Remote Sensing Application to Assess Resilience in Coastal Communities

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Remote Sensing Application to Assess Resilience in Coastal Communities Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School Remote Sensing Application to Assess RMinegysainlgi Cehenn ce in Coastal Communities Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY FAMU-FSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING REMOTE SENSING APPLICATION TO ASSESS RESILIENCE IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES By MINGYANG CHEN A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2020 Mingyang Chen defended this dissertation on April 14, 2020. The members of the supervisory committee were: Eren Erman Ozguven Professor Co-Directing Dissertation Tarek Abichou Professor Co-Directing Dissertation Piyush Kumar University Representative Maxim A. Dulebenets Committee Member Jeffrey P. Chanton Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS During my study in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University, many people have helped me in different ways. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my co-advisors, Dr. Eren Erman Ozguven and Dr. Tarek Abichou for their guidance, patience, encouragement, and endless support throughout my degree program. I am grateful to my committee members, Dr. Piyush Kumar, Dr. Maxim A. Dulebenets and Dr. Jeffrey P. Chanton, for their assistance and committee work. I also would like to thank Dr. Jaap Nienhuis, who was also my advisor at beginning of my program. His encouragement and guidance helped me start this dissertation. Lots of thanks to my parents for their continuous support and encouragement. My relatives and friends in China and the U.S. have been an integral part of my study here. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge all of the faculty, staff, and my fellow graduate student colleagues of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ix 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 1.1 General .................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Problem Statement ...............................................................................................................3 1.3 Research Objective ..............................................................................................................3 1.4 Scope ...................................................................................................................................4 1.5 Chapter Overview ................................................................................................................4 2. REMOTE SENSING APPLICATION: A CASE STUDY OF COASTAL BARRIER ISLAND .......................................................................................................................................5 2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................5 2.2 Background ..........................................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Barrier Island System ................................................................................................6 2.2.2 Overwash and Critical Width Concept .....................................................................6 2.2.3 Models Using Critical Width Concept ......................................................................7 2.2.4 Study Area .................................................................................................................8 2.3 Methodology ........................................................................................................................9 2.3.1 Data Acquisition and Processing ............................................................................10 2.3.2 NDWI, Masking and Vectorization ........................................................................10 2.3.3 Barrier Island Morphologic Analysis ......................................................................11 2.3.4 Critical Width Analysis ...........................................................................................12 2.4 Results ................................................................................................................................13 2.5 Discussion and Conclusion ................................................................................................15 3. DEVELOPING CITY-WIDE HURRICANE RISK MAPS USING REAL-LIFE DATA ON INFRASTRUCTURE, VEGETATION AND WEATHER ...............................................16 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................16 3.1.1 Problem Statement ..................................................................................................16 3.1.2 Research Objective..................................................................................................17 3.2 Background ........................................................................................................................17 3.2.1 Literature Review ....................................................................................................17 3.2.2 Study Area ...............................................................................................................19 3.2.3 Hurricane Michael ...................................................................................................19 3.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................................21 3.3.1 Dataset Preparation .................................................................................................21 3.3.2 Model ......................................................................................................................24 3.4 Results ................................................................................................................................28 iv 3.4.1 Risk Factors .............................................................................................................28 3.4.2 Normalized Weighted Risk Index ...........................................................................36 3.5 Conclusions and Future Work ...........................................................................................36 4. USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES TO ASSESS AND COMPARE THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES ON A FLORIDA GULF COAST COMMUNITY ................................................................................................40 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................40 4.1.1 Problem Statement ..................................................................................................40 4.1.2 Research Objective and Scope ................................................................................41 4.2 Background ........................................................................................................................42 4.2.1 Literature Review ....................................................................................................42 4.2.2 Study Area ...............................................................................................................44 4.2.3 The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.............................................................44 4.2.4 Overview of Selected Hurricanes............................................................................45 4.2.5 Hurricane Intensity and Track .................................................................................47 4.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................................48 4.3.1 Damage Assessment with NDVI Change ...............................................................48 4.3.2 USACE Debris Estimation Model ..........................................................................50 4.3.3 Comparative Analysis .............................................................................................52 4.4 Results and Discussion ......................................................................................................52 4.4.1 Damage Assessment with NDVI Change ...............................................................52 4.4.2 USACE Debris Estimation ......................................................................................60 4.4.3 Comparison of USACE and NDVI Change Based Approaches .............................63 4.5 Conclusions and Future
