1945 Homestead hurricane

Category 4 Atlantic hurricane Hurricane Nine 1945 Hurricane.jpg Radar imagery of the hurricane over Florida at 05:00 UTC on September 16 September 12, 1945 September 18, 1945 September 20, 1945 115 140 949 (estimated) 1945 26 total 60000000 Leeward Islands Turks and Caicos Islands The Bahamas Florida Georgia The Carolinas 1945 Atlantic hurricane season The 1945 Homestead hurricane, known informally as Kappler's hurricane, was the most intense tropical cyclone to strike the U.S. state of Florida since 1935. The ninth tropical storm, third hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season, it developed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands on September 12. Moving briskly west-northwestward, the storm became a major hurricane on September 13. The system moved over the Turks and Caicos Islands the following day and then Andros on September 15. Later that day, the storm peaked as a Category 4 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale with winds of 130 mph (215 km/h). Late on September 15, the hurricane made landfall on Key Largo and then in southern Dade County, Florida. Thereafter, the hurricane began to weaken while moving across Florida, falling to Category 1 intensity only several hours after landfall late on September 15. Eventually, it curved north-northeastward and approached the east coast of Florida again. Late on September 16, the storm emerged into the Atlantic near St. Augustine and weakened to a tropical storm early on the following day. The cyclone made another landfall near the Georgia-South Carolina state line later on September 17. The system continued to weaken and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone near the border of North Carolina and Virginia early on September 18. The storm caused significant damage and 22 deaths in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. In Florida, the hardest hit area was Dade County. Most of the city of Homestead was destroyed, while at the Naval Air Station Richmond, a fire ignited during the storm burned down three hangars worth $3 million (1945 USD) each. Throughout the state, the strong winds destroyed 1,632 residences and damaged 5,372 other homes. Four people died, including the fire chief of the Richmond station. In the Carolinas, the storm produced heavy rainfall, causing flash flooding, particularly along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. Overall, the hurricane resulted in 26 fatalities and about $60 million in damage. Meteorological history AL09 1945 path.png The hurricane was first observed on September 12 about 235 miles (380 km) east-northeast of Barbuda in the Lesser Antilles. Around that time, the winds were estimated at 75 mph (120 km/h), and later that day, the Hurricane Hunters recorded peripheral winds of 54 mph km/h on. The storm quickly earned the moniker Kappler's hurricane, after the Hurricane Hunters' lead aerial forecaster, Lieutenant Bernard J. Kappler, who first noted the storm.Aviators Tell of Fury of Screaming Winds https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121409413/ 22 March 2022 Associated Press Miami Herald 35 286 September 15, 1945 West Palm Beach, Florida Miami, Florida Newspapers.com 1 Moving quickly to the west-northwest, the hurricane quickly intensified while passing north of Puerto Rico, reaching the equivalent of a modern-day major hurricane with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) on September 13. The strength was based on another Hurricane Hunters mission reporting flight-level winds of 120 mph km/h on. After passing north of Hispaniola, the hurricane turned toward The Bahamas, approaching or passing over Grand Turk Island at 05:30 UTC on September 14. A station on the island observed a brief lull, along with a minimum barometric pressure of 28.83 inHg mb on, during the passage,Not A House In Turks Islands Escapes Damage https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-16-1945-3795494/ 23 March 2023 The Daily Gleaner September 16, 1945 September 15, 1945 Grand Turk Island Kingston, Jamaica Newspaper Archive 1 p. 6 and nearby Clarence Town reported winds of 105 mph km/h on.Sumner 1946 3 Gusts of 140 to 150 mi/h on were estimated to have impacted Grand Turk and Long islands.Neely 2019 572–3 While moving through the Bahamas, the hurricane turned more to the northwest. Though quite intense, it was a smaller-than-average storm; it continued intensifying en route to southeastern Florida.Multiple sources: IBTrACS 2022 1945255N19302 Chris Landsea Craig Anderson William Bredemeyer Noel Charles Michael Chenoweth 3 Christopher Landsea June 2013 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html#1945_9 Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT: 1945 Storm 9 Re-Analysis Project Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division