1947 — Sep 17-19, Fort Lauderdale Hurricane, FL (17), LA (12), MS (22) — 51

— 51 Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. 1998, Appendix, p. 311.
— 51 Hebert/Jarrell/Mayfield. The Deadliest, Costliest…[US] Hurricanes… Feb 1993, p. 80.
— 51 Jarrell et al. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes… 2001.
— 51 Ludlum. The American Weather Book, 1982, p. 191.
— 51 NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge. Top Weather Events of the 20th Century…2008.
— 51 NOAA, AOML. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century.

Florida (17)
–17 Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. 1998, p. 173.
–17 NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge. Top Weather Events of the 20th Century…2008.
–17 NOAA, AOML. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century.
–17 Swoboda. “The Fort Lauderdale Hurricane of 1947.” Apalachtimes.com, 9-21-2017.
–11 Direct –6 Indirect
— 7 AP. “Reasons Florida’s Storms Loss Less than Louisiana’s.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, 9-21-1947, p10.
— 1 Port St. Joe. Hurricane-spawned tornado injuries from wrecked house; Annie Laura Banks, 10.
— 1 Tampa, Sep 17. East FL coast evacuee; hit by car while changing tire; Shirley A. Wade, 24.

Louisiana (12)
–12 NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge. Top Weather Events of the 20th Century…2008.
–12 NOAA, AOML. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century.
— 1 Eunice. Dennis LeJeune, 39.

Mississippi (22)
–23 Biloxi-Gulfport area. AP article writes that 23 “bodies were recovered” from this area.
–22 NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge. Top Weather Events of the 20th Century…2008.
–22 –12 NOAA, AOML. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century.
— 3 Bay St. Louis. Mrs. Benjamin Hart, 84, and daughter, Mrs. Alice Montgomery, 62.
— 2 “ “ Beatrice White, 40 and stepson, 6.
— 1 Biloxi. Night watchman “died at his post during the storm.” George Wiltenmuth, 77.

Narrative Information

NWS: “This Category 4 hurricane in south Florida proceeded towards the Mississippi and Louisiana coast as a Category 3 hurricane, moving into Lake Borgne and over downtown New Orleans. Tides rose to 12 feet at Biloxi, Bay Saint Louis and Gulfport, MS. A total of 51 lives were lost, 17 in Florida, 12 in Louisiana and 22 in Mississippi. Total damage in 1990 dollars was more than $700 million. A storm surge of 16 feet occurred in the Slidell area of Lake Pontchartrain while most of downtown New Orleans was flooded extensively due to tidal surges from Lake Pontchartrain.” (NWS, Top Weather Events of the 20th Century within the NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge Service Area, 2008.)

NOAA, AOML: “1947: The most severe hurricane of the 1947 season crossed over Florida and hit Louisiana and Mississippi. The center of the very large and intense storm hit Hillsboro Light, FL, on September 17 with winds of 155 mph. After leaving Florida, the huge hurricane took a northwesterly course over the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts. Tides rose to 12 feet at Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, and Gulfport, MS. The eye of the storm passed directly over New Orleans, LA, and was estimated at 25 miles in diameter. A total of 51 lives were lost–17 in Florida, 12 in Louisiana and 22 in Mississippi. Total damage was more than $700 million (in 1990 dollars).) (NOAA, AOML. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century.)

Newspaper

Sep 17: “Miami – (AP) – A roaring hurricane of gigantic proportions crashed into Florida’s east coast playground, today, smashing a dozen commercial planes, and temporarily isolating Miami.

“The center of the great storm apparently struck Fort Lauderdale shortly before noon, and the Miami Herald reported a 55-minute lull ended abruptly with resumption of 100-mile-an-hour winds….

“Two railway trains, which were to have hauled 5,000 refugees from the flood-menaced Lake Okeechobee region, were caught by the storm at Palm Beach. Crews were reported working frantically to get the stalled cars rolling, and had three locomotives hooked to one train…” (Associated Press. “Hurricane Eye Passes Over Ft. Lauderdale.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, 9-17-1947, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Damage is Heavy in Ft. Myers Area.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, 9-18-1947, p. 1. Accessed 3-22-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-herald-tribune-sep-18-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Hurricane Eye Passes Over Ft. Lauderdale.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, 9-17-1947, p. 1. Accessed 3-22-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-herald-tribune-sep-17-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Pass Christian Ruins May Yield 100 Storm Dead.” Panama City News-Herald, FL, 9-21-1947, p. 1. Accessed 3-22-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/panama-city-news-herald-sep-21-1947-p-1/

Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.

Hebert, Paul J., J.D. Jarrell, Max Mayfield. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes of This Century (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS-NHC-31). Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Feb 1993, 41 pages.

Jarrell, Jerry D., Max Mayfield, Edward N. Rappaport, Christopher W. Landsea. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes From 1900 to 2000 (And Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts) (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-1). Miami, FL: NOAA NWS and Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, October 2001 Update. Accessed at: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/deadly/index.html

Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, New Orleans/Baton Rouge. Top Weather Events of the 20th Century within the NWSFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge Service Area. Slidell, LA: NWS, NOAA, 5-22-2009 last modified. At: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/html/top10.htm

NOAA, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Memorable Gulf Coast Hurricanes of the 20th Century. Accessed 3-22-2020 at: https://web.archive.org/web/20050923150331/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/mgch.html