(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,1894tsbr,,1896 1898,1901ts,1903br,1906-07ts,1911br,1914tsbd,1916,1917,1919tsbr,1924-26br,1936 1939ts,1948ts,1950,1953,1956,1957-59ts,1965ts,1975,1985ts,1985br 1994ts,1995,1995,1998br,2000ts,2001ts,2004,2005ts,2005,2009ts 47
times in 139yrs end of 2009
Names from list
above Baker,Florence,Flossy,Irene,Debbie,Eloise,kate,Alberto,Beryl,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) (17h)once every 8.18 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 1882 sept 9th 115mph 1887 heavy flooding in Walton county july 27th, 1896 july 7th hurricane causes heavy damage here 90mph 1916 oct 18th 115mph
1917 sept 28th gusts to 135mph gusts press 28.29 7.5ft storm surge heavy damage
1936 july 31st bar 28.47 90mph
winds 4 killed gusts to 125mph 6 ft storm surge 1950 hurricane Baker to the west,area has 100mph winds with very heavy rainfall over 1 foot 1953 sept 26 hurricane Florence just east with 85mph winds 5 ft storm surge & minor damage here 1956 sept 24th flossy 100mph 8 killed while 25 miles to south 1957 tropical storm debbie hits
with 45mph winds & 3 ft tides 9 inches of rain 1975 hurricane Eloise sept 23rd hits with 130mph winds with some gusts over 150mph 14 ft storm surge heavy damage 1995 erin hits with 90mph
winds some roof damage bar 28.76
,1995 Opal oct 4th, same year hits with 125mph
winds bar 27.89 13ft storm surge highway 98 washed out lots of roof damage 2
billion damage was a cat 5 just before landfall major damage, spawned a dozen tornadoes. Newspaper headline | Newspaper headline2 | Newspaper headline3 | Newspaper article | damage photos | Newspaper damage shot | more on Hurricane Opal here
1998 hurricane earl hits 30 miles east with 80mph winds,minor
damage here due to winds being on east side.
2004 ,sept 16th,Hurricane Ivan passes approx 70 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.Eglin AFB 88mph gusts.Mary ester 117mph gust.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.Water up to 4 ft in places. 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.............
Fort Walton beach,Florida's history with
tropical systems
