View source for 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane

{{short description|Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1944}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name = Hurricane Thirteen
| image = Hurricane Thirteen surface analysis 1944 Oct 17 18z.jpg
| caption = [[Surface weather analysis]] conducted by the [[Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project]] of the storm as a Category&nbsp;3 hurricane south of Cuba on October&nbsp;17
| alt = A map showing the cyclone's isobars with nearby weather station observations plotted.
| formed = {{start date|October 12, 1944}}
| extratropical = October&nbsp;20, 1944
| dissipated = {{end date|October 24, 1944}}
}}{{Infobox weather event/NWS
| winds = 125
| pressure = 937
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| year = 1944
| fatalities = 318&nbsp;direct
| damage = 100000000
| areas = [[Swan Islands, Honduras|Swan Islands]], [[Cayman Islands]], [[Cuba]], [[Florida]], [[United States East Coast]], [[Atlantic Canada]], [[Greenland]]
| refs = 
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = [[1944 Atlantic hurricane season]]
}}
The '''1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane''' (also known as the '''1944 San Lucas hurricane''' and the '''Sanibel Island Hurricane of 1944''')<ref name="CubanNaturalDisasters">{{cite journal |last1=Ferreiro |first1=Jasiel |title=La Estadística y los Desatres Naturales en Cuba |journal=Revista Caribeña de Ciencias Sociales |date=2016 |volume=11 |page=11 |url=http://www.eumed.net/rev/caribe/2016/11/estadistica.html |access-date=May 11, 2019 |publisher=[[Universidad Agraria de La Habana]], Cuba |location=Havana, Cuba |language=es |issn=2254-7630 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502085040/http://www.eumed.net/rev/caribe/2016/11/estadistica.html |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="TCRainfallPresentation2009" /> was a large [[List of Category 4 hurricanes|Category&nbsp;4 tropical cyclone]] on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale]] that caused widespread damage across the western [[Caribbean Sea]] and [[Southeastern United States]] in October&nbsp;[[1944 Atlantic hurricane season|1944]]. It inflicted over US$100&nbsp;million in damage and caused at least 318&nbsp;deaths, the majority of fatalities occurring in [[Cuba]].{{#tag:ref|All monetary figures are in their 1944&nbsp;values unless otherwise noted.|group=nb}} One study suggested that an equivalent storm in 2018 would rank among the [[List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes|costliest U.S. hurricanes]]. The full extent of the storm's effects remains unclear due to a dearth of conclusive reports from rural areas of Cuba. The unprecedented availability of meteorological data during the hurricane marked a turning point in the [[United States Weather Bureau]]'s ability to [[Tropical cyclone forecasting|forecast tropical cyclones]].

The disturbance began suddenly over the western Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a [[tropical storm]] on October&nbsp;12 within hours of [[tropical cyclogenesis|initial development]]. It intensified into a hurricane the next day, with a brief but slow westward path bringing it near [[Grand Cayman]]. There, the storm produced rough surf and torrential rainfall for several days, destroying all of the [[Cayman Islands]]' crops and damaging coastal property; the storm proved to be the rainiest hurricane in Grand Cayman's history. On October&nbsp;16, the developing hurricane made a sharp turn northward and accelerated. It made landfall on western Cuba two days later at peak strength with winds of {{convert|145|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, making it a Category&nbsp;4 hurricane. Cuba, hardest hit by the storm, saw at least 300&nbsp;people killed and suffered extensive damage inflicted by winds and [[storm surge]], especially in the [[Havana]] area. Numerous ships sank in [[Havana Harbor]] amid agitated waters and [[marine debris]].

A gradual weakening trend began after the hurricane crossed Cuba, attenuated by the storm's large size. It crossed the [[Dry Tortugas]] as a major hurricane on October&nbsp;18 before making a final landfall near [[Sarasota, Florida]], as a Category&nbsp;2 hurricane the following day.{{#tag:ref|A major hurricane is a storm that ranks as Category&nbsp;3 or higher on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale]].<ref name=BASIC>{{cite book|last1=Goldenburg|first1=Stan|chapter=A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane? What is an intense hurricane?|type=FAQ|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html|chapter-url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A3.html|date=June 1, 2018|publisher=[[Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory]]|access-date=August 2, 2019|location=Miami, Florida|version=4.11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615212545/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html|archive-date=June 15, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>|group="nb"}} Although property damage was considerable in the [[Florida Keys]] and throughout the [[Florida]] coasts, the bulk of the storm's damage toll arose from significant losses of crops in the state's citrus-producing regions, curtailing record harvests. Eighteen people were killed in the state, half from the loss of a ship in [[Tampa Bay]]. The storm continued to weaken as it passed over Florida and the Southeastern United States, producing heavy rains throughout the [[United States East Coast|U.S. East Coast]] and gusty winds that led to widespread power outages. On October&nbsp;20, the storm transitioned into an [[extratropical cyclone]] and tracked northeastwards along the U.S. East Coast. The system was last distinguishable east of [[Greenland]] four days later.

