After moving inland from the coast, the hurricane moved north and then northeast, increasing its forward speed to 23 mph. Extensive reports of damage in the Mobile metropolitan area were beginning to come in to the NWS. At midnight, wind gusts from the north at 98 mph were reported by Biloxi Civil Defense with north winds gusting to 115 mph at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS.Īt 2am on Thursday, September 13th, the National Weather Service issued an intermediate advisory reporting the center of Hurricane Frederic had passed just west of Mobile and the hurricane force winds began to slowly subside in the Mobile area as Frederic continued to move north along the Alabama/Mississippi border. At midnight, Mobile County Civil Defense reported measured wind gusts at 101 mph, along with massive damage in Mobile and surrounding areas. Along with peak wind gusts of 145 mph at the Dauphin Island Bridge, wind gusts of 97 mph from the east were recorded at Mobile Regional Airport at 1107pm. Many homes and businesses well inland suffered severe damage when large pine trees fell onto them or the roof structures failed. The winds from Hurricane Frederic damaged or destroyed many homes and businesses. Storm surge damage was documented for 80 miles along the coast. A storm surge of 12 to 15 feet on the Gulf beaches and 8 to 10 feet in northern Mobile Bay destroyed numerous coastal buildings. Five deaths were directly attributable to the storm. The damage cost from Frederic was $2.3 billion. Hurricane wind gusts were experienced as far inland as Choctaw County, AL during the early morning hours of September 13th. At landfall, Frederic was as strong Category 3 on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale,raking the Mobile Bay area with winds gusting from 100 to 145 mph for several hours on the evening of September 12th through the early morning of September 13th. An automated wind gust recorder (located at the top of the Dauphin Island Bridge), recorded a peak wind gust of 145 mph around 940pm. The storm center crossed over the western end of Dauphin Island at 10pm. As the eye moved inland, it decreased in size to about 15 miles in diameter. Shortly before 10pm on September 12th, the northern eyewall of Frederic move ashore on Dauphin Island, AL. In the opinion of some weather forecasters at the time, Frederic had the largest storm center they had ever recorded. The eye of the Frederic measured 50 miles in diameter east to west and 40 miles north to south.
Hurricane Frederic approached the coast with a forward speed of 15 mph. Evacuation of the Gulf Coast was nearing completion at that time.īy 5pm on September 12th, the center of Hurricane Frederic was approximately 80 miles south of Gulf Shores, AL moving north at 15 mph.Ĭonditions began to rapidly deteriorate during the afternoon of September 12th as Frederic approached the Alabama Gulf Coast. Reports from hurricane hunter reconnaisance aircraft and coastal weather radar networks indicated the eye of Frederic would cross the coast between Gulfport, MS and Pensacola, FL. The diameter of the hurricane eye was reported to be about 10 miles. Hurricane Frederic was expected to produce a storm surge of 10 to 15 feet above normal in the area where the center made landfall.īy 11am on September 12th, Frederic was located 175 miles south of Pensacola moving north-northwest at 12 to 15 mph. Frederic continued moving northwest with a slightly increased forward speed at 12 mph located about 220 miles south of the Alabama Coast. Frederic continued to strengthen with highest winds estimated at 130 mph and central pressure of 28.05 inches of mercury. On Wednesday, Septemat 5am CDT, the National Weather Service issued Hurricane Warnings from Panama City, FL west to Grand Isle, LA.
Here’s a great article from NOAA on Hurricane Frederic: The storm remained at hurricane status inland into reaching a point near Meridian Mississippi. Frederic was a strong category 3 hurricane at landfall, with winds sustained at 125mph.
Frederic would then follow the Alabama/Mississippi state line northward and produce tremendous damage across west Alabama. The devastation was incredible along the entire coastline of Alabama, with numerous homes and businesses destroyed. Above is a radar loop as major Hurricane Frederic made landfall on the evening of Septemon Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
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