1995 — Aug 2, Hurricane Erin, Central and Panhandle FL and off FL Coast — 8
–13 Wikipedia. “1995 Atlantic hurricane season.” 12-6-2013. (No source citation.)
— 6 Direct 7 Indirect (includes 5 fatalities in Jamaica)
— 11 News Herald, Panama City, FL. “The Storms.” 8-24-1995, 3A, col. 1.[1]
— 8 Blanchard tally based on breakouts below.
— 7 NCDC (direct and indirect). Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995.
— 6 Lawrence, et al. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1995.” MWR, V.126, May 1998, p. 1127.
— 6 Rappaport. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Erin, 31 July-6 August 1995. 11-26-1995.
Atlantic, off Florida Coast: (3)
–3 Atlantic, Aug 2, ~60 miles off Palm Beach, FL. Drownings; Club Royale capsizes.[2]
Florida: (5)
— 0 Direct. NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 3.
— 5 Blanchard tally of breakouts below.
— 2 Gulf County, Aug 2. Father and daughter, 9, blown offshore from beach; not recovered.[3]
— 1 Hillsborough Co., Tampa. Heart attack after evacuation to shelter; female, 72[4] or 75.[5]
— 1 Palm Beach County, Aug 1-2. Drowning; rip current; male surfer, 15.[6]
— 1 St. Lucie Co.?[7] Crushed by falling stack of plywood while preparing home; man, 44.[8]
Jamaica (5)
— 5 Plane crash. Florida Sun Sentinel (Marjorie Lambert) “Erin Takes a Toll.” 8-3-1995.
Narrative Information
NCDC Storm Data: “Hurricane Erin: July 31-August 6…. The center of Hurricane Erin came ashore near Vero Beach around 0100 EST and moved northwest across Indian River County into Osceola, Orange and Lake Counties. The minimal category one hurricane caused widespread wind damage mostly in Brevard County. On land there were no deaths or serious injuries in east central Florida directly related to the hurricane, although a St. Lucie County man was crushed to death by stack a of plywood while preparing his home for the storm in Ft. Pierce.
“The 235-foot gambling ship Club Royale out of Palm Beach capsized and sank about 90 miles east of Cape Canaveral. Eight crew members were rescued by the United States Coast Guard. Three crew members including the Captain were lost.
“Spiral bands around Erin’s center spawned strong east and then southeast winds in Brevard County. The greatest damage was along the coast from Cape Canaveral to Sebastian Inlet including the towns of Satellite Beach, Indian Harbor Beach and Melbourne Beach. Dozens of large high rise hotels and condominiums suffered major damage to roofs and some walls. Almost
all had major water damage due to wind driven rain. Numerous smaller structures such as grocery stores, restaurants and homes also were severely damaged or destroyed by wind along the beaches. A tug boat sank in Port Canaveral as did a few other small boats in other marinas. In Brevard County 37 structures were destroyed, 81 sustained major damage with 443 reporting minor damage. Two houses were destroyed by fires that were started by downed power lines. Five airplanes were damaged at Melbourne International Airport. The WSR-88D Doppler Radar in Melbourne measured winds near 90 mph along the coast of Brevard County. Wind gusts of 76 and 70 MPH were recorded at the Melbourne and Vero Beach airports respectively. Inland, widespread minor structural damage to buildings and damage due to fallen trees extended from central Brevard County to the greater Orlando area. In Osceola County the roof was blown off a fire station in Kissimmee. About 24 buildings, mostly mobile homes, were severely damaged by falling trees. Many streets were flooded. Numerous fallen trees and large limbs damaged houses and cars in Orlando.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 12.)
Osceola County: “A small F1 tornado touched down about two miles north of Highway 192 along Highway 532 near Lake Lizzie. The tornado produced a long swath of damage through a wooded area. A house was destroyed when it was hit by a falling tree. Two horses were killed.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 12.)
