 Surface weather analysis of the hurricane on October 6 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 3, 1948 |
| Dissipated | October 16, 1948 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 125 mph (205 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | ≤971 mbar (hPa); ≤28.67 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 11 direct |
| Damage | $12.5 million (1948 USD) |
| Areas affected | Cuba, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1948 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1948 Miami hurricane (Air Weather Service designation: Fox)[1] caused no fatalities in Florida, despite moving across the Miami area as a hurricane.[2] The ninth tropical storm and fifth hurricane of the 1948 season, the storm developed from a large low pressure area over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on October 3. The storm intensified into a tropical storm early the next day and a hurricane several hours later. Fox then significantly deepened, peaking with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h) early on October 5. Around that time, Fox made landfall in eastern Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. Fox crossed the island and emerged into the Straits of Florida. Late on October 5, the hurricane struck Bahia Honda Key, Florida, with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h) and two hours later, hit Flamingo. Fox emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Fort Lauderdale early on October 6. The storm moved northeastward and later curved to the east-northeast. Late on October 7, Fox made landfall on Bermuda with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). Fox weakened over the next several days and later executed a large cyclonic loop. By October 16, it became extratropical while well east-southeast of Newfoundland.
In Cuba, homes and cattle were swept away by flash flooding. Eleven deaths and about 300 injuries were attributed to the tropical cyclone. Damage in the country reached about $6 million. The storm brought strong winds to Florida, with a sustained wind speed of 122 mph (196 km/h) at Naval Air Station Key West. Heavy rainfall exceeding 9.5 in (240 mm) in Miami and three tornadoes also contributed to the damage in South Florida. Throughout the state, 674 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, while 45 other buildings were demolished. Overall, damage in Florida reached $5.5 million and there were no deaths, but 36 injuries, none of which were serious. In Bermuda, buildings were unroofed and the sides of some structures were knocked down. Electrical light wires and telephone lines were toppled across the island. Damage totaled over $1 million.
- ^ Report on the 1948-49 Post-Analysis Program of the Air Force Hurricane Office (Air Weather Service Technical Report). Washington, D.C.: United States Air Weather Service. 1949.
- ^ Sumner, H. C. (1948). "North Atlantic Hurricanes and Tropical Disturbances of 1948" (PDF). U.S. Weather Bureau. Retrieved 2009-01-04.