==Meteorological history==
{{Storm path|1944 Sanibel Island hurricane track.png|upright=1.2|left|alt=The hurricane took a generally south-to-north path, beginning in the Caribbean Sea and crossing Cuba and Florida, with the extratropical stage of the cyclone's track extending to Greenland.}}
The origin of this major hurricane was traced to a tropical disturbance that moved into the western [[Caribbean Sea]] by October&nbsp;11, 1944. The system was initially broad; no observations of strong winds or low [[barometric pressure|pressures]] indicated a tropical cyclone's presence. Nearby weather reports that day nonetheless suggested [[tropical cyclogenesis]] was underway. Based on aerial and surface observations, the [[Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project]] determined in 2013 that the system organized into a [[tropical depression]] by 12:00&nbsp;[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] on October&nbsp;12.<ref name="Metadata">{{cite web|last1=Landsea|first1=Chris|last2=Anderson|first2=Craig|last3=Bredemeyer|first3=William|last4=Carrasco|first4=Cristina|last5=Charles|first5=Noel|last6=Chenoweth|first6=Michael|last7=Clark|first7=Gil|last8=Delgado|first8=Sandy|last9=Dunion|first9=Jason|last10=Ellis|first10=Ryan|last11=Fernandez-Partagas|first11=Jose|last12=Feuer|first12=Steve|last13=Gamanche|first13=John|last14=Glenn|first14=David|last15=Hagen|first15=Andrew|last16=Hufstetler|first16=Lyle|last17=Mock|first17=Cary|last18=Neumann|first18=Charlie|last19=Perez Suarez|first19=Ramon|last20=Prieto|first20=Ricardo|last21=Sanchez-Sesma|first21=Jorge|last22=Santiago|first22=Adrian|last23=Sims|first23=Jamese|last24=Thomas|first24=Donna|last25=Lenworth|first25=Woolcock|last26=Zimmer|first26=Mark|title=Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html|at=1944 – Storm 13 (previously Storm 11) – 2013 Revision|website=Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|access-date=August 12, 2019|date=May 2015|location=Miami, Florida|type=Metadata|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604063810/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Operationally, the first evidence of a developing cyclone was a report of rough seas later that evening by a ship {{convert|100|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of the [[Swan Islands, Honduras|Swan Islands]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} The incipient system tracked towards the north, quickly intensifying; [[tropical storm]] intensity was attained just six hours after the initial tropical depression classification, and it strengthened into a hurricane by 18:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;13.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}

Two days later, the slow-moving hurricane took a more westward trajectory and passed south of [[Grand Cayman]]—[[maximum sustained wind|sustained winds]] on the island peaked at {{convert|96|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} with a gust to {{convert|118|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, while the air pressure bottomed out at 984&nbsp;[[bar (unit)|mbar]] ([[pascal (unit)|hPa]]; 29.06&nbsp;[[inches of mercury|inHg]]).<ref name="Metadata" />{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} Between October&nbsp;16–17, the storm made an abrupt turn towards the north along the [[83rd meridian west]] and continued to strengthen, gradually accelerating northwards. It became a major hurricane by 18:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;17 and reached [[List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes|Category 4]] intensity six hours later as it passed over the western portion of [[Isla de la Juventud]], [[Cuba]].<ref name="Metadata" />{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} The following morning, the cyclone reached its peak intensity with winds of {{cvt|145|mph}},{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} a value extrapolated by the reanalysis project based on a pressure of 937&nbsp;mbar (hPa; 27.67&nbsp;inHg) observed on the northern coast of Cuba; this was the lowest pressure measured in connection with the hurricane.<ref name="Metadata" /> Maintaining peak strength, it made [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] on mainland Cuba at around 08:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;18,<ref name="Metadata" /> crossing the narrowest part of the island {{convert|10|–|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} west of [[Havana]] before emerging into the [[Gulf of Mexico]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}}{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}