Miami, Florida At 13:00 UTC on September 15 reconnaissance aircraft entered the eye of the storm and registered a minimum central pressure of 28.29 inHg mb on.Sleepless Weathermen Cling to Charts as Gale Sways Loft https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121278468/ 22 March 2022 Miami Herald 35 287 September 16, 1945 Miami, Florida Newspapers.com 12 thumb|Photo showing the storm pounding the coast of Miami with hurricane force winds and heavy surf At 19:30 UTC the hurricane made landfall on Key Largo, and about a half hour later struck the Florida mainland. The eye of the cyclone passed very close to Homestead Air Reserve Base about an hour after landfall, where a central barometric pressure of 28.09 inHg mb on was recorded, along with a nearly hour-long period of calm conditions.Sumner 1946 3 The observation suggested a landfall pressure of 949 mbar inHg on, and based on the storm's small size, sustained winds of about 130 mph (215 km/h), equivalent to a Category 4 on the current Saffir–Simpson scale. This estimate was substantiated by a gust of 138 mph km/h on at Carysfort Reef Light, on the weaker side of the storm. The hurricane weakened over Florida while curving to the north and north-northeast, although the proximity to water and the passage over the Everglades limited substantial weakening. Hurricane-force winds spread across much of Florida until the storm emerged into the western Atlantic near Ponte Vedra Beach early on September 17. At around 06:00 UTC, the hurricane weakened to tropical storm status. About 11 hours later, it made another landfall on Daufuskie Island, near the border between Georgia and South Carolina, with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). After continuing through the southeast United States, the storm became extratropical near the border of North Carolina and Virginia midday on September 18. Although it initially maintained tropical storm-force winds, the former hurricane weakened below gale-force on September 19 while it was near Philadelphia. The storm continued rapidly to the northeast, moving through New England and along the coast of Maine before turning more to the east. Late on September 19, the storm moved across Nova Scotia, passing southeast of Newfoundland the next day. It was last observed late on September 20 dissipating to the east of Newfoundland. Preparations thumb|225px|Surface weather analysis of the hurricane shortly after landfall on September 16|left 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 airplanes left vulnerable locations.Tropical Wind Nears Florida https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-14-1945-3831844/ 10 April 2023 The Lima News 61 254 Home Associated Press September 14, 1945 September 15, 1945 Miami, Florida Lima, Ohio Newspaper Archive 1 Advance Hurricane Winds Hit Florida https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-15-1945-3831842/ 10 April 2023 Dunkirk Evening Observer 198 64 United Press International September 15, 1945 September 16, 1945 Miami, Florida Dunkirk, New York Newspaper Archive 1 Residents were advised to heed advisories in Florida, the Bahamas, and northern Cuba.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19450915&id=W50gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OmgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4955,5139525 Florida On Alert As Gale Sweeps Towards The Keys September 14, 1945 September 15, 1945 The Lewiston Daily News 53 Associated Press Miami, Florida Lewiston, Maine 10 April 2023 1 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. 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".Worst Storm Candidate https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108715275/ August 4, 1957 The Miami News 62 82 Final 27G Miami 22 March 2022 Newspapers.com p. 28G 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=PZE8UkGerEcC&dat=19450917&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Tropical Storm Loses Its Fury As It Heads North September 16, 1945 September 17, 1945 The St. Petersburg Evening Independent 38 271 Associated Press Miami, Florida St. Petersburg, Florida 10 April 2023 1 Impact, aftermath, and records thumb|325x325px|Front page of the Miami Daily News on September 16, regarding the impacts from the hurricane in Homestead In the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 people were killed.Sumner 1946 4 The hurricane demolished three-quarters of the structures on Grand Turk Island and caused at least some damage to the remainder. A number of sturdy structures that survived the 1926 and 1928 hurricanes collapsed; century-old trees were laid low and in some cases carried aloft. Some reports indicated that the storm was worse than that in 1926.Great Damage Reported https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-15-1945-3795484/ 