Destin,Florida's history with tropical systems
Current weather
(br)=brush (ts)=Tropical Storm (bd)=Back Door,meaning coming from over land from opposite coast.Not all names are noted,also storms before 1950 were not named.Not every stat on every storm description is given(since 1871).

Years within 60 miles
1875br,1877br,1878br,1879ts,1880,1882,1885-2br,1885bd,1887,1889br,1894br,1896,1898,1901ts,1903br,1906tsbr,1907tsbr,1911br,1914bdts
1916br,1917,1919tsbr,1924br,1926br,1936,1939ts,1948ts,1950br,1953,1956,1957ts,1959ts,1965ts,1975
1985tsbr,1985br,1994ts,1995br,1995,1998br,2000ts,2001ts,2004,2005ts,2005,2009ts
47 times in 138yrs end of 2008


Names from list above
Baker,Flossy,Irene,Debbie,Eloise,Juan,Kate,Alberto,Erin,Opal,Earl,Helene, Barry,Ivan,Arlene,Dennis,Claudette,

How often this area gets affected?
brushed or hit every 2.96 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(usually within 40 miles to include small hurricanes)
(14h)once every 9.93 years

Statistically when this area should be affected next
before the end of 2012

Last affected by
2009 Aug 17th Tropical storm Claudette hits directly with 50mph winds while moving N.W

This areas hurricane past
1896 july 7th hurricane causes heavy damage
1917 sept 29th gusts to 135mph gusts 7.5ft storm surge heavy damage
1936 july 31st 90 to 100mph press 28.73 gusts to 125mph heavy damage
1950 hurricane Baker to west gives area gusts to 100mph with heavy flooding
1953 sept 26th hurricane Florence to east with 85mph winds,5 ft tides here & minor damage
1956 hurricane Flossy sept 24th to south with 80mph winds
1975 hurricane Eloise sept 23rd 135mph gusts to 150mph.leaves 17,000 homeless & 100 million in damage press 28.20
1995 hurricane Opal oct 4th 125mph fast moving storm surge 15 ft causing heavy damage & extensive beach erosion oct 4th press 27.89 just west. Newspaper headline | Newspaper headline2 | Newspaper headline3 | Newspaper newspaper article | Newspaper article | Newspaper article | Newspaper damage shot | more on Hurricane Opal here
In 1998 hurricane Earl 35 miles to the east worst weather was on the east side,hit in early sept,minor damage .
2004 ,sept 16th,Hurricane Ivan passes approx 80 miles to the west with 130mph winds moving NNE over Eastern Alabama with Ivan having a wind field approx 85 miles out.Heavy beach damage with an estimated 10ft storm surge.Unofficial gust of 87mph.Models 6 days before hitting
2005 July 10th Hurricane Dennis hits with 120mph winds near Navarre.North of U.S. Highway 98, structures survived with nary a scratch. South of the major highway, the damage to beaches and buildings, particularly in Holiday Isle and Crystal Beach, was significant.Gulf Shore Drive has been compromised in four to six places. Official top gusts in Destin were approx 105mph near Eglin AFB. Dennis video


Text Sources:The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox...Sudden Sea R.A Scotti.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Stormscaping Pamela Crawford.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Scwartz..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....NOAA research division.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....plus many more.............

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