The hurricane's interaction with Cuba caused the winds to taper slightly, bringing the storm down from its peak intensity to a Category&nbsp;3 hurricane over the [[Straits of Florida]].{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} At 21:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;18, the [[eye (cyclone)|eye]] passed over the [[Dry Tortugas]],<ref name="Metadata" /> producing two hours of calm over the islands.{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} During its passage, the storm had winds estimated at {{cvt|120|mph}}. It had grown considerably in areal extent, with a [[radius of maximum wind]] nearly twice as large as climatologically expected. Gradual weakening continued as the storm accelerated towards the north-northeast. This lessened the storm's winds to {{convert|105|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}—a Category&nbsp;2 hurricane—as it made landfall just south of [[Sarasota, Florida]], at 07:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;19. Due to the cyclone's large size, its weakening over the [[Florida peninsula]] was anomalously slow and at times underestimated by the model typically used to estimate the inland decay of tropical cyclones.<ref name="Metadata" /> The storm was still a hurricane when it passed east of [[Tampa Bay]] and over [[Central Florida]] later that day;{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} a pressure of 967&nbsp;mbar (hPa; 28.55&nbsp;inHg) recorded at a weather station in [[Tampa, Florida]], was a record low for the site in its over-50-year observational history.{{sfn|Sumner|p=222}} The large hurricane finally weakened to tropical storm status south of [[Jacksonville, Florida]], on the afternoon of October&nbsp;19. It straddled the [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] coast before pressing farther inland over [[South Carolina]]. As it did so, the storm began to become more [[baroclinicity|baroclinic]], transitioning into a fully [[extratropical cyclone]] over South Carolina on October&nbsp;20.<ref name="Metadata" /> These extratropical remnants maintained their composure, emerging over the Atlantic along the coast of the [[Mid-Atlantic states]] and passing over [[Nova Scotia]] on October&nbsp;21.<ref name="Metadata" /> Some re-intensification occurred as the system traversed the [[Labrador Sea]] and [[Greenland]] before it merged with the [[Icelandic Low]] on October&nbsp;24.<ref name="Metadata" />{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}}

==Warnings and preparations==
[[File:1944 hurricane effects in Key West MM08838-26x (15477075451).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A [[waterspout]] near [[Key West, Florida]], that preceded the storm's arrival|alt=A sepia toned image of a waterspout. The waterspout extends from the dark cloud base at the top of the image to the sea below. Some spray is visible where the waterspout contacts the sea surface, and in the background, partly sunny skies are visible.]]
The [[United States Weather Bureau]] issued 58&nbsp;storm warnings and advisories via its hurricane warning centers in [[Miami, Florida]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Boston, Massachusetts]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} The 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane was the first time widespread [[rawinsonde]] data were available for a fully developed hurricane;<ref name="CopingWithDisaster" /> the first complete [[atmospheric sounding]] from the center of a tropical cyclone was later collected by a rawinsonde in the eye of the storm as it crossed Tampa.<ref name="Immature">{{cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=Robert Homer |author-link1=Robert Simpson (meteorologist) |title=Structure of an Immature Hurricane |journal=[[Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society]] |date=October 1954 |volume=35 |issue=8 |pages=335–350 |doi=10.1175/1520-0477-35.8.335 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]] |location=Washington, D.C. |bibcode=1954BAMS...35..335S |doi-access=free }} {{Open access}}</ref> The head of the Weather Bureau's hurricane forecast office in Miami, [[Grady Norton]], used the information from these upper-tropospheric observations to accurately predict the storm's general northward trajectory, despite the presence of a [[high-pressure area]] at the surface that would conventionally prevent a northerly track.<ref name="CopingWithDisaster" /><ref name="GradyNorton">{{cite journal |last1=Burpee |first1=Robert W. |title=Grady Norton: Hurricane Forecaster and Communicator Extraordinaire |journal=[[Weather and Forecasting]] |date=September 1988 |volume=3 |issue=3 |page=249 |doi=10.1175/1520-0434(1988)003<0247:GNHFAC>2.0.CO;2 |url=ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/demaria/kesslerh/Hurricane%20History/1988_burpee.PDF |access-date=May 11, 2019 |publisher=[[Colorado State University]] |location=Miami, Florida |bibcode=1988WtFor...3..247B }}</ref> The accuracy of his forecasts surprised his colleagues and motivated the expansion of the American rawinsonde network:<ref name="CopingWithDisaster">{{cite book |last1=Rappaport |first1=Edward N. |last2=Simpson |first2=Robert H. |editor1-last=Simpson |editor1-first=Robert H. |editor2-last=Anthes |editor2-first=Richard |editor3-last=Garstang |editor3-first=Michael |editor4-last=Simpson |editor4-first=Joanne |title=Hurricane! Coping with disaster: Progress and Challenges Since Galveston, 1900 |date=January 1, 2003 |publisher=[[American Geophysical Union]] |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=9780875902975 |pages=49–50 |chapter=Impact of Technologies from Two World Wars|doi=10.1029/SP055 }}  {{subscription required}}</ref>

{{Blockquote
|text=The two major hurricanes of the 1944 season, the [[1944 Great Atlantic hurricane|September hurricane]], and the&nbsp;... [Cuba–Florida hurricane], had circulation depth well above the top of ordinary [[Ceiling balloon|pilot balloon]] observations. It was the&nbsp;... [rawinsonde] data reaching to much greater height that told the story of future movements, and without them future movements could not have been indicated with as much certainty in the forecast.&nbsp;... It is urgently recommended that the Weather Bureau lend all possible support to the establishment of additional&nbsp;... [rawinsonde sites] in the Caribbean and Gulf area to further implement the hurricane warning service.
|author=Grady Norton, in his summary of the 1944&nbsp;hurricane season<ref name="CopingWithDisaster" />
}}

