The North Florida Hurricane of 29 September 1896, a Historical Case of Extreme Inland High Winds

Abstract: On September 29th 1896 a significant hurricane, made landfall in the vicinity of Cedar Key, Florida. This storm was accelerating ahead of a major deep level trough and is estimated to have been moving toward the north-northeast in excess of 30 knots/15 mps from the central Gulf of Mexico through the Great Lakes. The storm track has been reconstructed across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia, using press reports, and period letters describing the event. The intensity estimates presented are derived by first developing a best track, an estimated outer pressure and a Radius of Maximum Winds through a re-analysis of period data and then applying that information to the central pressure relationship as developed by Dr. Frances Ho. This preliminary data was then compared to the storm tide information reported from the Cedar Key area and was further refined by comparison to successive iterations of the SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model to develop a "best fit" track and intensity at landfall. This event caused extensive damage to structures, lines of communication and timber from the Cedar Keys area to west of Savannah, Georgia and then into the mid-Atlantic States. This event is currently archived in the Hurricane Data (HURDAT) data set, maintained by the National Hurricane Center, as being a category two event, at landfall, with a track slightly to the north and west and somewhat slower than that presented in this paper. Additionally, the significance of this event as a case of extreme inland high winds, both in north Florida and southeast Georgia and later in the Mid-Atlantic region is understated by the current archival data. A correction to both the track and the intensity is recommended.