23 March 2023 The Daily Gleaner September 15, 1945 Kingston, Jamaica Newspaper Archive 1 The cyclone also produced heavy damage on Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, and Long Island, though damages were not reported in Nassau. Numerous homes on the southern tip of Andros were flattened as well.Neely 2019 572–3 Peak gusts were estimated near 40 mph km/h on in Nassau. After the storm, The Daily Gleaner, in Kingston, Jamaica, initiated a fund to offer aid for residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In South Florida, peak gusts were estimated near 150 mph km/h on at the Army Air Base in Homestead. The strong winds destroyed 1,632 residences across the state, while 5,372 homes received damages. Four deaths were confirmed statewide.Sumner 1946 4 left|thumb|220x220px|A college of damage photos from the hurricane in Homestead The storm was described as the most significant to impact Greater Miami since the 1926 Miami hurricane, but its worst impacts were confined to a comparatively narrower area and were not as severe overall.Barnes 1998 167–8 In Miami, gusts reached 107 mph km/h on, and damages were minimal, mostly snapped power lines, compared to communities in southern Dade County.Sumner 1946 4 Damages to the Miami area was estimated at $40 million. Blown-off roofs were strewn across a flooded Collins Avenue during the storm, and several watercraft were stranded near Mary Street.Barnes 1998 168 An additional fire also destroyed a furniture factory and a tile manufacturing plant in the northwestern portion of downtown Miami. One death was reported in the area, the fire chief of Richmond's fire department, and 26 required hospitalization. Another death was recorded after a schooner ran aground in present-day Bal Harbour, Florida, killing its chief engineer. thumb|A view from the Miami News Tower (now known as the Freedom Tower) in downtown Miami shows increasing winds from the hurricane The storm's most adverse impacts occurred in a 40 mi km mid -wide swath across southern Dade County, principally affecting the communities of Goulds, Redlands, South Miami, Perrine, Kendall, Princeton, Richmond, Homestead, and Florida City.Multiple sources: Barnes 1998 167 Norton 1945 54 Homestead was mostly flooded underwater, with the first floor of city hall and the fire department completely flooded and nearly all its residences damaged. The historical Horde Hardware building collapsed while a local church was flattened by the winds. Unofficially winds at Homestead Army Air Corps Base reached 145 mi/h km/h on, virtually destroying the airbase. Numerous structures were flattened, including the base exchange, the nurses' dormitory, and enlisted housing facilities. Building 741, the so-called "Big Hangar", was unroofed. The fire station and base laundry were deemed irreparable. The few aircraft left intact were reportedly "tossed about like leaves."Stokes Brittany T. November 2012 Factsheets: History of Homestead Air Reserve Base http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3401 Homestead Air Reserve Base United States Air Force 20 March 2022 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130219000243/http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3401 19 February 2013 At Cutler Ridge a 13.7 ft m mid -high storm tide was reported.Multiple sources: Barnes 1998 168 Harris 1963 68 The Florida East Coast Railway station at Goulds collapsed. Crop losses at Homestead were estimated to be $4 million and most of its avocado harvest was destroyed. Dozens of felled Australian pines impeded traffic near Florida City.Sosin Milt https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23083868 Damage Heavy Near Tavernier September 16, 1945 The Miami News 50 275 Final 1A Miami 22 March 2022 Newspapers.com p. 2A left|thumb|The Naval Air Station Richmond in Florida sustained significant damage from a large fire during the hurricane Nearly 200 people were injured at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Richmond, when a fire ignited during the storm, affecting three large hangars worth $3 million each and destroying 150 automobiles, 366 airplanes, and 25 blimps;Violent Hurricane Sweeps Florida https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-16-1945-3833469/ 11 April 2023 La Crosse Tribune 41 121 Associated Press September 16, 1945 Miami, Florida La Crosse, Wisconsin Newspaper Archive 1 p. 2 losses at the base were greater than at any other single point in Florida as a result of the storm, owing mostly to the destruction of the hangars.Sumner 1946 4 At the NAS Richmond, an anemometer unofficially registered sustained winds of 170 mi/h km/h on for a couple of minutes, along with a peak gust of 196 mi/h km/h on; these values were not officially accepted as reliable. Based on structural damage peak gusts at the base were believed