Cuba evacuated residents from its western low-lying coasts. The storm was considered the strongest hurricane to threaten the island nation since that of [[1926 Havana–Bermuda hurricane|October 1926]].<ref name="HavanaBoards" /> Three thousand people sought refuge at [[El Capitolio]], the nation's capitol building.<ref name="SixAreDead">{{cite news |title=Six Are Dead, Over 20&nbsp;Hurt by Hurricane|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32805912/|access-date=June 12, 2019|work=[[Rocky Mount Telegram|The Evening Telegram]]|issue=310|date=October 18, 1944 |location=[[Rocky Mount, North Carolina]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> U.S. soldiers stationed at [[San Antonio de los Baños Airfield]] were moved to the Cuban army's headquarters in Havana.<ref name="HavanaBoards">{{cite news |title=Havana Boards Up for Storm|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32805719/|access-date=June 12, 2019|work=[[The Tampa Tribune|Tampa Morning Tribune]]|agency=[[Associated Press]] |issue=292|date=October 18, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida|page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[Pan American World Airways]] canceled flights to and from Cuba in advance of the hurricane.<ref name="CreepsCuba">{{cite news |title=Creeps Through Cuba|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31460192/|access-date=May 11, 2019 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun#Editions|The Evening Sun]]|agency=[[Associated Press]] |issue=155|date=October 16, 1944 |location=Baltimore, Maryland|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Storm warnings in the United States were first issued for the [[Florida Keys]] on the morning of October&nbsp;16. The Weather Bureau also noted a serious threat to western Cuba, the [[Yucatán Channel]], and the [[Yucatán Peninsula]].<ref name="ThreatToMexico">{{cite news |title=Severe Hurricane Threat to Mexico |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31460147/ |access-date=May 11, 2019 |work=[[The Monitor (Texas)|Valley Evening Monitor]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |issue=92 |date=October 16, 1944 |location=McAllen, Texas |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The first [[Tropical cyclone warnings and watches|hurricane warning]]s were issued on the morning of October&nbsp;18. At the height of the storm's impacts on Florida, hurricane warnings encompassed the Florida coast from [[Cedar Key, Florida|Cedar Key]] on the Gulf coast to [[Fernandina Beach, Florida|Fernandina Beach]] on the peninsula's Atlantic coast.<ref name="CD_FL">{{cite journal |last1=Bennett |first1=W. J. |title=Florida Section |journal=Climatological Data |date=October 1944 |volume=48 |issue=10 |page=55|publisher=[[National Climatic Data Center]] |location=Jacksonville, Florida}}</ref>

The [[Red Cross]] chapter in [[Key West, Florida]], initiated emergency operations on the afternoon of October&nbsp;17.<ref name="KeyWestMayMiss">{{cite news |title=Key West May Miss Brunt of Hurricane |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32804766/ |access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=[[The Miami News|Miami Daily News]] |issue=308 |date=October 18, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Of the hurricane evacuees throughout the state, 35,000&nbsp;stayed at Red Cross shelters.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} Excluding Key West, 90&nbsp;percent of residents on the Florida Keys evacuated in advance of the storm.<ref name="FloridaWaitsHurricane">{{cite news |title=Florida Waits Hurricane|agency=[[United Press International]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24370227/|access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=[[Orlando Sentinel#History|Orlando Reporter]]|issue=4737|date=October 18, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |pages=1–2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[U.S. Army]] and [[United States Navy|Navy]] aircraft and non-essential personnel were evacuated from Florida.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} In the Miami area, flights were grounded and schools were closed.<ref name="MiamiTakes">{{cite news |title=Miami Takes Precautions for Storm|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32804913/|access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]] |issue=308 |date=October 18, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> A total of sixty schools and public buildings in Miami were repurposed as shelters by the Red Cross.<ref name="DamageLight65" /> The [[University of Miami]] suspended classes for a day.<ref name="SchoolsRemainClosedToday">{{cite news |title=Schools Remain Closed Today, Reopen Friday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33187374/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]] |issue=309 |date=October 19, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1–A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] personnel assisted in storm preparations, evacuating small craft and allocating vehicles for municipal emergency use.<ref name="PoliceRelief">{{cite news |title=Police, Relief Agencies Ready for Emergency|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32805114/|access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Bay Times|St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=86|date=October 18, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |pages=1–2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Schools were closed in [[Pinellas County, Florida|Pinellas County]] in advance of the storm and repurposed as potential shelters, though ultimately none were used.<ref name="PinellasSchools">{{cite news |title=Pinellas Schools are Closed Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33159687/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |issue=87 |date=October 19, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]] served as a place of refuge for soldiers stationed at nearby [[Buckingham Army Airfield]] and surrounding areas around the city.<ref name="FortMyersRefuge">{{cite news |agency=United Press International|title=Fort Myers Becomes Refuge for Thousands |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33159810/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |issue=87 |date=October 19, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Storm preparations also began farther inland, with relief operations and evacuations in the Orlando area coordinated between the Red Cross and the [[Army Air Forces Tactical Center]].<ref name="CityReadyBlow">{{cite news |title=City Ready for Blow|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24370227/|access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=[[Orlando Reporter]]|issue=4737|date=October 18, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |pages=1–2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