Brevard County (Melbourne and Palm Bay): “As Tropical Storm Erin moved into the Gulf of Mexico on August 2nd, outer rain bands from the storm formed over east central Florida. By 1300 EST a solid band of thunderstorms had formed in a north to south pattern over Brevard and Indian River Counties and remained stationary until about 1700 EST. The storms dropped from seven to 10 inches of rain, flooding much of Palm Bay and Melbourne. Most major and secondary roads were impassable. The roof collapsed on a large department store due to the weight of the water. Over 100 other homes and businesses received some flood damage.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 12.)
Southeast Florida: “Erin, a tropical storm in the central Bahamas, strengthened to minimal hurricane intensity, before moving ashore near Vero Beach. Erin moved across central Florida as a tropical storm then moved into the northeast Gulf of Mexico where it reintensified to hurricane strength before moving ashore a final time near Pensacola. In southeast Florida maximum winds gusts were 37 knots at Miami Beach with the lowest pressure of 1000.9 mb at West Palm Beach International Airport. The only fatality in southeast Florida was a 15-year-old male surfer who drowned in a rip current off Palm Beach County. There was minor to moderate beach erosion in Palm Beach County, and minor fresh water flooding from north Dade to Palm Beach County with rainfall totals of two to six inches. Six people were rescued from a 55-foot ketch that was grounded near Riviera Beach. The Red Cross in Palm Beach County spent $50 thousand to serve more than 4,000 people in 10 emergency shelters. An unscientific study estimated that lost productivity in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, caused by the approach of Erin, amounted to $200 million.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 13.)
Eastern Florida Panhandle: “The center of Erin moved west-north-west across Central Florida and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico during the afternoon of 2nd. The storm re-intensified reaching hurricane strength at midnight. The storm made landfall as a category one hurricane at Pensacola before noon on the 3rd. Damage from Erin in Bay and Gulf counties was mainly along the beaches where piers and some roadways received damage. Some other light damage was reported mainly to roofs and signs. In south Walton County, some 500 buildings received light to moderate damage. Further inland in Walton, mainly light wind damage was reported. At around 10 AM on the 2nd, a man and his daughter were blown offshore from the beach at Cape San Blas. They were never recovered or found.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, 18.)
Western Panhandle/Northwest Florida: “Hurricane Erin moved across the Gulf of Mexico on August 2 and 3 and turned toward the Northwest Florida coast early Thursday morning. The center of the storm moved ashore at 0920 CST along Santa Rosa Island along Highway 399 between the National Seashore Day Use Center and the west end of Navarre Beach. Erin then moved across the city of Pensacola and moved into Baldwin County Alabama near Interstate 10 and the Perdido River. As Erin moved through Northwest Florida, trees and power lines were blown down and many homes were damaged. Preliminary damage estimates were $230 million. More than 2,000 homes were damaged and the power companies estimated that 63 percent of their customers were without power. Crops also suffered damage with about half of the cotton and 20 to 25 percent of the Pecan crop damaged. Erin had a broad eye (around 15 miles) as it moved ashore. Most of the damage from the storm occurred on the east side of the storm. At least four tornadoes were reported from the storm. Most of the tornadoes were short lived. The center of a hurricane had not moved across the Pensacola area since 1926. Highest wind speeds measured as Erin moved ashore were at the Pensacola Naval Air Station where a sustained wind of 63 mph with gusts to 101 mph were recorded. Other wind speeds across Northwest Florida were 80 mph with gusts to 97 mph at Hurlburt Field in Mary Esther. Whiting Field (Navy) in Milton 50 mph with gusts to 58 mph and around the Pensacola Regional Airport 71 mph with gusts to 90 mph. Highest storm surge was just east of where the storm moved ashore (west part of Navarre Beach) and was six to seven feet. Storm surge along Pensacola Beach was three to four feet. The most rainfall was in the Mary Esther area where about four inches of rain fell in a twenty-four hour period. Milton had 3.76 inches of rain and Pensacola had 2.19 inches. Lowest sea level pressure was at Pensacola Naval Air Station where 976 mb was recorded.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, 18.)
