7/3/2023 0 Comments Hurricane frederic 1979![]() Late that afternoon, Frederic was further downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved north through Alabama. Frederic maintained that intensity as it moved north through Mississippi, crossing back into Alabama west of Tuscaloosa. It did not lose hurricane intensity until it was in the vicinity of Meridian, MS at about 7am!īy 8am on September 13, Frederic was downgraded to a tropical storm. After moving inland from the coast, the hurricane moved north and then northeast, increasing its forward speed to 23mph. Extensive reports of damage in the Mobile metropolitan area were beginning to come in to the NWS. At midnight, wind gusts from the north at 98mph were reported by Biloxi Civil Defense with north winds gusting to 127mph at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS.Īt 2am on Thursday, September 13, the NWS issued an intermediate advisory reporting the center of Hurricane Frederic had passed just west of Mobile and the hurricane force winds began to slowly subside in the Mobile area as Frederic continued to move north along the Alabama/Mississippi border. At midnight, Mobile County Civil Defense also reported measured wind gusts at 97mph, along with massive damage in Mobile and surrounding areas. Along with peak wind gusts of 145mph at the Dauphin Island Bridge, wind gusts of 97mph from the east were recorded at Mobile Regional Airport at 1107pm. Many homes and businesses well inland suffered severe damage when large pine trees fell onto them or the roof structures failed. The winds from Hurricane Frederic damaged or destroyed many homes and businesses. Storm surge damage was documented for 80 miles along the coast. A storm surge of 12-15 feet on the Gulf beaches and 8-10 feet in northern Mobile Bay destroyed numerous coastal buildings. Five deaths were directly attributable to the storm. The damage cost from Frederic was $2.3 billion. Hurricane wind gusts were experienced as far inland as Choctaw County, AL during the early morning hours of September 13. At landfall, Frederic was a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale, raking the Mobile Bay area with winds gusting from 100-145 mph for several hours on the evening of September 12 through the early morning of September 13. An automated wind gust recorder (located at the top of the Dauphin Island Bridge), recorded a peak wind gust of 145mph around 940pm. The storm center crossed over the western end of Dauphin Island at 10pm. ![]() ![]() As the eye moved inland, it decreased in size to about 15 miles in diameter. Shortly before 10pm on September 12, the northern eyewall of Frederic move ashore on Dauphin Island, AL. Photo courtesy of NOAA, Office for Coastal Management, DigitalCoast In the opinion of some weather forecasters at the time, Frederic had the largest storm center they had ever recorded. The eye of the Frederic measured 50 miles in diameter east to west and 40 miles north to south. Hurricane Frederic approached the coast with a forward speed of 15mph. Evacuation of the Gulf Coast was nearing completion at that time.īy 5pm on September 12, the center of Hurricane Frederic was about 80 miles south of Gulf Shores, AL moving north at 15 mph.Ĭonditions began to rapidly deteriorate during the afternoon of September 12 as Frederic approached the Alabama Gulf Coast. Reports from hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft and coastal weather radar networks indicated the eye of Frederic would cross the coast between Gulfport, MS and Pensacola, FL. The hurricane eye was reported to be about 10 miles. Of Pensacola moving north-northwest at 12-15 mph. Normal in the area where the center made landfall.īy 11am on September 12, Frederic was located 175 miles south Hurricaneįrederic was expected to produce a storm surge of 10-15 feet above Located about 220 miles south of the Alabama Coast. Moving northwest with a slightly increased forward speed at 12mph FredericĬontinued to strengthen with highest winds estimated at 130mph andĬentral pressure of 28.05 inches of mercury. Hurricane Warnings from Panama City, FL to Grand Isle, LA. On Wednesday, Septemat 5am, the NWS issued ![]() Hurricane Frederic strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane over theĬentral Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds near 132 mph. Frederic formed on August 29 as a tropical depression over the far eastern Atlantic and became a hurricane on September 10 over the ![]()
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