On October&nbsp;19, 125&nbsp;people were evacuated from [[Sullivan's Island, South Carolina|Sullivan's Island]] and [[Isle of Palms, South Carolina|Isle of Palms]] in South Carolina and housed at a county hall.<ref name="CutsBrunswick">{{cite news |title=Hurricane Cuts Brunswick Off |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33221485/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution#The Atlanta Constitution|The Atlanta Constitution]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=127 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=[[Atlanta, Georgia]] |pages=1, 4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}
* [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33221485/ "Hurricane Cuts Brunswick Off", Page&nbsp;1]
* [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33862530/ "Hurricane", Page&nbsp;4]</ref>{{rp|1}} Residents of [[Avon, North Carolina]], were evacuated to [[Manteo, North Carolina|Manteo]] and [[Elizabeth City, North Carolina|Elizabeth City]] late that day in advance of the weakened storm's approach.<ref name="AvonEvacuated">{{cite news|title=Town Evacuated|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33215068/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Five hundred people evacuated [[Long Beach Island]] off mainland [[New Jersey]] ahead of the hurricane's extratropical stages.<ref name="SubsidesInPhila" />

==Impact==
In the ''[[Monthly Weather Review]]'', the United States Weather Bureau enumerated 318&nbsp;deaths from the hurricane, noting that reports possibly indicating more deaths were yet to be received from Cuba and the Cayman Islands. The hurricane caused over $100&nbsp;million in damage across its path.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}}

