Looking Back at Historic Labor Day Weekend Hurricanes

Posted: September 5, 2023 2:13 pm

Those who dealt with messy conditions this Labor Day weekend may be comforted to know that this type of weather pattern is not unusual for this date in history. Heading into the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, it is common for the U.S. to be under the gun for tropical weather. Here is a look back at some of the most historic hurricanes to strike the U.S. over the Labor Day weekend.

The Labor Day Hurricane – 1935

Prior to the modern naming system that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) uses to designate storms, there was what is now simply known as “the Labor Day hurricane.” This Category 5 monster made landfall in the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935. The storm then went on to make another landfall near Cedar Key, Florida two days later as a Category 2 storm.

The storm’s central pressure of 892.3 millibars distinguishes it as the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the U.S. based on the pressure at landfall. This storm also is known as the third most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin, falling behind 2005’s Hurricane Wilma and Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

The Labor Day hurricane hit during the peak of the Great Depression, taking the lives of over 400 people. Of the victims, 250 were World War I veterans that were building the infrastructure in the Keys so that it could support the growing tourism industry.

Hurricane Easy – 1950

Hurricane Easy ran along the western coast of Florida on Labor Day of 1950. Following this path, it meandered in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico for a few days. Cedar Key, Florida was in the path of Hurricane Easy with the eye pummeling the town for over two hours.

The town recorded winds as high as 125 mph with rain amounts measuring over two feet, leading to the destruction of over half of the homes in the area. The mass destruction of the fishing boats in Cedar Key significantly hindered the primary industry of this part of Florida’s Nature Coast. While the hurricane caused a massive amount of damage, only two people were killed during the storm.

Hurricane Elena – 1985

Hurricane Elena came onto shore near Biloxi, Mississippi on September 2, 1985 as a Category 3 storm. While the winds hit as high as 136 mph on Dauphin Island, Alabama, this storm quickly weakened once it moved across land, finally falling apart on September 4.

Over 11 inches of rain dumped in Apalachicola, Florida with over 8 inches measured in the central portions of Arkansas, speaking to the large impact zone of Elena. In addition to the high winds and torrential rain, the storm was also responsible for spawning over 10 tornadoes in central Florida.

More than 500,000 people were forced to evacuate across the Gulf Coast. Some residents living in the middle Gulf Coast had to evacuate twice. There were no fatalities reported near the landfall of the storm, however, four people died from miscellaneous factors attributed to the storm such as falling trees and car accidents. The storm delivered over $1.25 billion in damage.

Additional Labor Day Hurricanes of Note

In addition to these major storms, the holiday has seen its fair share of other Labor Day hurricanes. In 1948, Hurricane Charlie quickly intensified, slamming into the coastal areas of south-central Louisiana as a Category 1 storm. The storm surge measured up to 6 feet, combining with the damaging winds to cause severe damage to the boats and power lines. This far-reaching storm dumped rain as far north as Michigan as it continued its journey.

Hurricane Babe also hit the southern coastline of Louisiana in 1977. This storm produced over a dozen tornadoes as far as North Carolina. It was 1996 when Category 4 Edouard came dangerously close to making a direct hit on the U.S. Fortunately, the storm stayed just enough off shore to avoid the landfall. However, Edouard tracked close enough to the coast of New England to deliver hurricane-force winds to Nantucket Island and claim the lives of two people because of the heavy surf.

Hurricane Issac moved into Louisiana in 2012 as a Category 1 storm, ruining the Labor Day plans of everyone in the region while knocking out power to thousands of people. The storm was blamed on a major tornado outbreak in addition to the high winds and heavy rain.

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