(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 1871ts,1876,1878br,1881ts,1886ts,1891ts,1894,1895tsbr,1897,1900br,1906,1909,1909ts 1910,1911ts,1916,1919,1926br,1928ts,1933br,1934ts,1935,1935,1941tsbr 1944,1945ts,1947tsbr,1947,1948,1948,1950br,1952-60ts,1960br,1964,1965br,1966br 1966,1976-81ts,1982-86br,1987,1990-94ts,1998,1999,2005-3br,2008ts 51
times 139 yrs end of 2009
Names
from list
above Donna,Isabell,Betsy,Alma,Inez,Dennis,Alberto,Floyd,Marco,Gordon,Georges,Irene,Katrina, Rita,Wilma,Fay,
How often Key West gets
affected? brushed or hit every 2.73 years
Average years between direct hurricane hits.(usually within 40 miles to include small hurricanes) (19h)once every 7.32 years
Statistically when Key West should be affected
next before the end of 2011
Last affected
by 2008 Aug 18th TS Fay passesover Key west with 55mph winds while moving North
This areas hurricane past 1876, October 19 Eye passed over Key West 105mph from the south. Barometer 28.73. Calm from 6pm to 8:15pm. Maximum wind 88mph at 8:45pm.
1894 sept 25th gusts to 105mph,press 29.10 2 ships capsized 1906 77mph press 29.30 oct 17th,over 150 killed in the keys 1909 95mph bar 28.50
13 inches rain before eye hit & only 1 inch afterwards 400 buildings destroyed,2 killed,400 buildings either collapsed or were swept away. Damages to the railroad were not near as great as in 1906 1910 Oct 15th a 15ft storm
surge reported & gusts to 125mph press 28.47 7 ft of standing water in key west 1919 sept 9th bar 927mb in dry tortugas killed 400+ in marine
casualties winds over gale force for 38 hrs,10 ships lost . Highest winds were estimated at 110 mph., the steamer Valbanera was found sunken between Key West and the Dry Tortugas with 488 aboard. All perished. Hurricane Grotto shrine 1935 labor day hurricane lowest bar pressure ever before gilbert in 1988,lower matecumbe key press 26.35,key west pressure 29.41 middle keys 150mph to 200mph
1944 oct 18th just west press 28.02 gusts over 120mph very slow moving,key west press 29.14 60mph 1947 oct 11th reported gusts to 150mph just west at dry tortugas coming from the SW 1948 sept 24th bar 28.45 122mph& a 6 ft storm surge at low tide,several centers reported on hurricane 3 killed.winds recorded at 122 mph at Boca Chica airport. Gusts were said to have reached 160 mph.
1948 oct 5th gusts to 100mph moving fast,ket west pressure 29.17 1964 Oct 14th Hurricane Isabell passes approx 40 miles north of here with 125mph winds 1965 Betsy key west got gusts to 81mph even
though betsy was well to the north 1966 hurricane inez oct 5th gusts to
100mph while moving into the gulf,gusts to 85mph in key west coming from the N.E,Key west in the eye for approx 3 hrs. 1980 Tropical storm Jeanne passes over 200 miles to the WSW but causes huge flooding problems for Key west.news audio 1987 hurricane floyd oct 12th 80mph bar 29.32 gust of 75 to 94mph minor damage 1998 hurricane
georges hits direct with 105mph winds houseboat row destroyed key west moderate
damage heavier further north.
1999 oct 15th hurricane Irene hits with 75mph winds causing overall minor damage with some flooding while moving slowly NNE press 29.14 Newspaper article
2005,Oct 24th, Hurricane Wilma passes approx 65 miles north of keywest while moving NE with 125mph winds as a very large hurricane .Intense winds remained approx 15 miles north of lower keys but a surge ranging from 50 to 8 ft inundated many homes in the lower keys. Official final report from NHC 72mph sustained with gusts to 82mph.| Wilma satellite picture
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.............
Key west,Florida's history with tropical
systems