Recommended publications
  • Variations Aperiodic Extreme Sea Level in Cuba Under the Influence
    Extreme non-regular sea level variations in Cuba under the influence of intense tropical cyclones. Item Type Journal Contribution Authors Hernández González, M. Citation Serie Oceanológica, (8). p. 13-24 Publisher Instituto de Oceanología Download date 02/10/2021 16:50:34 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/4053 Serie Oceanológica. No. 8, 2011 ISSN 2072-800x Extreme non-regular sea level variations in Cuba under the influence of intense tropical cyclones. Variaciones aperiódicas extremas del nivel del mar en Cuba bajo la influencia de intensos ciclones tropicales. Marcelino Hernández González* *Institute of Oceanology. Ave. 1ra. No.18406 entre 184 y 186. Flores, Playa, Havana, Cuba. [email protected] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was sponsored by the scientific – technical service "Real Time Measurement and Transmission of Information. Development of Operational Oceanographic Products", developed at the Institute of Oceanology. The author wishes to thank Mrs. Martha M. Rivero Fernandez, from the Marine Information Service of the Institute of Oceanology, for her support in the translation of this article. Abstract This paper aimed at analyzing non-regular sea level variations of meteorological origin under the influence of six major tropical cyclones that affected Cuba, from sea level hourly height series in twelve coastal localities. As a result, it was obtained a characterization of the magnitude and timing of extreme sea level variations under the influence of intense tropical cyclones. Resumen El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar las variaciones aperiódicas del nivel del mar de origen meteorológico bajo la influencia de seis de los principales ciclones tropicales que han afectado a Cuba, a partir de series de alturas horarias del nivel del mar de doce localidades costeras.
    [Show full text]
  • Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans: Discursive Spaces of Safety and Resulting Environmental Injustice
    HURRICANE KATRINA AND NEW ORLEANS: DISCURSIVE SPACES OF SAFETY AND RESULTING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Andrew B. Shears August, 2011 Dissertation written by Andrew B. Shears B.S., Ball State University, 2003 M.S., Ball State University, 2005 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2011 Approved by ____________________________________, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Dr. James A. Tyner ____________________________________, Members, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Dr. Mandy Munro-Stasiuk ____________________________________ Dr. Robert M. SchwartZ ____________________________________ Dr. Scott C. Sheridan Accepted by ____________________________________, Chair, Department of Geography Dr. Mandy Munro-Stasiuk ____________________________________, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Timothy Moerland ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………..………………………………………………….iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………………………………vi DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………………………...vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………..1 A. DEFINING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE………………………………………….3 B. THE GAME PLAN………………………………………………………………………..19 C. METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK……………………………………………..20 II. ABOUT NEW ORLEANS……………………………………………………………………...29 A. THE HISTORY OF NEW ORLEANS……………………………………………….33 B. NEW ORLEANS IN 2005…………….……………………………………………….85 C. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………...111 III. HURRICANE KATRINA……………………………………………………………………..113
    [Show full text]
  • PNO-II-85-110:On 851119,Hurricane Kate Centered Slightly Inland Over
    r ' [ , November 19, 1985 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN0-II-85-110 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verifi- cation or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region II staff on this date. FACILITY: Florida Power & Light Company Licensee Emergency Classification: Turkey Point Units 1 & 2 X Notification of Unusual Event Docket No's: 50-250/251 Alert Homestead, Florida Site Area Emergency St. Lucie Units 1 & 2 General Emergency Docket No's: 50-335/389 Not Applicable Ft. Pierce, Florida Florida Power Corporation Crystal River Unit 3 Docket No: 50-302 Crystal River, Florida SUBJECT: ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATE As of 8 a.m. (EST) today, Hurricane Kate was centered near latitude 22.7 north and longitude 80.5 west. This position is slightly inland over north central Cuba, about 150 miles south of Key West, Florida. It is moving westward at near 20 miles per hour. On this course, Kate will continue moving over central and western Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane warnings have been lifted over mainland Florida except in the middle and lower keys. Gusts in squalls over portions of the mainland are expected to exceed 50 miles per hour with hurricane force winds being limited to the Florida keys. Both Florida Power & Light Company and Florida Power Corporation have been following the course of the storm and are taking appropriate actions. Both Turkey Point units continue to operate at 100 percent power.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
    FLORIDA HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS 1871-1995: An Historical Survey Fred Doehring, Iver W. Duedall, and John M. Williams '+wcCopy~~ I~BN 0-912747-08-0 Florida SeaGrant College is supported by award of the Office of Sea Grant, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce,grant number NA 36RG-0070, under provisions of the NationalSea Grant College and Programs Act of 1966. This information is published by the Sea Grant Extension Program which functionsas a coinponentof the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, John T. Woeste, Dean, in conducting Cooperative Extensionwork in Agriculture, Home Economics, and Marine Sciences,State of Florida, U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, U.S. Departmentof Commerce, and Boards of County Commissioners, cooperating.Printed and distributed in furtherance af the Actsof Congressof May 8 andJune 14, 1914.The Florida Sea Grant Collegeis an Equal Opportunity-AffirmativeAction employer authorizedto provide research, educational information and other servicesonly to individuals and institutions that function without regardto race,color, sex, age,handicap or nationalorigin. Coverphoto: Hank Brandli & Rob Downey LOANCOPY ONLY Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms 1871-1995: An Historical survey Fred Doehring, Iver W. Duedall, and John M. Williams Division of Marine and Environmental Systems, Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL 32901 Technical Paper - 71 June 1994 $5.00 Copies may be obtained from: Florida Sea Grant College Program University of Florida Building 803 P.O. Box 110409 Gainesville, FL 32611-0409 904-392-2801 II Our friend andcolleague, Fred Doehringpictured below, died on January 5, 1993, before this manuscript was completed. Until his death, Fred had spent the last 18 months painstakingly researchingdata for this book.
