Tropical Storm — Brevard, Florida

2019-09-01 to 2019-09-04 · Brevard, Florida

Event narrative

In Brevard County, tropical storm force sustained winds affected the barrier islands, with gusts to tropical storm force in squalls through much of the remainder of the county on September 3 and 4 (beginning around 0800LST on September 3). The highest sustained wind was measured at Melbourne Beach (48 mph from the northeast at 1720LST on September 3) and the peak gust was at US Air Force Wind Tower 313 in Cape Canaveral (71 mph from the north-northwest at 0200LST on September 4). Approximately 1600 people evacuated into shelters. An indirect hurricane-related fatality occurred on September 1, during the preparedness phase of the event, around 1510LST when a 68-year-old man, who was putting plywood on the windows of his home, lost his balance upon a ladder and fell three stories to his death.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Dorian moved slowly northwest away from Grand Bahama Island late in the evening September 2. Dorian tracked parallel to the eastern Florida coast over the next 36-48 hours at Category 2-3 strength, making its closest approach when the center was approximately 80 miles east of the tip of Cape Canaveral. Rain bands on the western periphery of Dorian's circulation moved very near the east central Florida coast producing sustained tropical storm force winds in coastal areas of Brevard and Volusia counties, and gusts to tropical storm force along the Treasure Coast. As the center of Hurricane Dorian moved north of the Cape, a rain band developed on the western side of the hurricane, and gusts to tropical storm force were observed in Orange and Seminole Counties. There were no direct hurricane-related fatalities, however 5 indirect fatalities occurred during the preparedness and evacuation phases of the hurricane. Preliminary damage estimates across east central Florida exceeded $32 million, primarily related to beach erosion.

A storm surge of 2-3 feet AGL affected areas north of Cape Canaveral, and storm surge of near 2 feet AGL impacted areas south of Cape Canaveral through Martin County. Moderate to major beach erosion occurred along many sections of the east-central Florida coastline. Water levels rises within the coastal lagoon system reached between 1 and 2 feet above normal levels due to a combination of coastal surge, persistent north winds, and reduced drainage through the inlets to the Atlantic.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 846563. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.