Hi everybody and welcome! Well, last week I had a very needed vacation. It was a very peaceful and quiet one where I had a lot of opportunity to upgrade my computer and even start a new hobby. My wife and I wanted to do something together when we have our days off so we decided to go treasure hunting with a metal detector. So far we have found lots of bottle tops and a few pennies. The hobby also gives me a chance to use my portable weather instruments and get weather readings from the beach areas. Who knows, maybe one day we will be fortunate enough to find one of those rare old coins from the shipwrecks of 1715.
The tropics are really heating up this week. There are many areas of concern as I write this column. The tropical wave I talked about last week that became a depression and then dissipated is still with us. The area is becoming better organized and may become a tropical system again. This area will most likely affect the Gulf of Mexico region. Tropical storm Fabian has also been born and it’s future is still uncertain so we must watch it very carefully. The five-day forecast has it heading in the general direction of the Bahamas so everybody needs to pay attention. There is also yet another area near Africa that is showing signs of development and this area will also be watched.
With all this activity blooming in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, now is the time to get ready for a storm. I have said it so many times and I will say it again, get all your supplies ready well in advance of a possible threat. It will make your life so much less stressful if we are threatened by a storm. Remember, the stores are going to be unbearably crowded with all the last minute shoppers and supplies will become limited vas stores run out of necessities like water and batteries. Don’t forget that if you have a generator, be sure to stock up on fresh gasoline and also be sure to fill up those propane tanks for your gas grill. They could really come in handy in the event of a power failure. In short, be sure to stay abreast of all the tropical activity the next couple of weeks.
For anybody that may be interested, I have an e-mail weather group where you can receive tropical updates and many local severe weather watches and warnings. You also can receive weekly forecasts and weather commentary. If you are interested, e mail me at JOESDISCOWEATHER@AOL.COM and put “weather group” in the subject line. I will then subscribe you to the group. The group is all local and you will receive absolutely no spam.
Now, on to the Time Capsule…
September 5-6, l950 -- Levy Co., Cedar Key -- Hurricane Easy -- looped twice off the west coast, moving little from the 4th and 6th. This slow movement allowed tremendous rainfall amounts to accumulate in some areas. The 24-hour rainfall of 38.7 inches that fell at Yankeetown on the 5th and 6th is the highest ever in Florida, and the second highest all-time 24 hour amount in North America. Easy had top winds of l25 mph and a barometric pressure of 28.30 inches. The tide in Tampa Bay rose to 6.5 feet. Severe beach erosion was reported from Sarasota to Cedar Key. Cedar Key had reported hurricane force winds from 6am to 6pm on the 5th. The fishing fleet of Cedar Key was destroyed by high wind and waves.
September 5 – 9, l988 -- West Central Florida -- Heavy rains of up to 20" fell on the west-central part of Florida. Four people drowned: a 44 year old male drowned while driving across a flooded roadway, a 93 year old male fell from a bridge and drowned, a two year old infant drowned in a stream, and a l7 year old male drowned while swimming across a creek. Evacuation of 1,000 homes was required when the floodgates of a storage lake were opened. Extensive urban flooding took place. All time record flood crests were recorded on the Hillsborough River at Middleburg, the Manatee River at Myakka, and the Little Manatee River at Wimauma.
September 5, 1995 -- Collier Co., North Naples -- Two males were killed and one male was injured by lightning while leaning against an automobile at a construction site during the height of a thunderstorm. Several individuals who were inside the vehicle were uninjured.
September 6-9, l933 -- West Central Florida -- All time record flood crests on the Peace River at Zolfo Springs, the Alafia River at Lithia, and the Hillsborough River at Tampa.
September 6, l968 -- St. Lucie Co., Fort Pierce -- Lightning killed a 60-year old citrus grove worker while working in a nest of trees.
September 6-8, 1974 --West Coast -- Hurricane Carmen caused rough seas, high tides, and minor beach erosion along the western coast of Florida (both Panhandle and Peninsula) as it passed far to the west beyond 90 degrees longitude. The storm began moving northward from Yucatan on September 5th, passing through the central Gulf of Mexico and moving inland on the Louisiana coast during the predawn hours of September 8th.
September 6, l982 -- Monroe Co., Key West, -- Lightning killed a l7 year old boy climbing back into the boat after snorkeling. The lightning had struck the water close by. The father was stunned, but not injured.
September 7, l968 -- Hillsborough Co., Seffner -- Lightning killed a l0 year old boy walking to a trashcan outside his home. His brother walking with him was not hurt.
September 8 – 9, l957 -- Panhandle/northwest Florida -- Tropical Storm Debbie made landfall near Fort Walton Beach on the morning of the 8th. Winds of 30 to 40 mph were reported from stations along the track. The highest winds were reported from the Tampa-Tallahassee area, with Tampa reporting a peak gust of 52 mph from the south on the 8th. Rainfall of up to ll.26 inches at Wewahitchka, accompanied by tides l to 4 feet above normal, caused some local flooding, particularly in the vicinity of St. Marks, where flood waters reached the downtown area. A man drowned on the St. Johns River in Duval County when rough waters washed him overboard.