===Caribbean Sea===
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;"
{{Wettest tropical cyclones start|Country=in the Cayman Islands}}
|-
| 1 || 794.8 || 31.29  || Unnamed, 1944 || [[Grand Cayman Island]] ||{{sfn|Barnes|p=165}}
|-
| 2 || 577 || 22.72 || [[Tropical Storm Alberto (2006)|Alberto, 2006]] || [[Owen Roberts International Airport]] || <ref name="TropicalStormAlberto2006Advisory1">{{cite report |last1=Knabb |first1=Richard D. |title=Tropical Depression One Advisory Number 2 |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/al01/al012006.public.002.shtml? |publisher=National Hurricane Center |location=Miami, Florida |date=June 10, 2006 |type=National Hurricane Center Public Advisory |access-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419035859/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2006/al01/al012006.public.002.shtml |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 3 || 552.2 || 21.74  || [[Hurricane Isidore|Isidore, 2002]] || [[Cayman Brac]] || <ref name="CaymanIslandsAnnual2002">{{cite book |title=Cayman Islands 2002 Annual Report & Official Handbook |date=June 2003 |publisher=Government of the Cayman Islands |location=Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands |page=129 |chapter-url=http://www.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/1061604.PDF |access-date=July 17, 2019 |chapter=Weather |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815215821/https://www.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/1061604.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 4 || 451.4 || 17.77 || [[Hurricane Paloma|Paloma, 2008]] || Cayman Brac || <ref name="TCR_Paloma2008">{{cite report |last1=Brennan |first1=Michael J. |title=Hurricane Paloma |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL172008_Paloma.pdf |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=July 17, 2019 |location=Miami, Florida |date=April 14, 2009 |type=Tropical Cyclone Report |page=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519100459/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL172008_Paloma.pdf |archive-date=May 19, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 5 || 308.4 || 12.14  || [[Hurricane Ivan|Ivan, 2004]] || Grand Cayman Island || <ref name="TCR_Ivan2004">{{cite report |last1=Stewart |first1=Stacy R. |title=Hurricane Ivan |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092004_Ivan.pdf |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=July 17, 2019 |location=Miami, Florida |date=August 11, 2011 |type=Tropical Cyclone Report |page=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718013644/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092004_Ivan.pdf |archive-date=July 18, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 6 || 292.1 || 11.50  || [[Hurricane Hattie|Hattie, 1961]]  || Grand Cayman Island || <ref name="TCR_Hattie1961_7">{{cite web |last1=Dunn |first1=Gordon |title=Miami Weather Bureau bulletin for press radio and TV 2 PM EST 30 October 1961 |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1961/hattie/prenhc/prelim07.gif |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=July 17, 2019 |location=Miami, Florida |format=GIF |date=October 30, 1961 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628204814/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1961/hattie/prenhc/prelim07.gif |archive-date=June 28, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 7 || 229.1 || 9.02 || [[Tropical Storm Nicole (2010)|Nicole, 2010]] || Owen Roberts International Airport || <ref name="CaymanPrepared2011">{{cite report |title=Annual Report 2010–2011 |url=http://www.caymanprepared.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/10206091.PDF |publisher=Hazard Management Department of the Cayman Islands |access-date=July 17, 2019 |location=Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands |page=9 |date=n.d. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201235242/http://www.caymanprepared.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/10206091.PDF |archive-date=February 1, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 8 || 165.6 || 6.52 || [[Hurricane Michelle|Michelle, 2001]] || Grand Cayman Island || <ref name="TCR_Michelle2001">{{cite report |last1=Beven |first1=Jack |title=Hurricane Michelle |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL152001_Michelle.pdf |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=July 17, 2019 |location=Miami, Florida |date=January 23, 2002 |type=Tropical Cyclone Report |page=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213202507/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL152001_Michelle.pdf |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|}
The hurricane brought [[squall]]y conditions and rough surf to the Swan Islands over six days, the strongest measured gust reaching {{convert|58|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} Three days of hurricane conditions destroyed all crops on the Cayman Islands.<ref name="CaymanCrops">{{cite news|title=Cayman Crops Destroyed|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31460760/|access-date=May 11, 2019 |work=[[Montreal Gazette|The Gazette]]|agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |issue=155|date=October 18, 1944 |location=[[Montreal, Quebec]]|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Rainfall totals reached {{convert|31.29|in|mm|abbr=on}} on Grand Cayman—{{sfn|Barnes|p=164}}the highest rainfall total caused by a hurricane in the island's history.<ref name="TCRainfallPresentation2009">{{cite web|last1=Roth |first1=David M. |title=Tropical Cyclone Rainfall |url=https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/TC_QPF_talk052009.ppt |publisher=[[Weather Prediction Center]] |access-date=June 24, 2019 |location=[[Camp Springs, Maryland]] |format=PowerPoint Presentation |date=May 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531104506/http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/TC_QPF_talk052009.ppt |archive-date=May 31, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Red Bay and Prospect were flooded by the precipitation.<ref name="CaymanNaturalHistory">{{cite book |series=Monographiae biologicae|volume=71|last1=Brunt |first1=M.A. |last2=Davies |first2=J.E. |last3=Burton |first3=F.J. |editor1-last=Dumont |editor1-first=H.J. |editor2-last=Werger |editor2-first=M.J.A. |title=The Cayman Islands: Natural History and Biogeography |date=1994 |publisher=[[Kluwer Academic]] |location=[[Dordrecht|Dordrecht, Netherlands]] |isbn=9780792324621 |page=58 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9rjEbZWPLvcC&q=cayman+hurricane+1944&pg=PA58 |access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref> Heavy seas destroyed many wooden shoreline installations including docks and piers,{{sfn|Sumner|p=221}} and extensive beach erosion exposed limestone outcrops.<ref name="CaymanIslandsVegetation">{{cite book |last1=Sauer |first1=Jonathan D. |title=Cayman Islands seashore vegetation: a study in comparative biogeography |date=November 1982 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=9780520096561 |page=3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EimtEIqbuGYC&q=%22Cayman%22+-wikipedia+hurricane+1944&pg=PA3 |access-date=June 24, 2019 |chapter=Natural Setting|volume=25}}</ref> Three small ships were either lost or destroyed in the Caymans; one ship was later found aground off [[Pinar del Río Province|Pinar del Río]] in Cuba.<ref name="CaymanGreat" /> Winds in [[Georgetown, Grand Cayman|Georgetown]] reached {{convert|116|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, cutting communications between the city and the outside world.<ref name="AllCropsOnGrandCayman">{{cite news|title=All Crops on Grand Cayman Destroyed by Hurricane|work=The Daily Gleaner |issue=227 |date=October 17, 1944 |location=[[Kingston, Jamaica]] |page=1|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}</ref><ref name="AfterTheHurricane">{{cite news |title=After the Hurricane in the Cayman Islands|work=The Daily Gleaner |issue=227 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Kingston, Jamaica |page=1|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}</ref> Considerable road damage was reported throughout Grand Cayman. E. S. Parsons, the clerk of the [[Government of the Cayman Islands#Judicial branch|Grand Court of the Cayman Islands]], said the storm was Grand Cayman's "severest hurricane since [[1876 Atlantic hurricane season|1876]]".<ref name="CaymanGreat">{{cite news |title=Grand Cayman Damage Great; Ships Wrecked |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33188457/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[The Tampa Tribune|Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=300 |date=October 26, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=16|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

