Frederic's interaction with Puerto Rico greatly disrupted the low-level circulation contained within the tropical cyclone, enhancing the weakening effects of Hurricane David's outflow. On September 4, Frederic tracked over the Virgin Islands before making landfall on Puerto Rico later that day with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). This weakening phase continued as Frederic began to assume a more westerly track and slow in forward motion. At 0000 UTC on September 2, Frederic weakened back to tropical storm strength while it was still well east of the Lesser Antilles. įrederic only maintained hurricane intensity for roughly eighteen hours over the open waters of the Atlantic on September 1 before outflow from nearby Hurricane David began to adversely affect the tropical cyclone. Intensification continued after the storm's upgrade, and early on September 1, Frederic developed an eye, prompting the NHC to further upgrade the tropical cyclone to hurricane status at 0600 UTC that day. At 1200 UTC on August 30, the tropical depression was upgraded to tropical storm status and thus named Frederic. Upon developing into a tropical cyclone, the depression moved at an unusually rapid pace westward, gradually curving towards the west-northwest and slowly intensifying in ideal conditions. At 0600 UTC on August 29, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified the system as a tropical depression based on observational data from ships nearby in conjunction with satellite images. The following day, satellite images indicated that the tropical wave had become more defined, and was beginning to show signs of cyclonic rotation. The precursor to Hurricane Frederic emerged as a loosely defined tropical wave off the west coast of Africa late on August 27. Meteorological history Įxtratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression In southern Alabama, the landscape was changed for years, with thousands of tall pine trees tilted and leaning northwest. FEMA, which had been established only three months before Frederic hit, was the focal point for nearly $250 million in federal aid for recovery, $188 million of which went to Alabama (1979 USD). Virgin Islands, with an additional $1.7 billion in damage on the mainland United States. Over the United States, Frederic weakened for a final time before becoming extratropical in Pennsylvania on September 14 and dissipating the next day.ĭamage estimates vary due to inadequate reporting of private insurance claims as well as lack of hard data on uninsured damage Frederic is believed to have inflicted $5 million (1979 USD) in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. From then on, Frederic moved northwestward, intensifying to its peak intensity in the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) on September 12, shortly before making landfall at Dauphin Island, Alabama just below the state line between Alabama and Mississippi. The tropical cyclone nearly dissipated over Cuba before redeveloping on September 9 near the Isle of Youth. However, outflow from nearby Hurricane David began to inhibit further intensification and would continue to do so for roughly a week, weakening Frederic as it tracked across the Greater Antilles. Favorable conditions in the open Atlantic allowed for Frederic to reach hurricane intensity on September 1. ![]() Tracking at a steady clip westward, the primitive cyclone reached tropical storm intensity the next day. It developed from a tropical depression south of the Cape Verde Islands on August 28. states of Mississippi and Alabama, lesser effects were felt throughout the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as inland North America.įrederic was the thirteenth tropical cyclone, sixth named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. While the storm primarily impacted the U.S. Gulf Coast triggered a mass exodus from the region larger than any other evacuation in the past. ![]() Prior to its final landfall, the threat that Frederic imposed on areas of the U.S. Though only five were killed directly, the US$1.77 billion (equivalent to $5.4 billion in 2021) in damage accrued by Frederic made it the Atlantic basin's costliest tropical cyclone on record at the time. Hurricane Frederic was an intense and damaging tropical cyclone that carved a path of destruction from the Lesser Antilles to Quebec, in particular devastating areas of the United States Gulf Coast. Part of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season
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