|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. Isobar map of the hurricane on October 11 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 6, 1909 |
| Dissipated | October 13, 1909 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 120 mph (195 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 957 mbar (hPa); 28.26 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 34 |
| Damage | At least $3 million (1909 USD) |
| Areas affected | Cuba, Mexico, Florida, Bahamas |
Part of the 1909 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1909 Florida Keys hurricane caused severe damage in Cuba and the Florida Keys. The twelfth tropical cyclone and fifth hurricane of season, the storm was first detected in the Caribbean Sea offshore Colombia on October 6. Initially a tropical depression, the system became a tropical storm early on the next day while heading northwestward. By October 8, the storm became a Category 1 hurricane on the modern day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale to the southwest of Jamaica. The hurricane curved to the west-northwest and intensified throughout the next day, becoming Category 3 intensity late on October 9. A major hurricane, the cyclone peaked with sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) early on October 10. Later that day, it turned to the north and made landfall in Pinar del Río Province. After traversing the western extremity of Cuba, the storm entered the Straits of Florida and turned northeastward. The hurricane made landfall near Marathon, Florida, late on October 11 with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Thereafter, the system weakened quickly while crossing the northwestern Bahamas and the western Atlantic Ocean, falling to tropical storm intensity late on October 12. About 24 hours later, it weakened to a tropical depression and subsequently dissipated northeast of Bermuda.
In western Cuba, strong winds and large waves left severe damage. The cities of Cayuco and La Fe in Pinar del Río Province were completely destroyed, while Guane experienced considerable devastation. Every house in Puerto Esperanza suffered damage due to strong winds. In Havana, the storm caused five fatalities and about $1 million (1909 USD) in damage.[nb 1] The large waves reached the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, causing many fishermen and their families to drown. In the Florida Keys, damage total about $2 million in Key West alone, with about half of the city destroyed, while two fatal injuries occurred. Farther north, the storm destroyed workers camps for construction of the Florida East Coast Railway and drowned 12 people after a tugboat wrecked at Bahia Honda Key. In Miami, several buildings were deroofed, while the newly built March Villa hotel suffered severe damage; impact otherwise was primarily limited to downed trees, however. Overall, the hurricane is attributed to 34 fatalities and over $3 million in damage.
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