Cuba was the nation hardest hit by the hurricane,{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} though the full extent of casualties remains unknown as reports from rural areas of the island were never realized.{{sfn|Barnes|p=165}} Damage was most severe in eastern Pinar del Río. A powerful [[storm surge]] killed 20&nbsp;people in a small village.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} The coastal port of [[Surgidero de Batabanó]] was destroyed, and 24&nbsp;deaths were reported. The port's entire fishing fleet—numbering over 20&nbsp;schooners—was carried inland by the storm surge,<ref name="FruitBelt" /> as was a [[Standard Oil]] barge that ended up {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on}} inland. [[Havana Harbor]] was forced to close because of excessive debris and sunken craft in its waters.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} Two schooners running cargo routes between Havana and Miami sank in the harbor, as well as Cuban and Peruvian [[submarine chaser]]s. One capsized vessel blocked the entrance to the harbor, preventing through traffic.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> A wind gust of {{convert|163|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} was documented in Havana while the eye passed {{convert|10|–|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} to the west;{{sfn|Barnes|p=164}} this was the strongest gust measured in Cuba until [[Hurricane Gustav]] in 2008. Hurricane-force winds were felt for 14&nbsp;hours with gusts exceeding {{cvt|125|mph}} for seven hours.<ref name="HuracanesOctubre">{{cite web|last1=Rubiera |first1=José |title=Crónica del Tiempo: Los huracanes y octubre |url=http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2014/10/08/cronica-del-tiempo-los-huracanes-y-octubre/ |website=CubaDebate |publisher=Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas |access-date=June 27, 2019 |location=Havana, Cuba |language=es |date=October 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607163855/http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2014/10/08/cronica-del-tiempo-los-huracanes-y-octubre/ |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The strong winds cut off most electricity in Havana and government telecommunications in [[Nueva Gerona]], the capital of Isla de la Juventud, for three days.<ref name="SixAreDead" /><ref name="HurricaneStrikesCuba">{{cite news |title=Hurricane Strikes Cuba; Warning Sounded for Tampa Bay Area|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32805383/|access-date=June 12, 2019|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=86|date=October 18, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida|pages=1–2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref><ref name="Destitute" /> Buildings in Havana suffered extensively, exacerbated by felled trees and flying debris. Administrative buildings including the [[Museum of the Revolution (Cuba)|Presidential Palace]] and the American embassy sustained considerable damage. Preliminary estimates of the total loss incurred by the city reached several hundred thousand U.S. dollars.<ref name="DamageHeavyRipsHavana">{{cite news |agency=Associated Press|title=Six Killed, Damage Heavy as Hurricane Rips Havana|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160125/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |issue=87 |date=October 19, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> There were seven deaths and four hundred injuries.<ref name="ArchipelagoCubano">{{cite book |last1=Jiménez |first1=Antonio Núñez |title=El Archipiélago Cubano |date=2014 |publisher=Fundación de la Naturaleza y el Hombre |location=Havana, Cuba |isbn=9789592300019 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W0VWDwAAQBAJ |access-date=June 30, 2019 |language=es |chapter=Huracanes Notables en Cuba}}</ref> The damage on Isla de la Juventud was extensive but less than initially feared.<ref name="BatabanoDestroyed">{{cite news|title=Batabano, Cuba, is Destroyed by Hurricane|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33214218//|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

In total, about half the crops in the outlying areas of Havana were lost, as well as 90&nbsp;percent of tobacco warehouses.<ref name="AtLeast14" /> The storm's effects on the Cuban sugar crop remained uncertain, with estimates ranging from a four&nbsp;percent loss to a net increase due to beneficial rainfall.<ref>{{cite letter| first = Morgenthau Jr.| last = Henry| recipient = Mr. Murphy| subject = The Business Situation, Week ending October 21, 1944| date = October 23, 1944| type = Interoffice Communication| url = http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/morg/md1078.pdf| access-date = June 23, 2019| location = Washington, D.C.| publisher = [[United States Treasury Department]]| author-link = Henry Morgenthau Jr.| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160818213635/http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/morg/md1078.pdf| archive-date = August 18, 2016| url-status = live}}</ref> The total loss of food in Cuba was estimated by the U.S. embassy to be worth $3,000,000. This led to food shortages in the Cuban provinces of [[La Habana Province|La Habana]] and [[Matanzas Province|Matanzas]] and the [[Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago]].<ref name="Destitute">{{cite news |title=Violent Hurricane Leaves Thousands in Cuba Destitute|work=The Daily Gleaner |issue=231 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=Kingston, Jamaica |page=1|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}</ref><ref name="Causes1MPinellas">{{cite news |first1=Al|last1=Barker|title=Hurricane Causes $1,000,000 Citrus Damage in Pinellas|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33213490/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |pages=1, 2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