September 8 – 9, l965 --Southern Peninsula, Keys and Gulf Coast -- Hurricane Betsy passed extreme south Florida early on the 8th, moved across the upper Keys, through Florida Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico north of Key West, and across the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans. The strongest winds were from the northwest estimated at l40 mph in the Keys. The passage of the storm center across the upper Keys produced strong onshore winds and high tides along the southeast coast with gusts to 60 mph reported as far north as Melbourne. Flooding on the upper Keys was extensive and water reached depths of several feet in many areas, covering highways and first floors of buildings. Storm tides reached 6.l feet along the Miami Beach oceanfront and rising waters flooded extensive sections of Key Biscayne. Most of the total damage occurred in the east coastal areas south of Palm Beach Co. and on the Keys. There were five known fatalities. Three additional persons were missing in the Gulf and presumed lost, making the death toll total eight in Florida. A tornado spawned by Betsy destroyed a dozen trailers near Marathon in Monroe Co. at noon on the 8th.
September 9 - l0, l882 -- Alachua Co. -- A tornado on the outer fringes of a hurricane, injured four people at Archer and destroyed some small homes. Five more tornadoes were spawned by the same hurricane as it went ashore in the western panhandle. -- Gadsden Co. -- Five people died when tornadoes spawned by the same hurricane struck tenant homes near Quincy, others may have died later. Other tornadoes occurred at Tallahassee, Freeport, Darbyville, and Madison.
September 9-l0, l9l9 --Key West -- Hurricane -- 300 lives were lost mostly in ships near Key West, where winds were reported at 110 mph as this violent storm caused considerable damage. Brick structures had walls blown out and large vessels were torn from their moorings and blown on banks. A tornado destroyed six buildings and damaged l9, injuring six people at Goulds in Dade Co. This hurricane killed hundreds more on its track to south Texas. The final death toll of over 600, mostly in ships at seas, makes this the 3rd deadliest U.S. hurricane on record.
September 9-l2, l964 --north and northeast Florida -- Hurricane Dora, the first storm of hurricane intensity to cross into northeast Florida from the Atlantic since records have been kept, moved inland over St. Augustine on the l0th. St. Augustine was in the eye of the storm and recorded a sea level pressure of 28.52 inches. Dora produced sustained winds of around l00 mph, and abnormally high tides to almost all coastal points north of Daytona Beach during the night of 9-l0. Highest sustained winds, from the southwest, and estimated at l25 mph were reported at St. Augustine. Sustained winds of 82 mph were recorded in Jacksonville, and this was the first time in Weather Bureau history that winds of full hurricane force have been observed in Jacksonville. Storm tides reached l2 feet at St. Augustine and ranged between five and l0 feet above normal north of Daytona Beach. Wind and tide damage was extensive along the Atlantic coast north of St. Augustine. High winds in the Jacksonville area caused a massive utilities failure. Agriculture sustained considerable damage because of the flooding throughout north Florida. One death and eight injuries were reported from Dora.
September 9, 1995 -- Putnam Co., San Mateo -- A man boating on the St. Johns River near San Mateo was struck and killed by lightning.
September l0-11, l960 -- Florida Peninsula -- Hurricane Donna --This hurricane (6th most intense U. S. hurricane at landfall), crossed over the middle Florida Keys between two and 3 a.m. on the l0th. After keeping a short distance offshore it reached the coastline again south of Naples and then turned north over Ft. Myers, then more northeastward, going out to sea a short distance north of Daytona Beach. At Sombrero light on the Keys, the highest wind speed was l06 mph with gusts to l50 mph. At Tavernier, the highest winds were l20 mph, which was the highest point on the dial. Maximum sustained winds on the Keys have been estimated around l40 mph, with gusts possibly as high as l75 mph to l80 mph. The lowest barometric pressure reported was at Craig Key where three barometers ranged from 27.4 to 27.5 inches. The pipeline supplying the Keys with fresh water was broken in at least three places. The Overseas Highway was overflowed by storm tides at several places. Wind damage was enormous on the Keys and on the southwest coast from Everglades City to Punta Gorda. Rainfall ranged from five to l0 inches in an 80 to l00 mile wide belt extending roughly 50 to 75 miles to the right of the storm track and 40 to 50 miles to the left of the track. Lake and stream overflow forced evacuation of some homes on the central peninsula. High waters also closed many roads and inundated considerable agricultural land throughout the southern and central peninsula. At least a dozen killed in Florida and l794 injuries reported.
September l0-l1, l988 -- Western Florida Panhandle -- Hurricane Florence passed well west of Florida, making landfall near New Orleans, but heavy rains of five to l0 inches on the eastern fringes caused flooding that damaged 39 homes and three businesses. At one time on the l1th, 50 people were stranded in their homes. Seventeen roads were washed out. More than four weak tornadoes and several waterspouts were reported over the panhandle on the 10th, causing no serious injuries.
September 11-13, 1903 -- statewide -- A hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach on the 11th, crossed over Tampa Bay into the Gulf on the 12th and made a second landfall near Apalachicola on the 13th. Highest winds were 78 mph. fourteen deaths were attributed to the storm. A ship was wrecked near Jupiter.
That’s all for this weeks Time Capsule. I hope you enjoyed it. I love to
hear from you! Please e-mail me your ideas and suggestions to JOESDISCOWEATHER@AOL.COM. As always,
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