Hurricane Frederic

Hurricane Frederic in 1979 was the one of the costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. Gulf Coast. Damage estimates vary from $1-3 billion, with variations due to inadequate reporting of private insurance claims as well as lack of hard data on uninsured damage. FEMA, which had been established only three months before Frederic hit, was the focal point for nearly $250 million in federal aid for recovery, $188 million of which went to Alabama.

Related Topics:
1979 - Hurricane - U.S. Gulf Coast - FEMA

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Anywhere from 250,000 to 350,000 people in the U.S. were evacuated in advance of Frederic. Its sustained winds were clocked at 132 mph (210 km/h), classifying Frederic as a category 4 storm (which is disputed - many classify it as a Category 3 at 130 mph). Its intensity at landfall, based on barometric pressure readings of 27.94 inches of mercury (946 mbar or 94.6 kPa), rank it in the top 25 among U.S. hurricanes in the 20th century. Storm tides of eight to 12 feet above normal were reported from Pascagoula, Mississippi to western Santa Rosa Island, Florida. Five people were killed by the storm and its aftermath.

Related Topics:
Category 4 storm - Barometric pressure - Mbar - KPa - 20th century - Storm tide - Pascagoula, Mississippi - Santa Rosa Island, Florida

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The name Frederic was retired, and was replaced with Fabian in the 1985 season (which was itself retired in the 2003 season).

Related Topics:
1985 season - 2003 season

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