to have exceeded 161 mi/h km/h on, equivalent to low-end Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale.Tannehill 1952 283 Steel-framed doors at the NAS incurred structural deformation, which engineers deemed to be consistent with sustained winds of 125 – 130 mi/h km/h on—an estimate later incorporated into a reanalysis of the storm.Sumner 1946 3 thumb|A destroyed structure at Coconut Grove in Miami after the hurricane In the Florida Keys, hundreds of residences were damaged. March 2022 On the Overseas Highway a number of boats were grounded and utility poles downed. An elevated weather station at Carysfort Reef observed sustained winds of 130 mi/h km/h on, suggesting sustained winds of 117 mi/h km/h on at standard elevation relative to sea level.The Saffir–Simpson scale uses an elevation of 10 m ft on above mean sea level.Simiu Vickery Kareem 2007 1043 "nb" "Sea level" Minor reports of damage was reported in Central and Northern Florida, with St. Augustine reporting a 70 mph km/h on wind gust. In Charleston, South Carolina, strong winds caused high waves, but the storm arrived at low tide and produced modest damage.Atlantic Hurricane Losing Fury After Striking S. Carolina https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-17-1945-3859571/ 25 April 2023 Charleston Daily Mail 105 78 Final United Press International Charleston, South Carolina Charleston, West Virginia September 17, 1945 Newspaper Archive 1 An estimated F2 tornado wrecked a logging camp at Gourdin, leaving mattresses in treetops, killing one person, injuring a few others, and causing $100,000 in losses.Grazulis 1993 921 Rainfall peaked at 8.0 in mm at Belton.USACE 1945 SA 5–27 In Aiken, heavy precipitation caused damage to unpaved streets.Worst Fury of Storm Missed Aiken But Some Damage Done https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-19-1945-3831849/ 11 April 2023 Aiken Daily Standard and Review 76 September 19, 1945 Aiken, South Carolina Newspaper Archive 1 Inland, the system produced heavy rainfall over North Carolina,Hudgins 2000 29 peaking at 14.8 in mm in Rockingham, North Carolina, in the period covering September 13–18.USACE 1945 SA 5–27 Laurinburg reported total rainfall of 11.2 in mm.Schoner Molansky 1956 198 left|thumb|288x288px|Rainfall totals from the hurricane in the United States This rain led to saturated grounds, allowing new water to spill into streams. Many crop fields and dwellings were flooded near the Cape Fear River as levels rose to record heights. The towns of Moncure, Fayetteville, and Elizabethtown exceeded flood stage levels. Broken dams in Richmond County produced significant flash floods. Few deaths were reported, but economic losses were extensive.Hudgins 2000 29 In Hopewell, New Jersey, the remnants of the system produced winds of 50 mph km/h on, though major damage was not reported.Borough Deluged for Two Days https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-19-1945-3831850/ 11 April 2023 Hopewell Herald 70 49 September 19, 1945 Hopewell, New Jersey Newspaper Archive 1 In the aftermath of the storm, more than 1,000 Red Cross workers were activated in response to the cyclone.Hurricane Lashes Southern Florida https://newspaperarchive.com/disaster-clipping-sep-16-1945-3833521/ 11 April 2023 Ogden Standard-Examiner 66 40 Associated Press September 15, 1945 September 16, 1945 Ogden, Utah Newspaper Archive 1 p. 2 A force of 400 German prisoners of war and 200 Bahamian laborers participated in the cleanup process. Land-based radar at Orlando, Florida, detected the eye of the storm at 05:00 UTC on September 16.Tannehill 1952 266 When the radar image was taken, it was only the third time in history that a hurricane passed close enough to a radar site to reveal its structure.http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea01228.htm March 19, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20010418123706/http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea01228.htm wea01228, Historic NWS Collection April 18, 2001 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration In 1992 Homestead and its vicinity would once again be severely affected by a tropical cyclone, Hurricane Andrew. A home, sited in Homestead, that was erected in the same year as the 1945 hurricane later registered the lowest pressure associated with Andrew to be measured on land in South Florida.Edward Rappaport December 10, 1993 Hurricane Andrew Preliminary Report National Hurricane Center June 21, 2012 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service Miami, Florida https://web.archive.org/web/20160906055141/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html September 6, 2016 liveClark Robert H. https://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/700486/history-of-homestead-air-reserve-base/ History of Homestead Air Reserve Base