Figure 1 is an example of the damage caused by Hurricane Georges as it passed through the Florida Keys. This picture was taken on Cudjoe Key, mile marker 23, along U.S. 1. The greatest damage in the Keys occurred between Cudjoe Key and Big Pine Key, mile marker 30, where the strongest winds of hurricane Georges were estimated to be 105 mph sustained with gusts to 125 mph. Residents of these areas were without electricity for approximately 2 weeks. (Click here to see more damage photos)

Included in this document is a table of the recorded winds, storm total rainfall amounts, storm surge, and lowest pressure along the Keys. Estimated damage totals are also shown.  Hurricane Georges was the first hurricane to directly affect the Keys since 1987 and only the second since 1966. Fortunately, there were no deaths directly related to the hurricane.

Hurricane Georges approached the Florida Straits after moving off the shore of the north-central Cuban coast on Sep 24. It maintained its consistent west-northwest movement at 12-15 mph until it neared the Lower Keys. Georges then began to move more toward the west with the northern portion of the eye moving over Key West between noon and 1:30PM Sep 25. Georges continued to move west from Key West with its eye passing over the Dry Tortugas, 65 miles west of Key West. It eventually made landfall again near the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts after traversing the Gulf of Mexico.

Georges was a minimal category 1 hurricane when it emerged over the Florida Straits. It gained strength before hitting the Keys, becoming a minimal category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph. Georges was a large hurricane with the tropical storm force winds, > 39 mph, extending out to 175 miles from the center. The northeast and southeast quadrants of Georges were the strongest, as evidenced by most of the damage in the Keys occurring with easterly, southeasterly, and southerly winds.

The greatest storm surge flooding occurred on the south coasts of the Keys with the most destructive storm surge flooding damage being located between Cudjoe and Big Pine Keys. The storm surge was estimated to be up to 6 feet in these areas. The picture to the left was taken on South Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West near the houseboat row area. Almost all of the houseboats in this area were destroyed.
 

LOCATION MAX. SUSTAINED WIND(MPH) MAX. GUST(MPH)

Cudjoe-Big Pine Keys 105 from SE (estimated) 125 from SE(est.)
Marathon EOC ---- 110 from SE
Sombrero Key C-MAN Buoy 92 from SE 108 from SE
Boca Chica NAS 92 from SE 105 from SE
Duck Key 81 from SE 97 from SE
Key West Airport* 69 from NE 87 from NE

*did not record highest winds due to power failure.
 

LOCATION STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNT (INCHES)

Sugarloaf Key (south side) 8.65
Tavernier 8.41
Key West International Airport 8.38
Cudjoe Key (north side) 8.20
Duck Key 1.95
 

LOCATION EST. STORM SURGE (FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE)

Cudjoe to Big Pine Key 5-6 ft.
Big Coppitt to Sugarloaf Key 4-5 ft.
Marathon to Grassy Key 4-5 ft.
Key West to Boca Chica Key 3-4 ft.

The lowest pressure measured during the hurricane, 974.4 mb, occurred at the Dry Tortugas C-MAN station when the eye passed over around 6 PM 9/25/98.

The northern part of the eye passed over Key West between noon and 1:30 PM 9/25/98. However, the pressure data was unavailable due to power failure.
 

DAMAGES

- Estimated $200 million in the Florida Keys
- 1,536 homes were damaged or destroyed.
- 614 of those homes were mobile homes.
- 75 of those homes were houseboats.
- 173 homes were considered destroyed.

As of 10/9/98, there were no deaths or injuries in the Keys directly related to hurricane Georges.
 

THIS DOCUMENT WAS PREPARED BY:

JACK SETTELMAIER, SCIENCE AND OPERATIONS OFFICER
WAYNE PRESNELL, WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, KEY WEST, FL

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