Editing Hurricane Frederic (section)

==Impact==
===Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico===
Effects from Frederic were first felt on the outward facing Leeward Islands. In [[Antigua]], the threat of widespread [[power outage]]s forced the insular government to shut down power.<ref name=GuadeloulpeSmall /><ref name=PoorCousin>{{cite news|title='Poor Cousin' Moves On|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19790904&id=of0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=os0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1188,1858170|access-date=27 June 2014|work=The Palm Beach Post|agency=Post Wire Services|issue=147|volume=71|date=September 4, 1979|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|page=1}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A peak gust of {{convert|62|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} was documented on the island as a result of the storm.<ref name=MWR /> These strong winds also unroofed some buildings.<ref name=DowngradedFrederic /> Strong winds and rain were felt in [[Guadeloupe]], [[Barbuda]], and a number of other islands, but no damaging effects from the passing tropical cyclone occurred in those locations.<ref name=GuadeloulpeSmall>{{cite news|title=Hurricane Frederic Hits Guadeloupe, Small Islands|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19790904&id=7eNhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cncNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3735,203102|access-date=27 June 2014|work=Observer-Reporter|agency=Associated Press|date=September 4, 1979|location=Washington, Pennsylvania|page=A2|volume=172|issue=79208}}</ref>

In [[St. Maarten]], these strong winds toppled a [[radio antenna]].<ref name=FredericSlows>{{cite news|title=Frederic slows to a tropical storm|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19790904&id=MFBSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dHwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4276,2840765|access-date=27 June 2014|work=St. Petersburg Times|agency=United Press International|issue=42|volume=96|date=September 4, 1979|location=St. Petersburg, Florida|page=6A}}</ref> Flowing floodwaters washed away plentiful food crops in the island.<ref name=DowngradedFrederic /> Some homes were damaged and others destroyed on the adjacent [[Sint Maarten]].<ref name=MoreRain /> Off of the island, seven Japanese people were killed after their fishing boat sank during the storm.<ref name=MWR />

Power outages knocked out electricity to half of [[Tortola]] in the [[British Virgin Islands]] and downed telephone lines. Rainfall and downed trees blocked several roads.<ref name=StormFrederic>{{cite news|title=Storm Frederic hits Virgin Islands|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19790904&id=8tUzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W-sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5560,751053|access-date=27 June 2014|work=The Miami News|date=September 4, 1979|location=Miami, Florida|page=4A}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Offshore, the [[yacht]] ''Princess'' blew out into sea, prompting a coast guard rescue of the ship and its crew.<ref name=DowngradedFrederic>{{cite news|title=Downgraded Frederic Perils Puerto Rico With High Water|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19790905&id=Qv0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5958,2053271|access-date=27 June 2014|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|agency=United Press International|issue=337|volume=54|date=September 5, 1979|location=Sarasota, Florida|page=8A}}</ref>

As a tropical storm,{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} Frederic dropped heavy rain across the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Despite having weakened from its prior hurricane intensity, the storm still brought [[gale]]-force winds coupled with gusts as strong as {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} to the area.<ref name=MWR /> Three apartments in the same apartment complex on [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]] were unroofed, displacing roughly 50&nbsp;families.<ref name=SD>{{cite journal|author1=National Climatic Data Center |title=Storm Data&nbsp;– September&nbsp;1979 |journal=Storm Data |date=September 1979 |volume=21 |issue=9 |url=http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-CD82AB9C-C403-4DB2-80D6-FC496D3F06A0.pdf |access-date=27 June 2014 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6QeIZAYAh?url=http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-CD82AB9C-C403-4DB2-80D6-FC496D3F06A0.pdf |archive-date=June 27, 2014 |publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |location=Asheville, North Carolina |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Electricity was deliberately cut during the late night hours to prevent the spread of power outages.<ref name=HeadsPR /> The entirety of the U.S. Virgin Islands reported numerous felled trees and downed utility lines as a result of the strong winds. Wind damage on nearby Puerto Rico was of only minor extent and much less severe than in the Virgin Islands.<ref name=SD /> However, torrential precipitation accounted for most of the damage, as the passage of Hurricane David less than a week earlier saturated soils, priming the area for floods induced by the passage of Frederic. Rainfall peaked at around {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 12&nbsp;hours in Puerto Rico and {{convert|24.04|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 30&nbsp;hours in [[St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Croix]].<ref name=MWR /><ref name=TCRain>{{cite book|title=Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima|publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service|chapter=Hurricane Frederic&nbsp;– September 3–14, 1979|url=http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/frederic1979.html|author=Roth, David M|author2=Hydrometeorological Prediction Center|access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref> 
[[File:Frederic 1979 Puerto Rico rainfall.gif|thumb|Rainfall totals in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands|alt=Contoured map showing rainfall totals in increments of {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=off|sp=us|spell=in}}.]]