April 4, 2018 Homestead Air Reserve Base United States Air Force 25 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20170810210737/http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/700486/history-of-homestead-air-reserve-base/ August 10, 2017 live During landfall the 1945 storm was comparable to Andrew track-, size-, and damage-wise.Andrew Hagen Cristina Carrasco Sandy Delgado Donna Strahan Chris Luckett Astryd Rodriguez Christopher Landsea Re-analysis of 1941 to 1945 Atlantic hurricane seasons completed June 19, 2013 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/20130619_pa_reanalysis.pdf National Hurricane Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 8 December 2024 Miami 3 See also Tropical cyclones 1926 Miami hurricane – Hit Dade County as a strong Category 4, devastating Greater Miami Hurricane Andrew – Also made landfall on southern Dade County, producing catastrophic impacts in the same area Hurricane King – Brought the strongest winds to Downtown Miami since 1926 Hurricane Betsy – Impacted the northernmost Florida Keys and southern Dade County as a major hurricane List of Florida hurricanes Notes nb References Sources Barnes Jay 1998 Florida's Hurricane History UNC Press Chapel Hill, North Carolina 1st https://archive.org/details/floridashurrican0000barn_g4v2/ registration 0-8078-2443-7 Internet Archive Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989 November 1990 The Tornado Project of Environmental Films St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1-879362-02-3 2 Grazulis Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events July 1993 The Tornado Project of Environmental Films St. Johnsbury, Vermont 978-1879362031 1 Harris D. Lee 1963 Characteristics of the Hurricane Storm Surge Weather Bureau Technical Papers 48, Characteristics of the Hurricane Storm Surge United States Weather Bureau Washington, D.C. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/hes/images/pdf/CHARACTERISTICS_STORM_SURGE.pdf Hudgins James E. 2000 Tropical Cyclones Affecting North Carolina since 1566 – An Historical Perspective National Weather Service (NWS) Technical Memos ER-92, Tropical Cyclones Affecting North Carolina Blacksburg, Virginia Seattle National Weather Service NOAA Seattle Library 25 April 2023 http://repository.wrclib.noaa.gov/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=nws_tech_memos https://web.archive.org/web/20070311045226/http://repository.wrclib.noaa.gov/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=nws_tech_memos 11 March 2007 IBTrACS 2022 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) September 2022 IBTrACS browser (hosted by UNC Asheville) National Centers for Environmental Information World Data Center for Meteorology Neely Wayne 2019 The Greatest and Deadliest Hurricanes to Impact the Bahamas Cheyenne, Wyoming UrLink 978-1-64753-121-8 William J. Bennett Norton Grady Grady Norton September 1945 The Hurricane of September 11–20, 1945 Florida section Climatological Data 49 9 United States Weather Bureau Washington, D.C. Jacksonville, Florida 54 https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/cd/cd.html R. W. Schoner S. Molansky July 1956 Rainfall Associated with Hurricanes (and Other Tropical Disturbances) National Hurricane Research Project 3, Rainfall Associated with Hurricanes United States Weather Bureau Washington, D.C. https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/1956NHRPreportNo3.pdf Weather Prediction Center Simiu Emil Vickery Peter Kareem Ahsan July 2007 https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860600 Relation Between Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale Wind Speeds and Peak 3-s Gust Speeds Over Open Terrain Technical Notes Journal of Structural Engineering 133 7 1043–5 Reston, Virginia 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2007)133:7(1043) subscription Culnan Robert N. Sumner H. C. January 1946 North Atlantic Hurricanes and Tropical Disturbances of 1946 Monthly Weather Review 74 1 1–5 Washington, D.C. 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0001:MACDFJ>2.0.CO;2 free Tannehill I. R. Ivan Ray Tannehill 1952 1938 Hurricanes: Their Nature and History Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey 8th https://archive.org/details/hurricanes0000ivan/ registration 3024697 Internet Archive Storm Rainfall in the United States: Depth-Area-Duration Data United States Army Corps of Engineers War Department 2 January 1958 1945 https://archive.org/details/StormRainfallInTheUS/ Internet Archive USACE 1945 External links "Hurricane Sweeps US East Coast", United Newsreel Corporation (1945) Homestead 1945 Homestead 1945 Homestead 1945 Homestead Category:Meteorological events in 1945 Category:1945 natural disasters in the United States Category:1945 in Florida Category:September 1945 in the United States