Editing Hurricane Frederic (section)

===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 />