All rivers in southeastern Puerto Rico swelled and produce significant flooding in adjacent floodplains. The [[discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] of the [[Santiago River (Puerto Rico)|Rio Santiago]] near [[Naguabo, Puerto Rico|Naguabo]] reached [[return period|100-year levels]]. These floods partially inundated several cities, submerged crops, and damaged numerous roads. Major arterial roads to and from [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] were blocked by floodwater and landslide debris. Some portions of [[Puerto Rico Highway 3|Puerto Rico Highway&nbsp;3]] were submerged by water from both the torrential rain and wave action. Damage from Frederic in Puerto Rico reached at least US$5&nbsp;million, though western Puerto Rico sustained minimal damage from the storm. In St. Thomas, four small homes were destroyed by flooding, and an additional 50 sustained at least partial damage. One [[waterspout]] was reported off the coast, but did no damage. Normally dry [[Gut (coastal geography)|coastal guts]] in St. Croix filled with floodwater from Frederic, damaging homes and other buildings in five communities on St. Croix. Culverts, bridges, and heavy [[beach erosion]] resulted from rough surf off the coast of the island. The floods generated various sewage problems.<ref name=SD />  Damage in Virgin Islands also reached at least US$5&nbsp;million, similar to Puerto Rico.<ref name=SD />

===Hispaniola and Cuba===
Heavy rains buffeted the islands of [[Hispaniola]] and Cuba for several days as Frederic, albeit disorganized,<ref name=SoaksHispaniola>{{cite news|title=Frederic soaks Hispaniola|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19790906&id=XxdUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Po0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4985,839541|access-date=27 June 2014|work=Boca Raton News|agency=Associated Press|issue=238|volume=24|date=September 6, 1979|location=Boca Raton, Florida|page=3A}}</ref> tracked over the [[Greater Antilles]]. As with Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, precipitation damage was exacerbated by the recent passage of Hurricane David. In [[Guantánamo]] on Cuba's eastern Atlantic coast, at least {{convert|6.88|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rainfall was reported. Frederic continued to produce strong winds even as a weak tropical depression south of Cuba, as sustained winds of {{convert|46|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} were clocked in [[Santa Cruz del Sur]] on September&nbsp;7. However, damage from Frederic in Hispaniola and eastern Cuba remained minimal.<ref name=MWR />

