Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary of Hurricane Dora, the only recorded hurricane to ever directly hit Northeast Florida.
RELATED: George Winterling: Forecasting Dora’s landfall
Dora made landfall near St. Augustine as a Category 2 storm, forever changing the landscape of the region.
On Sept. 10, 1964, Hurricane Dora tore into North Florida, bringing with it 50-mile-wide eye walls, heavy rain, and powerful winds that ravaged homes and businesses. Beachfront properties were washed away, and Jacksonville was left without power for six days.
In today’s dollars, the storm caused nearly $3 billion in damage. Areas like Atlantic Beach were pummeled by a 10-foot storm surge, resulting in the destruction of three homes and damage to 4,000 others.
Inland, the St. John’s River swelled to six feet above high tide, flooding downtown Jacksonville and Ortega.
George Winterling, the legendary WJXT meteorologist, was the only one to predict Dora’s direct hit, as he explained to anchor Jen Waugh in 2022. Winterling tracked the barometric pressure, noticing it drop to 29.06 near St. Augustine—a critical sign that the storm would strike.
President Lyndon B. Johnson visited the area on September 11, 1964, pledging $8 million in federal disaster aid to help the recovery effort.
Fast forward to today, and we’re in the heart of hurricane season once again. News4JAX meteorologists are closely monitoring Hurricane Francine, which is expected to intensify into a Category 2 storm by tonight as it threatens the Louisiana and Texas coastline.
In addition, Tuesday also marks the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Irma’s landfall in South Florida. When Irma, a Category 3 storm, reached Jacksonville, it brought record flooding and extensive damage to the city, highlighting Jacksonville’s vulnerability to rising sea levels and stronger storms.
As we remember these historic weather events, it’s a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks posed by hurricanes, particularly in September, which accounts for half of all Category 3 storms since the mid-19th century.
Watch George Winterling’s 2022 interview about Hurricane Dora.