Tropical Storm in Coastal Collier, Florida

Tropical storm Gabrielle formed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico from a trough of low pressure that had lingered over Florida since September 8. Gabrielle moved east northeast at 7 to 12 mph with the center crossing the Florida west coast near Venice at noon on September 14. The minimum central pressure in Collier County was 999.4 mb at Naples. Maximum winds in Collier County were at Everglades City with sustained winds of 44 knots and peak gusts of 61 knots. Storm surge values of 3 to 5 feet were observed along much of the Collier County coast which caused some coastal flooding and minor to moderate beach erosion. The estimate to repair the beach erosion is $3 million. Flooding by rainfall of 2 to 5 inches along with the storm surge damaged 60 to 70 residences and 12,500 customers lost electrical power.