Frederic's landfall on western Cuba as a redeveloped tropical cyclone was much more significant than its first Cuban landfall. Sustained winds peaked at {{convert|52|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in [[Bahía Honda, Cuba]] on September&nbsp;10.<ref name=MWR /> Despite recent renovations at [[José Martí International Airport]], the lack of a proper drainage system allowed rainfall to inundate the airport, stranding several heads of state that were scheduled to hold a [[summit (meeting)|summit]] and disrupting air traffic to and from the airport for an entire week.<ref name=Grandiose>{{cite news|author1=Walker, John R.|title=Cuba: First grandiose plans, now grubby reality|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19790924&id=nFsxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eaQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4293,2905241|access-date=27 June 2014|agency=Southam News|date=September 24, 1979|location=Montreal, Quebec|page=9|volume=202}}</ref> Heavy precipitation triggered numerous landslides, causing severe damage to infrastructure and over 250&nbsp;dwellings. Areas at risk for additional landslide activity were declared inhospitable, resulting in the evacuation of 1,200&nbsp;people.<ref name=Eval>{{cite web|author1=National Centre For Seismological Research|title=Evaluating Risks From Natural Disasters: Cuba|url=http://tcdc2.undp.org/GSSDAcademy/SIE/Docs/Vol12/2Cuba.pdf|publisher=Global South-South Development Academy|access-date=27 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115154/http://tcdc2.undp.org/GSSDAcademy/SIE/Docs/Vol12/2Cuba.pdf|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Rainfall estimates in Cuba peaked at {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=FloridaBraces>{{cite news|title=Florida braces for big storm|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19790910&id=PqMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1138,4624199|access-date=28 June 2014|work=Ottawa Citizen|agency=United Press International|date=September 10, 1979|location=Ottawa, Ontario|page=50}}</ref> A lack of damage reports was evident from western Cuba following Frederic's landfall, though damage estimates were high.<ref name=MWR />

===United States===
[[File:Fredericbrpic.JPG|right|thumb|The [[Dauphin Island Bridge]] was destroyed by Hurricane Frederic, making it only reachable by boat.]]
Storm surge damage was reported along 80&nbsp;miles of coastline from [[Mississippi]] to Florida, with tides {{convert|8|to|12|ft|m}} above the normal level being observed. Five deaths were directly attributed to Frederic in the United States, four of which occurred inland: a person swept from a boat near [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] was the only casualty along the coast.<ref name=MWR /> In total, Frederic was responsible for $1.7&nbsp;billion in damages.<ref>{{cite report |archive-date=January 27, 2018 |url-status=live |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Costliest U.S. tropical cyclones tables update |access-date=January 12, 2018 |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/UpdatedCostliest.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127083930/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/UpdatedCostliest.pdf |publisher=United States National Hurricane Center }}</ref> This made Frederic the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States at the time; the figure was not surpassed until [[Hurricane Alicia]] in 1983.<ref name="ushfrederic"/> Frederic also dumped heavy rainfall across much of the eastern United States. Over a dozen tornadoes were also reported in Frederic's wake. However, these had minimal impact.<ref name="nhc3">{{cite web |author=National Hurricane Center |year=1979 |title= NHC Preliminary Report&nbsp;— Hurricane Frederic (1979) Page 3|access-date=October 12, 2006|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/frederic/prelim03.gif}}</ref>

====Florida====
As Frederic was strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, strong winds were reported in the [[Florida Keys]]. A station on the Dry Tortugas recorded a {{convert|58|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} wind gust on September&nbsp;10; this was stronger than any other Florida wind gust measurement in association with Frederic. A station in Key West, Florida clocked at {{convert|43|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} wind gust, coupled with sustained winds of {{convert|29|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name=MWR /> Tides in the Dry Tortugas peaked at {{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}}, roughly {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} above normal.<ref name=FL-Alerted /><ref name=Gainsadded>{{cite news|title=Hurricane gains added strength|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19790911&id=3K4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0u4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2524,446417|access-date=28 June 2014|work=The Citizen|agency=United Press International|date=September 11, 1979|location=Ottawa, Ontario|page=82}}</ref> Rainfall from the extremities of the hurricane reached [[South Florida]],<ref name=KeysWatch>{{cite news|title=Frederic hurricane again; Keys told to keep watch|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19790911&id=pLAwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D_sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6339,4139815|access-date=28 June 2014|work=The Ledger|agency=Associated Press|issue=323|volume=73|date=September 11, 1979|location=Lakeland, Florida|pages=1A, 7A}}</ref> with some rainfall totals exceeding {{convert|7|in|mm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=TCRain />

