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252	MONTHLY	WEATHER	REVIEW	Dbcembe*	i
VI.	Major hurricane oj September 10-19.—The first indication that a well-developed tropical storm had formed over the Atlantic came in a report from the S. S. Arakaka, radioed during the night of September 10 from a position near latitude 15° N., longitude 49° W. Prior to this, however, the Pan American Airways station at Dakar, F. W. A., had reported that a low pressure area had developed over French West Africa on September
2	and had moved westward across the coast line. Over the water this depression deepened, and on September 4 gave Dakar 3.36 inches of rain. This circulation was traced until it reached the Cape Verde Islands on September 5 but was subsequently lost through a lack of ship observations. Since an average progressive westward movement of about 17 m. p. h. for the next 5 days would have brought this disturbance near the storm position first reported by the Arakaka, it seems probable that the ship was reporting the same storm and that this great September hurricane had its genesis over western Africa.
Oveb Florida
From the time of the storm’s detection on September 10, reconnaissance planes of the Army and Navy followed it on a west-northwesterly course until it reached a position east of Abaco Island in the Bahamas on the 15th. Here it came to a virtual standstill for about 24 hours and then moved west-southwestward over that island and on to the Florida east coast at Fort Lauderdale on the 17th. Hopetown, on Abaco Island, recorded a highest wind speed of 160 m. p. h. when the center passed near the observatory.
The highest wind recorded by a reliable instrument in Florida was 155 m. p. h., at Hillsboro Light near Pompano at 12:56 p. m. on the 17th, at which time the lowest reliable pressure reading of 947.2 mb. (27.97 inches) was also recorded. Winds of 100 m. p. h. or over were experienced generally along the Florida east coast from the northern portion of Miami to well north of Palm Beach, a distance of about 70 miles, while winds of hurricane force prevailed from approximately Cape Canaveral to Carysfort Reef Light, a distance of about 240 miles. The great expanse of coast subjected to hurricane force winds, from this storm that moved inland at right angles to the coast line, classes it as one of the great storms on record. It was fortunate that in Florida the most destructive portion of the storm passed inland between the large communities of Miami and Palm Beach. As it was, the less heavily populated area between Fort Lauderdale and Lake Worth bore the brunt of its violence. Pompano, Deerfield, Boca Raton, and Delray Beach were in the path of the strongest winds.
Moving on a westward course across the State at about 10 m. p. h., the storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico, with the center passing a short distance north of Naples at about 10 p. m. on the 17th. It had passed over swamplands of the Everglades and the Big Cypress, with little damage resulting. The section around Lake Okeechobee was swept by the highest winds, but the dikes held and there was no flooding directly from the Lake. Heavy rains of around 6 to 8 inches, coming on top of a completely saturated soil with some areas already partly flooded, resulted in extensive flooding of rich farm lands and pastures. The loss to crops, especially sugarcane, was estimated at several million dollars, and a considerable number of livestock were lost.
Reaching Florida’s west coast communities, the storm retained much of its intensity. The strongest wind reported was observed at Sanibel Light, where gusts of 120 m. p. h. were recorded. At Fort Myers the highest wind
was estimated at 90 m. p. h., with gusts to 110 m. p Heavy damage occurred along the west coast from E glades City to Sarasota, with greatest damage in the I Myers-Punta Gorda area. Everglades City was in dated to a depth of 2 feet by tidewater which rose 5% 1 above normal. At Naples the lull was felt for an h between 9 and 10 p. m. on the 17th, with the wind dr ping to 12 m. p. h. at 9:45 p. m. North of Naples str offshore winds resulted in below-normal tides.
For Florida, property damage and crop losses v estimated at slightly over $.31,000,000. Eleven pers were killed as a direct result of the storm, and six otl died through related accidents and electrocutions. Am the dead were seven of the crew members of a Cu' fishing vessel, Antonio Cerdado, which foundered a si distance off Fort Myers.
Oveb the Gulp
After leaving Florida the hurricane turned to a n northwesterly course over the Gulf of Mexico, and, creasing to about 18 m. p. h. in its progressive movemi swept on to the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts dui the morning of September 19. By 5 a. m. winds of 1 ricane force (75 m. p. h. or over) were being felt over Chandeleur Islands as far northward as Chandeleur Li| The highest tide, 14 feet above normal high tide, was corded at Chandeleur Light.
Along the Mississippi coast, from Pearlington to Pa: goula, winds reached hurricane force at about 6:30 a. of the 19th. Similar winds reached the eastern edg< metropolitan New Orleans at 7:30 a. m. and an h later extended to the Moisant Airport, just west of city. These coastal communities experienced the strc est winds of the storm and the greatest duration of 1 ricane force winds. From Pearlington, which endu 5% hours of these winds, an observer reported that * p. m. he noticed that a south wind was carrying wi back into the Pearl River. At 4 p. m. the bayous r Pearlington and the Pearl River at Logtown were c flowing and inundating the land up to the floor leve the Logtown Post Office, with the river flowing upstn at a rate of about 15 m. p. h. Tides along the Mississi coast rose to 12 feet at Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, and G port, and to about 9 feet at Pascagoula and in the L Catherine-Chef Menteur area.
Oveb Mississippi and Louisiana
The calm center, which passed directly over the b ness district of New Orleans and the city of Ba Rouge, was estimated to be about 25 miles in diamt as it passed over New Orleans. Moisant Airport ’ flooded to a depth of 2 feet, and during the height of storm part of the roof of the Administration Build gave way, forcing employees to run to another build in the area. Baton Rouge was not seriously menaced high winds until about noon, by which time the hurric was dissipating rapidly. Hurricane force winds did reach any section west of Melville, La., where the higl wind was estimated as 75 m. p. h., occurring betw 3:30 and 4 p. m.
In Mississippi and Louisiana it was estimated that percent of the damage was caused by water. In Mis sippi most of the severe water damage was limited t section within two blocks of the water front. Hoi there are built practically to the edge of the water, i there is no sea wall for protection. Minor flooding curred in one section of New Orleans due to a break the Industrial Canal levee, and more severe flooding curred in Jefferson Parish because of breaks in the <