page_title: 1945 Homestead hurricane
section_title: Impact
hierarchical_section_title: 1945 Homestead hurricane / Impact
caption_attribution_description: English: This graphic shows rainfall in the eastern states covering September 13-18, 1945 associated with a tropical cyclone
context_page_description: The 1945 Homestead hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone to strike the U.S. state of Florida since 1935. The ninth tropical storm, third hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season, it developed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands on September 12. Moving briskly west-northwestward, the storm became a major hurricane on September 13. The system moved over the Turks and Caicos Islands the following day and then Andros on September 15. Later that day, the storm peaked as a Category 4 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale with winds of 130 mph. Late on September 15, the hurricane made landfall on Key Largo and then in southern Miami-Dade County, and across Homestead, FL where much damage was done and winds were clocked at Homestead Army Air Corps Base at 145 mph.
  Thereafter, the hurricane began to weaken while moving across Florida, falling to Category 1 intensity only several hours after landfall late on September 15. Eventually, it curved north-northeastward and approached the east coast of Florida again. Late on September 16, the storm emerged into the Atlantic near St.
context_section_description: In the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 people were killed. The hurricane demolished three-quarters of the structures on Grand Turk Island, while the remaining intact buildings were damaged. The cyclone also produced heavy damage on Long Island, though damages were not reported in Nassau. Peak gusts were estimated near 40 mph (65 km/h) in Nassau. After the storm, The Daily Gleaner initiated a fund to offer aid for residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
  In south Florida, peak gusts were estimated near 150 mph (240 km/h) at the Army Air Base in Homestead. The strong winds destroyed 1,632 residences across the state, while 5,372 homes received damages. In Miami, gusts reached 107 mph (170 km/h), and damages were minimal, mostly snapped power lines, compared to communities in southern Dade County. Nearly 200 people were injured at the Richmond Naval Air Station, when a fire ignited during the storm, affecting three hangars worth $3 million each and destroying 25 blimps, 366 planes, and 150 automobiles. Damages to the Miami area was estimated at $40 million. An additional fire also destroyed a furniture factory and a tile manufacturing plant in the northwestern portion of downtown Miami. One death was reported in the area, the fire chief of Richmond's fire department, and 26 required hospitalization. Another death was recorded after a schooner ran aground in present-day Bal Harbour, Florida, killing its chief engineer.
  Homestead was mostly flooded underwater, with the first floor of city hall and the fire department completely flooded and nearly all its residences destroyed. The historical Horde Hardware building collapsed while a local church was flatted by the winds. In the Florida Keys, hundreds of residences were damaged. The Florida East Coast Railway station at Goulds collapsed. Crop losses was estimated to be $4 million and most of its avocado harvest was destroyed. Four people died across the state.
  Minor reports of damage was reported in Central and Northern Florida, with St. Augustine reporting a 70 mph (110 km/h) wind gust. In Charleston, South Carolina, strong winds caused high waves, but the storm arrived at low tide and produced modest damage. Rainfall peaked at 8.0 inches (200 mm) at Belton, South Carolina. In Aiken, South Carolina, heavy precipitation caused damage to unpaved streets. Inland, the system produced heavy rainfall over North Carolina, peaking at 14.8 inches (380 mm) in Rockingham, North Carolina, in the period covering September 13 through September 18. This rain led to saturated grounds, allowing new water to spill into streams. Many crop fields and dwellings were flooded near the Cape Fear River as levels rose to record heights. The towns of Moncure, Fayetteville, and Elizabethtown exceeded flood stage levels. Broken dams in Richmond County produced significant flash floods. Few deaths were reported, but economic losses were extensive. In Hopewell, New Jersey, the remnants of the system produced winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), though major damage was not reported.
caption: This graphic shows rainfall in the eastern United States from September 13–18, 1945
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