    [Show full text]
  • 2007/2008 AMS/Industry/Government Graduate Fellowships and Undergraduate Scholarships
    The AMS is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007/2008 AMS/Industry/Government Graduate Fellowships and Undergraduate Scholarships. AMS wishes to extend its thanks and appreciation to corporations, federal agencies, and AMS members that have joined with the Society in supporting graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships. With their support, the AMS to date, has awarded fellowships and scholarships to over 600 students with the total dollars awarded reaching over $4 million. Congratulations to all of the recipients! 2007/2008 AMS/INDUSTRY/GOVERNMENT GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS NAME SCHOOL SPONSOR Holly A. Anderson Florida State University Lockheed Martin Corporation James I. Belanger The State University of New York Albany Earth Science Div. of the Science Mission Directorate/NASA David J. Bodine The University of Oklahoma Raytheon Company Christina C. Crowe The University of Alabama Earth Science Div. of the Science Mission Directorate/NASA Steven J. Greybush The University of Maryland SAIC, General Science Operation Stephen A. Holcomb Colorado State University National Science Foundation Amanda K. Kis The University of Oklahoma Earth Science Div. of the Science Mission Directorate/NASA Zachary J. Lebo California Institute of Technology NOAA’s Climate Program Office Mitchell McCue The Pennsylvania State University AMS 21 st Century Campaign Eric C. Meyers The University of Illinois−Urbana Earth Science Div. of the Science Mission Directorate/NASA Amber M. Ortega The Pennsylvania State University National Science Foundation Leigh A. Patterson Colorado State University NOAA’s Climate Program Office Kristen L. Rasmussen The University of Washington DOE, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Craig S. Schwartz The University of Oklahoma NOAA=s National Weather Service Owen H.
    [Show full text]
  • Written Testimony of Mr
    WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF MR. MAX MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OVERSIGHT HEARING ON “2006 HURRICANE SEASON AND AT-RISK CITIES” BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISASTER PREVENTION AND PREDICTION UNITED STATES SENATE MAY 24, 2006 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am Max Mayfield, Director of the Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center. The National Hurricane Center is a part of the National Weather Service (NWS), of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Department of Commerce. Thank you for inviting me here today, during National Hurricane Preparedness Week, to discuss the outlook for the 2006 Hurricane Season, and to talk about our country’s cities most vulnerable to hurricanes. First, let me express my sincere gratitude to the members of this Committee. Your continued support of NOAA and our hurricane program enables us to make the best forecasts possible, helping ensure the people of our Nation understand the potential impacts from hurricanes and what they can do to protect their life and property. The FY 2006 Hurricane Supplemental Funding approved by Congress is being used as directed, including funding forecast model improvements, and storm surge and inland hurricane forecasting improvements. Thank you again for your support. Everywhere I go I am asked about the forecast for the upcoming hurricane season. People want to know how many hurricanes there will be and if one will hit their area. The media also gives these seasonal forecasts high visibility, and this can have a very positive effect because it raises awareness about the threat from hurricanes and encourages people to prepare for what might happen.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Hurricanes on Birds, with Special Reference to Caribbean Islands
    Bird Conservation International (1993) 3:319-349 The effects of hurricanes on birds, with special reference to Caribbean islands JAMES W. WILEY and JOSEPH M. WUNDERLE, JR. Summary Cyclonic storms, variously called typhoons, cyclones, or hurricanes (henceforth, hurricanes), are common in many parts of the world, where their frequent occurrence can have both direct and indirect effects on bird populations. Direct effects of hurricanes include mortality from exposure to hurricane winds, rains, and storm surges, and geo- graphic displacement of individuals by storm winds. Indirect effects become apparent in the storm's aftermath and include loss of food supplies or foraging substrates; loss of nests and nest or roost sites; increased vulnerability to predation; microclimate changes; and increased conflict with humans. The short-term response of bird populations to hurricane damage, before changes in plant succession, includes shifts in diet, foraging sites or habitats, and reproductive changes. Bird populations may show long-term responses to changes in plant succession as second-growth vegetation increases in storm- damaged old-growth forests. The greatest stress of a hurricane to most upland terrestrial bird populations occurs after its passage rather than during its impact. The most important effect of a hurricane is the destruction of vegetation, which secondarily affects wildlife in the storm's after- math. The most vulnerable terrestrial wildlife populations have a diet of nectar, fruit, or seeds; nest, roost, or forage on large old trees; require a closed forest canopy; have special microclimate requirements and/or live in a habitat in which vegetation has a slow recovery rate. Small populations with these traits are at greatest risk to hurricane-induced extinction, particularly if they exist in small isolated habitat fragments.
