Hurricane Kate (1985)

Before the formation of Hurricane Kate, a ridge was located across the southeastern United States for much of the autumn of 1985; concurrently, a major trough persisted across the western portion of the country. As a result, weather conditions across the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean in November were more typical of a pattern in late September, including sea surface temperatures of 81 °F (27 °C). On November 13, a weak tropical wave began interacting with a trough to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. It gradually organized due to the favorable conditions, and on November 15, a Hurricane Hunters flight into the area indicated the development of a tropical cyclone. As gale-force winds were already present, the system was immediately declared Tropical Storm Kate, about 240 miles (385 km) northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. With a ridge to its north, Kate tracked westward after developing, and an upper-level low developed to the southwest of the storm. The combination of the two provided favorable outflow, allowing Kate to quickly intensify. On November 16, the storm attained hurricane status while moving through the southeastern Bahamas. When it moved ashore, Kate had a pressure of and winds of about . The hurricane maintained its well-defined eye while moving across northern Cuba, and about 12 hours after making landfall, it emerged into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico just east of Havana. Over the next 24 hours, Kate re-intensified off the southwest coast of Florida as it passed about 85 mi (135 km) southwest of Key West. On November 20, the Hurricane Hunters observed winds as strong as 125 mph (200 km/h), and a buoy recorded a gust of ; Based on these observations, it was estimated that Kate attained peak winds of about around 1200 UTC on November 20. After landfall, Kate continued to the northeast, crossing into Georgia and weakened into a tropical storm. Kate emerged from North Carolina into the Atlantic Ocean late on November 22. Encountering even colder waters and continued shear, the storm weakened further while turning to the east-southeast. On November 23, Kate transitioned into an extratropical cyclone to the west of Bermuda, terminating at 1800 UTC that day. With Kate's landfall, the 1985 season had six hurricanes that struck the United States, only one short of the record seven in 1886. ==Preparations==

By November 18, a hurricane warning was in effect for the southeast and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flood warnings were issued for northern Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In preparation for the hurricane's arrival, officials forced 360,000 people to evacuate in north-central Cuba. In Fort Lauderdale, schools were closed, and residents of mobile homes were required to leave. Shortly after the storm reached its peak intensity on November 20, the NHC issued a hurricane watch from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Cedar Key, Florida. Later that day, a portion of the watch area was upgraded to a warning from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to St. Marks, Florida. About 20,000 employees on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated, many by helicopter. About 100,000 people along the Florida Panhandle were told to leave their houses after Governor Bob Graham issued evacuation orders in 13 counties. About 2,000 people stayed in 34 shelters in Panama City. Roads in the region suffered traffic jams from the large volume of evacuees. Governor Graham activated 300 members of the Florida National Guard to prevent looting and to assist in evacuations. One person died from a stress-induced heart attack in Chipley after evacuating. Outside of Florida, about 2,200 people fled Grand Isle, Louisiana. After Kate moved ashore, the NHC issued gale warnings along the East Coast of the United States from St. Augustine, Florida to Chincoteague, Virginia. ==Impact==

Caribbean and Turks and Caicos Islands Early in its duration, Hurricane Kate sank one boat near Puerto Rico and disabled three others. The crew of five on the sunken boat were rescued after 17 hours. Several homes in northern Puerto Rico were damaged, forcing hundreds to evacuate. Flooding was also reported in the Dominican Republic, including around the capital Santo Domingo. As Kate moved across northern Cuba, it produced strong winds that peaked at 75 mph (120 km/h) in Sagua La Grande. Wind gusts peaked at in Varadero, and winds in the capital of Havana reached . Outside of Havana, the hurricane damaged sugar mills and much of the sugar cane crop; Throughout the country, Kate killed 10 people and injured about 50 people. Florida As Kate passed to the southwest of Key West, the storm produced winds of there, with unofficial wind gusts of . Strong winds buffeted the Florida Panhandle, accompanied by one tornado and several funnel clouds. Sustained winds blew at Cape San Blas, with gusts up to . and throughout the region many roads were washed out. The intense winds brought down numerous trees, some of them onto adjacent structures. One fallen tree struck a car, killing one person and injuring another. The winds also downed power poles and lines. Overall, the hurricane destroyed 325 homes along the panhandle, and about 500 buildings were severely damaged. Elsewhere Light rainfall of around 1 in (25 mm) from the hurricane extended into southeastern Alabama. The highest rainfall total in the state was in Hampton. The rains caused flash flooding that washed out secondary roads and a bridge. The storm knocked tree limbs onto power lines, leaving about 48,000 people without power. In Beaufort, trees fell onto four cars and a mobile home, and high waves sank a boat. As an extratropical cyclone, Kate moved north of Bermuda and produced wind gusts of on the island. ==Aftermath==

In the month after Hurricane Kate struck the island, the government of Cuba issued a request to the United Nations (UN) World Food Council for international assistance. In response, various UN member nations collectively provided $60,000 for pesticides; $250,000 for herbicides, fungicides, and potato seeds; and $1.381 million in cooking oils and beans to fulfill the dietary needs of over 475,000 people for 60 days. The Soviet Union also donated about $15 million worth of rice and wheat flour. Shortly after the storm, the police departments of both Leon and Jackson Counties ordered a nightly curfew. Two disaster relief centers were opened in Franklin County, one in Apalachicola and the other in Eastpoint. On December 3, 1985, President of the United States Ronald Reagan declared seven Florida counties as disaster areas, making them eligible to receive federal aid. Due to the widespread power outages along the Florida Panhandle, electrical companies enlisted extra workers to repair downed lines. Officials had put a curfew in place for Tallahassee due to power outages created by the hurricane, and the curfew was lifted on November 24 after power was gradually restored and roads were cleared of debris. Police officers in the city arrested 20 people for violating curfew or creating unrest. ==See also==