Editing Hurricane Frederic (section)

{{Short description|Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1979}}
{{Other storms|List of storms named Frederic}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox weather event
| image = Frederic 1979-09-12 1600Z.png
| caption = Frederic shortly after peak intensity near landfall on [[Dauphin Island]] on September 12
| formed = {{start date|1979|08|29}}
| dissipated = {{end date|1979|09|15}}
}}{{Infobox weather event/NWS
| winds = 115
| pressure = 943
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| year = 1979
| fatalities = 12
| damage = 1770000000
| areas = {{flatlist|
*[[Leeward Islands]]
*[[Virgin Islands]]
*[[Puerto Rico]]
*[[Hispaniola]]
*[[Cuba]]
*[[East Coast of the United States]]
*[[Atlantic Canada]]
}}
| refs = 
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = [[1979 Atlantic hurricane season]]
}}

'''Hurricane Frederic''', known in Latin America as '''Federico''',<ref>{{cite web | url=https://repositorio.cepal.org/entities/publication/caf3f483-cb4e-4ee2-b2bc-15445376c992 | title=República Dominicana: Repercusiones de los huracanes David y Federico sobre la economía y las condiciones sociales: Nota de la Secretaría | date=1979 }}</ref> was an intense and damaging [[tropical cyclone]] that carved a path of destruction from the [[Lesser Antilles]] to [[Quebec]], in particular devastating areas of the [[United States Gulf Coast]]. Though only five were killed directly, the [[United States dollar|US]]$1.77&nbsp;billion (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|1.77|1979|fmt=c|r=1}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}}) in damage accrued by Frederic made it the [[Atlantic hurricane|Atlantic basin]]'s [[List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes|costliest]] tropical cyclone on record at the time. Prior to its final [[landfall]], the threat that Frederic imposed on areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast triggered a mass exodus from the region larger than any other evacuation in the past. While the storm primarily impacted the [[U.S. state]]s of [[Mississippi]] and [[Alabama]], lesser effects were felt throughout the [[Greater Antilles|Greater]] and Lesser Antilles, as well as inland North America.

Frederic was the thirteenth tropical cyclone, sixth named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the [[1979 Atlantic hurricane season]]. It developed from a [[tropical depression]] south of the [[Cape Verde Islands]] on August&nbsp;28.{{#tag:ref|For consistency, [[Coordinated Universal Time]]&nbsp;<small>(UTC)</small> is used for all references of time as the cyclone existed in multiple [[time zone]]s throughout its existence.|group="nb"|name="UTC"}} Tracking at a steady clip westward, the primitive cyclone reached [[tropical storm]] intensity the next day. Favorable conditions in the open Atlantic allowed for Frederic to reach hurricane intensity on September&nbsp;1. However, [[outflow (meteorology)|outflow]] from nearby [[Hurricane David]] began to inhibit further intensification and would continue to do so for roughly a week, weakening Frederic as it tracked across the Greater Antilles. The tropical cyclone nearly dissipated over [[Cuba]] before redeveloping on September&nbsp;9 near the [[Isla de la Juventud|Isle of Youth]]. From then on, Frederic moved northwestward, intensifying to its peak intensity in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] with winds of {{convert|130|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} on September&nbsp;12, shortly before making landfall at [[Dauphin Island, Alabama]] just below the state line between Alabama and Mississippi. Over the United States, Frederic weakened for a final time before becoming [[extratropical]] in [[Pennsylvania]] on September&nbsp;14 and dissipating the next day.

Damage estimates vary due to inadequate reporting of private insurance claims as well as lack of hard data on uninsured damage; Frederic is believed to have inflicted $5 million (1979 USD) in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with an additional $1.7 billion in damage on the mainland United States. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]], which had been established only three months before Frederic hit, was the focal point for nearly $250&nbsp;million in federal aid for recovery, $188&nbsp;million of which went to Alabama (1979 USD). In southern Alabama, the landscape was changed for years, with thousands of tall pine trees tilted and leaning northwest.<ref name="SA"/>