Ed DunhamAdministrator
(Former Meteorologist & CFHC Forum Moderator (Ed Passed Away on May 14, 2017))
Sat May 25 2002 04:20 PM
Tropical Cyclone History - Melbourne Area

Thought that I'd start this Forum with something that I've been working on for a few years. Perhaps a few of you who reside in the Central Florida area might find it interesting. The data was collected from both official (NWS) and popular literature, the NHC track data, the Unisys position data, and newspaper articles. The data interpolation, based on the strength and size of each storm and its proximity to central Florida, is
my own assessment. Wind speeds are in MPH and represent an average for the area. Storm strength is based on the impact in the Melbourne area - which is usually lower than the official strength at the storm center. I've added
a category called Strong Tropical Storm whenever sustained winds in the area were 55mph or greater (but less than hurricane strength). On average, the data shows that we get a Tropical Storm in the Central Florida area every 2 to 3 years and a Hurricane every 9 years. It also highlights some
interesting events - such as August, 1871, with two hurricanes in eight days. Assuming that the analysis is correct, the research notes that the Melbourne-Titusville area has never recorded a major hurricane (since 1851). It was interesting to note that the news reports of the 1870s and 1880s often greatly enhanced the real magnitude of the storm (and I guess that it still happens today from time to time). Its an ongoing effort in that new data might reveal yet another storm, or better define an existing one, however, I think that the list is now fairly accurate for the central Florida coastal area.

John has provided a link to the Storm List:

http://flhurricane.com/mlbstorms.html

Cheers,
ED



Note: This is NOT an official page. It is run by weather hobbyists and should not be used as a replacement for official sources. 
CFHC's main servers are currently located at Hostdime.com in Orlando, FL.
Image Server Network thanks to Mike Potts and Amazon Web Services. If you have static file hosting space that allows dns aliasing contact us to help out! Some Maps Provided by:
Great thanks to all who donated and everyone who uses the site as well. Site designed for 800x600+ resolution
When in doubt, take the word of the National Hurricane Center