. Throughout the Big Bend region of Florida, several county offices, courthouses, schools, and universities – including Florida A&M University, Florida State University, and Tallahassee Community College – closed for at least a partial or full day on June 5.
Hurricane Allison (1995) | Preparations
Free travel on railroads was arranged for Pahokee residents evacuating to Fort Myers, Tampa, and Sebring. Evacuees also left West Palm Beach for points farther north. Residents lining the coasts of Lake Okeechobee evacuated for higher ground, with Sebring serving as their most common haven. Public buildings in the Fort Lauderdale area, such as the courthouse and public schools, were repurposed as shelters. Schools in the area dismissed at noon on September 26. Employees in both private businesses and municipal government were released early to allow individuals to prepare their personal property. In Miami, water reservoirs were filled to ensure adequate water supplies following the storm.
1929 Bahamas hurricane | Preparations