Hurricane King
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| Category 3 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Track of Hurricane King |
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| Formed | October 13, 1950 | |
| Dissipated | October 19, 1950 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 955 mbar (hPa; 28.21 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 11 direct | |
| Damage | $30 million (1950 USD) $269 million (2008 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Cuba, Florida, Georgia | |
| Part of the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane King was the 11th tropical storm and the last of a record-setting eight major hurricanes in the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season. It made landfall at Miami, Florida with winds of over 100 mph, and caused extensive damage in the vicinity. In all, Hurricane King caused $232.5 million in damage (2005 USD), of which $116 million (2005 USD) occurred in the Miami area. Along its path, eleven people died, and nearly 200 were injured.
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[edit] Storm history
On October 13, an area of disturbed weather over the western Caribbean Sea organized into Tropical Storm King while just north of the coast of Honduras. The storm drifted eastward then northeastward, steadily strengthening over the warm waters of the Caribbean. While passing to the west of Jamaica, King intensified to a hurricane, and in response to high pressures to its northeast, the storm turned to the north. The hurricane rapidly intensified prior to landfall, and struck south-central Cuba just west of Camagüey as a 115 mph (185 km/h) Category 3 hurricane early on the 17th. King was a very small hurricane, as nearby Camaguey only recorded winds of around 65 mph (105 km/h).[1]
Hurricane King quickly crossed Cuba, and upon emerging into the Straits of Florida it was still a major hurricane. King peaked over the Straits on October 17 as a 120 mph (190 km/h) hurricane, and retained its strength as it turned to the north-northwest.[1] Early on the 18th, Hurricane King struck Miami, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with a pressure of 955 mbar (28.25 inHg).[2] Its exact intensity is unknown, but two recording stations in Miami reported winds of 122 mph (195 km/h), gusts of about 150 mph (240 km/h), and an eye radius of only five miles wide.[1]
The compact hurricane weakened as it continued to the north-northwest, and deteriorated into a tropical storm by 18 hours after landfall. Though gusts of hurricane force winds occurred in squall lines, King weakened to a tropical depression over southwestern Georgia on October 19, and dissipated later that day. However, an offshoot trough of low pressure from King formed into another hurricane, Hurricane Love, which dissipated on the 21st.[1]
[edit] Preparation
Thirty-six hours prior to making landfall, the Miami Hurricane Center issued a hurricane alert for the city, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning 18 hours prior to landfall. [1] However, the hurricane prediction abilities of meteorologists in those days was highly suspect, and hurricanes that year had been especially unpredictable.[1] It is thought that damages could have been greatly reduced had the public heeded the warnings and taken precautions to prevent storm damage.
[edit] Impact
While crossing over Cuba, Hurricane King killed 7 people and caused $2 million (1950 USD) in damage.[3]
Upon making landfall on Miami, Florida, King sent a 19.3 foot storm surge to the city.[4] On land, 122 mph winds with up to 150 mph gusts destroyed much in its 14-mile wide path. The damage area was so strictly defined that some thought that one or several tornadoes had caused the damage. Meteorologists after the storms determined no tornadic activity occurred, and the damage was strictly from the strong winds. Most heavily hit was the Miami–Fort Lauderdale area, though areas outside of the small inner core of the hurricane were largely unscathed. In all, property damage in the Miami area totaled to $15 million (1950 USD, $116 million 2005 USD). This figure could have been lowered if Miami citizens to take complete preparations. Instead, numerous windows on buildings were blown out, leaving rooms damaged from rainwater and winds.[1]
Elsewhere in Florida, King dropped heavy rainfall and caused strong wind gusts.[1] Vero Beach recorded sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), causing minor damage in the city.[5] In Jacksonville, 85 mph (135 km/h) gusts caused extensive damage across the city.[6] Minor flooding occurred in Saint Petersburg, where water was ankle-deep.[7] The flooding and winds caused moderate crop damage and structural damage. In addition, Georgia experienced light effects from the hurricane, with King causing 1 death and $250,000 in damage (1950 USD, $2 million 2005 USD).
In all, Hurricane King caused 4 deaths and $28 million in damage (1950 USD, $217 million 2005 USD).[1] If a storm exactly like King struck in 2001, the hurricane would have caused $2.8 billion in damage.[8]
[edit] Miscellanea
King was the second of two landfalls by major hurricanes in the Florida that year (the other was Hurricane Easy). This has happened only two other times: in 2004 (Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne) and in 2005 (Hurricane Dennis and Hurricane Wilma).
[edit] Retirement
The name King was not retired after the season. This is because the name was part of the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. However, the name was never used again after the season due to lack of sufficient tropical activity in 1951 and 1952, and because the Phonetic Alphabet was decommissioned in 1953 in favor of using female names.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Grady Norton (1951). Hurricanes of the 1950 Season. U.S. Weather Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
- ^ Blake, Rappaport, and Landsea (2006). The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones (1851 to 2006). NOAA. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
- ^ Hurricane Vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean
- ^ Historic Hurricanes
- ^ Vero Beach, FL Hurricanes
- ^ Hurricanes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- ^ 20th Century Florida Hurricanes
- ^ So Much for Global Warming