Sources
Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998.
Borden, Tessie. Sun-Sentinel, FL. “Service Honors Captain Lost at Sea.” 9-15-1995. Accessed 10-26-2014 at: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-09-15/news/9509140738_1_club-royale-gambling-ship-trine
Florida Sun Sentinel (Marjorie Lambert) “Erin Takes a Toll.” 8-3-1995. Accessed 5-27-2014 at: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-08-03/news/9508030049_1_club-royale-hurricane-erin-crew-members
Lambert, Marjorie. “Erin Takes a Toll.” Florida Sun Sentinel, 8-3-1995. Accessed 5-27-2014 at: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-08-03/news/9508030049_1_club-royale-hurricane-erin-crew-members
Lawrence, M. B., B. M. Mayfield, L. A. Avila, R. J. Pasch, and E. N. Rappaport. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1995.” Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 126, May 1998, pp. 1124-1151.
McNaught, Catherine. “Mystery radio call claims two missing rafters alive.” News Herald, Panama City, FL. 8-9-1995, 1B. Accessed 10-26-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=186568737&sterm=hurricane+erin+drown
National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 10-24-2014 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-278CB6AD-9844-4CAD-99FD-4885099DCEC5.pdf
News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Erin” (Continued from 1B). 8-7-1995, 4B. Accessed 10-26-2014: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=186469159&sterm=hurricane+erin
News Herald, Panama City, FL. “The Storms.” 8-24-1995, 3A, col. 1. Accessed 10-26-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=186571122&sterm
Rappaport, Edward N. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Erin, 31 July-6 August 1995. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, NCEP, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, 11-26-1995, 1-2-1999 update. Accessed 10-26-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1995erin.html
Reuters (Miami). “Body Found Adrift in Hurricane’s Wake.” Los Angeles Times, 8-5-1995. Accessed 5-27-2014: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-08-05/news/mn-31723_1_body-hurricane-found
Wikipedia. “1995 Atlantic hurricane season.” 12-6-2013. (No source citation.) Accessed 5-27-2014 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Atlantic_hurricane_season
[1] We have seen in early reporting references to three people missing in a sailboat off Florida coast. Perhaps this number includes the missing three. Have not been able to track down.
[2] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 12. Dead were Captain Lars Engebretsen, 51, Club Royale vice president Graeme Woods, and ship’s cook Elvin Rosario. “The…243-foot gambling boat with a skeleton crew and no passengers aboard, was ordered away from the Port of Palm Beach on Aug 2 and tried to chart a course to avoid Erin. However, it ran straight into the hurricane and sank 90 miles from Cape Canaveral.” (Tessie Borden. Sun-Sentinel, FL. “Service Honors Captain Lost at Sea.” 9-15-1995.) Also: Reuters (Miami). “Body Found Adrift in Hurricane’s Wake.” Los Angeles Times, 8-5-1995.
[3] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 37, No. 8, Aug 1995, p. 18. They were in an inflatable rubber raft with oars. (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Erin” (Continued from 1B). 8-7-1995, 4B.) Daughter’s age from Barnes p. 288. Victims were Frank Stadler, 46 and Meagan Stadler, 9. (Catherine McNaught. “Mystery radio call claims two missing rafters alive.” News Herald, Panama City, FL. 8-9-1995, 1B.)
[4] Florida Sun Sentinel. “Erin Takes a Toll,” 8-3-1995, has age as 72.
[5] Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. 1998, p. 288.
[6] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, V37, N8, Aug 1995, p. 13. Write-up is for Aug 1-2, thus not clear on death date.
[7] Barnes (p.288) has locale as Palm City, Martin Co., as does: Florida Sun Sentinel. “Erin Takes a Toll.” 8-3-95.
[8] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, 37/8, Aug 1995, p.12. Age from Florida Sun Sentinel. “Erin Takes a Toll.” 8-3-95.