====Alabama====
Frederic made landfall at [[Dauphin Island, Alabama]] and continued across to a point on the Alabama/Mississippi state line near [[Bayou La Batre, Alabama]].<ref name="Dauphin Island landfall">{{cite web|author=NOAA|title=Frederic path & landfall|url=http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/frederic1979.html|access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>
Near-total property damage occurred along the Alabama coastline between [[Fort Morgan, Alabama|Fort Morgan]] and [[Gulf Shores, Alabama|Gulf Shores]], the latter seeing 80% of its buildings completely destroyed. The causeway linking [[Dauphin Island]] to the mainland was swept away in many areas.<ref name="ushfrederic">{{cite web|author=United States Hurricanes|title=Hurricane Frederic 1979|access-date=October 12, 2006|url=http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanefrederic.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230170734/http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanefrederic.htm|archive-date=2006-12-30}}</ref>  Alabama's second-largest city (at that time),  [[Mobile, Alabama]] suffered extensive damage as well. Wind damage was also severe, especially across southern Alabama. Hurricane-force gusts were felt as far inland as [[Choctaw County, Alabama|Choctaw County]]. Structural failure was widespread in the immediate landfall area with industrial, residential and governmental buildings as well as hospitals suffering heavy damage. Nearly 90% of the Mobile area lost electricity, and the historic City Hall experienced heavy roof damage. Many small beach houses were completely destroyed by high winds before the storm surge could add any effects.<ref name="ushfrederic"/><ref name="nwsbirmingham">{{cite web|author=NOAA |date=March 22, 2006 |title=National Weather Service Forecast Office (Birmingham, AL) - Top 10 Weather Events in the 21st Century For Alabama |access-date= October 8, 2006 |url= http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/climate/top10.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303052752/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/climate/top10.php |archive-date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Tree damage with broken limbs was extensive, leaving thousands of tall pine trees all tilted, leaning in the direction of the wind.<ref name="SA">{{cite web |title= Prepare for Homegrown Hurricanes |url= http://www.southalabama.edu/departments/publicrelations/pressreleases/053116hurricanes.html |website= southalabama.edu |date= May 31, 2016 |access-date= 2018-01-26 }}</ref> 11 Alabama counties were declared disaster areas.

====Mississippi====
About {{convert|8|to|12|in}} of rain fell in [[Jackson County, Mississippi]] around Biloxi and Pascagoula. 16 Mississippi counties were declared disaster areas; the most in the United States. Hurricane-force winds were felt as far northward as [[Meridian, Mississippi]].<ref name="Frederic in Mississippi">{{cite web |author= WKRG.com |title= Frederic in Mississippi |url= http://wkrg.com/2015/06/03/hurricane-frederic-in-1979 |access-date= September 2, 2017 |archive-date= September 3, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170903032444/http://wkrg.com/2015/06/03/hurricane-frederic-in-1979/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

===Canada===
Frederic dropped heavy rain across Canada as an extratropical storm, peaking at {{convert|137|mm|in|abbr=on}} near [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]]. Record precipitation was recorded at the [[J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory]] in [[Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec]], which documented {{convert|77|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain on September&nbsp;15. Rainfall spread as far northeast as the eastern coast of [[Labrador]]. Flooding occurred in eastern Ontario and portions of the [[Niagara Peninsula]], as noted in [[Cornwall, Ontario|Cornwall]]. In [[Toronto]], the rains led to a seven-car [[traffic collision]] and a separate car accident that injured two. Flooding also took place in southern [[Quebec]], with floodwater submerging streets, basements, and underground parking lots in [[Montreal]]. Damage from southern Quebec reached [[Canadian dollar|C$]]8.238&nbsp;million (US$7.095&nbsp;million).<ref name=Canada />