Hurricane King

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane King
Type=hurricane
Year=1950
Basin=Atl
Formed=October 13, 1950
Dissipated=October 19, 1950
1-min winds=105
Pressure=955
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=11 direct
Areas=Cuba, Florida, Georgia
Hurricane season=1950 Atlantic hurricane season

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.

Meteorological 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 October 17. King was a very small hurricane, as nearby Camaguey only recorded winds of around 65 mph (105 km/h).cite web|author=Grady Norton|year=1951|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1950.pdf|title=Hurricanes of the 1950 Season|publisher=U.S. Weather Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-15]

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. Early on October 18, 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).cite web|author=Blake, Rappaport, and Landsea|year=2006|title=The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones (1851 to 2006)|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-15|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf] 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.

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 October 21.

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. However, the hurricane prediction abilities of meteorologists in those days was highly suspect, and hurricanes that year had been especially unpredictable.

Impact

While crossing over Cuba, Hurricane King killed seven people and caused $2 million (1950 USD) in damage. [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/NHR-Cuba.pdf Hurricane Vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean] ]

Upon making landfall on Miami, Florida, King sent a convert|19.3|ft|m|abbr=on storm surge to the city. [http://www.hurricaneville.com/historic.html Historic Hurricanes] ] On land, 122 mph winds with up to 150 mph gusts destroyed much in its convert|14|mi|km|abbr=on 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). Instead, numerous windows on buildings were blown out, leaving rooms damaged from rainwater and winds.

Elsewhere in Florida, King dropped heavy rainfall and caused strong wind gusts. Vero Beach recorded sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), causing minor damage in the city. [http://www.hurricanecity.com/city/vero.htm Vero Beach, FL Hurricanes] ] In Jacksonville, 85 mph (135 km/h) gusts caused extensive damage across the city. [http://www.news4jax.com/weather/3642837/detail.html Hurricanes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly] ] Minor flooding occurred in Saint Petersburg, where water was ankle-deep. [http://www2.sptimes.com/weather/HF.1.html 20th Century Florida Hurricanes] ] The flooding and winds caused moderate crop damage and structural damage. In addition, Georgia experienced light effects from the hurricane, with King causing one death and $250,000 in damage (1950 USD, $2 million 2005 USD) there. In all, Hurricane King caused 11 deaths and $30 million in damage (1950 USD). If a storm exactly like King struck in 2001, the hurricane would have caused $2.8 billion in damage. [http://www.towersperrin.com/tillinghast/publications/publications/emphasis/Emphasis_2001_3/2002041807.pdf So Much for Global Warming] ]

Miscellanea

King was the second of two landfalls by major hurricanes in 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).

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.

See also

* List of Atlantic hurricanes

References