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL SUMMARY Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2003
    1744 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW VOLUME 133 ANNUAL SUMMARY Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2003 MILES B. LAWRENCE,LIXION A. AVILA,JOHN L. BEVEN,JAMES L. FRANKLIN,RICHARD J. PASCH, AND STACY R. STEWART Tropical Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center, NOAA/NWS, Miami, Florida (Manuscript received 30 April 2004, in final form 8 November 2004) ABSTRACT The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season is described. The season was very active, with 16 tropical storms, 7 of which became hurricanes. There were 49 deaths directly attributed to this year’s tropical cyclones. 1. Introduction hurricane, and Isabel’s category-2 landfall on the Outer There were 16 named tropical cyclones of at least Banks of North Carolina brought hurricane conditions tropical storm strength in the Atlantic basin during to portions of North Carolina and Virginia and record 2003, 7 of which became hurricanes. Table 1 lists these flood levels to the upper Chesapeake Bay. Elsewhere, tropical storms and hurricanes, along with their dates, Erika made landfall on the northeastern Mexico’s Gulf maximum 1-min wind speeds, minimum central sea Coast as a category-1 hurricane, Fabian was the most level pressures, deaths, and U.S. damage. Figure 1 destructive hurricane to hit Bermuda in over 75 yr, and shows the “best tracks” of this season’s storms. Juan was the worst hurricane to hit Halifax, Nova The numbers of tropical storms and hurricanes dur- Scotia, in over 100 yr. ing 2003 are above the long-term (1944–2003) averages This season’s tropical cyclones took 49 lives in the of 10 named storms, of which 6 become hurricanes.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Housing Coalition Hurricane Member Update Webinar April 26, 2019 Sponsored by Fannie Mae AGENDA
    Florida Housing Coalition Hurricane Member Update Webinar April 26, 2019 Sponsored by Fannie Mae AGENDA • Washington County Recovery Update • Apply for Disaster Recovery Volunteers • Rebuild Bay County, a long term recovery organization Washington County Washington County Apply for Disaster Recovery Volunteers National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) can provide Americorps volunteer teams. Concept Paper due May 1 for 1st Round Projects For guidance, Cat Keen [email protected] Examples of Disaster-Related Work •E AmeriCorps Disaster Assistance •E NCCC’s Irma Response Disaster Recovery in Bay County and Panama City Lance Rettig, Executive Director of Bay County Habitat for Humanity [email protected] Hurricane Michael •Category 5 and 3rd most intense hurricane in terms of pressure to make landfall in the contiguous U.S. in recorded history, setting low pressure records at the point of impact and over considerable distances inland. Panama City recorded a pressure of 922.4 millibars near the time of landfall, 55 millibars lower than the old record set during Hurricane Kate in 1985, changing record- keeping maps. •Michael reached top winds of 155+ mph and was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle since record-keeping began in 1851.) The instrumentation failed at 129 mph, as did other sensors in the storm’s path. Entire forests were mowed down. (Washington Post, 10/12/18) •10-plus feet: Mexico Beach, to the east of Panama City on the Florida Panhandle, was more or less Ground Zero for Michael. In the right front quadrant of the eyewall, the strongest part of the storm, the area was decimated by wind and water.
    [Show full text]
  • Insurance Times: a Decade Later, Power of Andrew Remembered Insurers Weren’T Financially Prepared for Most Expensive Storm in U.S
    Insurance Times: A decade later, power of Andrew remembered Insurers weren’t financially prepared for most expensive storm in U.S. history September 3, 2002, Vol. XXI No. 18 by Adrian Sainz Associated Press MIAMI — On radar, the storm was a spherical mass barreling into the Florida coast, with red, yellow and blue hues warning of deadly wind and torrential rain. That abstract image of Hurricane Andrew's fury was swiftly replaced with a devastation all too real — flattened homes, trees reduced to toothpicks, dazed residents walking through neighborhoods that looked like war zones. “I know what it's like to think that you're going to die, and for God to spare you,'' said John Cosgrove, who huddled in a closet with his wife and children as their home fell apart around them a decade ago. “We lost everything.'' Andrew's winds, 14-foot storm surge, heavy rain and tornadoes spared Miami and Fort Lauderdale. But early on the morning of Aug. 24, 1992, the hurricane roared through Homestead, Florida City and other small cities farther south. Forty-three deaths were blamed on Andrew in the United States, 126,000 homes were destroyed, and 80 percent of the area's farms were wiped out. With $30 billion in damage, it remains the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. It also continues to impact South Florida, where it changed lives and everything from insurance regulations and construction codes to the very location of the National Hurricane Center. Last week, scientists ended a decade of debate on the storm's intensity by announcing that what was once thought to a Category 4 storm is now believed to have hit 165 mph — making it only the third Category 5 storm to hit the United States in recorded history.
    [Show full text]
  • May 2016 2 Meet Our New Meteorologist-In-Charge! (Cont)
    SouthernmostSouthernmost WeatherWeather ReporterReporter National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Key West, FL SouthernmostSouthernmost WeatherWeather ReporterReporter National Weather Service ~ Key West, FL Welcome to Our First Report! M a y 2 0 1 6 Inside this Report: elcome to the inaugural report of the Florida Keys National Weather Service (NWS). This report details activities from the Florida Keys NWS Q&A with New MIC 2 office, as well as our many outreach and customer service initiatives. W NOAA Science 4 Many interesting weather events occurred during this last year: Saturday We ended 2015 as the warmest year on record in Key West. DSS in the Keys 5 We had a small scare with Tropical Storm Erika that threatened south Florida in Beach Hazards 6 late August. Data Acquisition 7 We saw persistent coastal flooding affect the Keys in September and October. Award Ocean Wave Experts In addition, our office accomplished several major outreach and customer service 8 initiatives of which I am quite proud: Come to Key West We hosted our first office open house (“Science Saturday”) event in five years. That’s the Spirit! 8 10th Anniversary of We had total attendance of almost 800, and this is something we are planning 9 to make an annual event. Hurricane Wilma Persistent Coastal We hosted over 50 national and international scientists at our office, as part of a 10 Flooding large international science workshop on marine forecasting held in Key West. Become a Rainfall We commemorated the anniversary of two of the strongest hurricanes on 12 Observer record to affect the Keys: Labor Day Hurricane (1935) & Hurricane Wilma (2005).
    [Show full text]
  • FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER by DAY (To 1994) NOVEMBER 1-3 1956
    FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER BY DAY (to 1994) NOVEMBER 1-3 1956 - entire east coast - A Tropical Depression that moved north out of Cuba on October 31st and made a loop east of Florida on the 1st through 3rd brought high tides and heavy surf to much of east Florida. Extensive property damage and beach erosion was reported from Jacksonville to Neptune Beach. Many beach roads and oceanfront properties were undermined at various points by pounding surf. 2 1971 -1327 - E. Sarasota - Funnel cloud reported. 3 1968 - 1755 - Escambia Co. - Tornado crossed the extreme northwest part of Escambia Co. Florida doing little damage, however 18 people were injured as homes and trailers were destroyed across the border in Saraland, AL. 3 1987 - 0224 - Monroe Co., Key West - A thunderstorm wind gust of 55 knots was reported at Boca Chica Naval Air Station. 4 1935 - south Florida - The so-called "Yankee Hurricane" struck Dade County from the northeast. Winds were 75 mph in Miami with a storm surge of 6 feet. The storm exiting into the Gulf of Mexico on the lower southwest coast north of the Keys. It recurved back toward Florida on the 6th and dissipated off Tampa Bay on the 8th. Nineteen deaths were attributed to this storm. 4 1988 - 0115 - Lee Co., Fort Myers - Tornado destroyed two homes, severely damaged seven, and damaged 109 others to a lesser degree. Eight cars and three boats were also damaged. About 80 Royal Palms were blown down along a scenic street. 4 1996 - 1620 - Palm Beach County, Palm Beach - one person drowned in a rip current.
    [Show full text]