===Florida===
[[File:1944 hurricane effects in Key West MM08838-22x (15480223745).jpg|thumb|left|Coastal storm surge inflicted most of the property damage in Florida.|alt=Broken segments of cement are seen disheveled at the interface between a road and a sea.]]
The hurricane caused $63&nbsp;million in damages—largely to crops—in Florida.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} Eighteen deaths occurred in the state, including nine seamen who drowned when a tugboat sank off [[Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton]]; another 24&nbsp;people were hospitalized for storm-related injuries elsewhere. In its monthly ''Climatological Data'' publication, the Weather Bureau said that "systematic evacuation of all dangerously exposed beaches doubtless saved many lives".<ref name="CD_FL" /> In 2018, an analysis of historical U.S. landfalls suggested that a similar storm striking the same areas would inflict $73.5&nbsp;billion in damage when normalized for 2018 demographics and [[inflation (monetary)|inflation]].<ref name="Normalization">{{cite journal |last1=Weinkle |first1=Jessica |last2=Landsea |first2=Chris |last3=Collins |first3=Douglas |last4=Musulin |first4=Rade |last5=Crompton |first5=Ryan P. |last6=Klotzbach |first6=Philip J. |last7=Pielke |first7=Roger |title=Normalized hurricane damage in the continental United States 1900–2017 |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=November 26, 2018 |volume=1 |issue=12 |pages=808–813 |doi=10.1038/s41893-018-0165-2 |publisher=Springer Nature Publishing AG |s2cid=133937951 }}{{subscription required}}</ref>

On October&nbsp;15, showers streaming north from the hurricane produced heavy rain and {{convert|25|mph|km/h|abbr=on|adj=on}} gusts over Florida. An instruction flight out of [[Lake City Gateway Airport#NAS Lake City|Naval Air Station Lake City]] crashed shortly after takeoff {{convert|5.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of the base, weather being cited as a likely cause. All three crewmembers were killed.<ref name="VPNavy">{{cite book|last1=Campbell |first1=Douglas E. |title=VPNavy!: USN, USMC, USCG and NATS patrol aircraft lost or damaged during World War II |date=2018 |publisher=Syneca Research Group, Inc. |isbn=9781387888795 |page=515 |edition=1st|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> In advance of the eventual landfall, three tornadoes in the hurricane's [[rainband]]s struck the state on the afternoon of October&nbsp;18,<ref name="SevereLocalStorms">{{cite journal |last1=Souder |first1=Mary O. |title=Severe Local Storms, October 1944 |journal=Monthly Weather Review |date=October 1944 |volume=72 |issue=10 |pages=215–216 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1944)072<0215:SLSO>2.0.CO;2 |url=ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/mwr/072/mwr-072-10-0215.pdf |access-date=June 30, 2019 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]] |bibcode=1944MWRv...72..215. |doi-access=free }}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{Open access}}</ref> causing slight damage.<ref name="Yearbook">{{cite report|author1=United States Weather Bureau |title=United States Meteorological Yearbook, 1943–1949 |date=1952 |publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington, D.C. |page=7 |chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015054484350&view=1up&seq=3 |access-date=June 29, 2019 |chapter=Tornado Data}}</ref> They touched down in the cities of [[Arcadia, Florida|Arcadia]] and [[Wauchula, Florida|Wauchula]] as well as southern [[Polk County, Florida|Polk County]].{{sfn|Barnes|p=165}} The Wauchula tornado displaced a farmhouse from its foundation, unroofed a [[gas station]], and uprooted 75&nbsp;trees.<ref name="WauchulaTornado">{{cite news |title=Tornado Lifts House, 75 Trees At Wauchula|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33161331/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]]|issue=309|date=October 19, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1–A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[Waterspout]]s were also observed before the hurricane's arrival.<ref name="QuinbyPhoto">{{cite web |last1=Quinby |first1=E. J. |title=MM08838-26x |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/15477075451/ |publisher=Flickr |access-date=August 22, 2019 |date=October 1944 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131183131/https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/15477075451/ |archive-date=January 31, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On the Dry Tortugas, an [[anemometer]] indicated winds of {{convert|120|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} for two consecutive hours before it succumbed.{{sfn|Sumner|p=222}} Key West avoided the brunt of the storm as the eye passed {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on|round=5}} to the west. No casualties were reported there, though infrastructure damage was considerable.<ref name="80MileWind">{{cite news|title=Key West Gets 80-Mile Wind; No Casualties |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20320570/ |access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |issue=87 |date=October 19, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref><ref name="FloodsRecedeKeyWest" />{{rp|6-A}} In the rest of [[Monroe County, Florida|Monroe County]], there were only two minor injuries. The hurricane's effects resulted in the loss of electricity and gas service to Key West. Roughly a third of the city was inundated by floodwaters, reaching a depth of at least {{convert|3|ft|m|abbr=on}} and displacing approximately 5,000&nbsp;people.<ref name="FloodsRecedeKeyWest" />{{rp|6-A}} The strong winds felled numerous trees, some blocking roadways. Many homes were damaged, including one removed from its foundation. Throughout the Florida Keys, the hurricane produced significant [[beach erosion]].{{sfn|Clark|p=12}} Beaches in Key West and [[Boca Chica Key]] were narrowed considerably, exacerbating the shoreline impacts of future hurricanes in [[1948 Florida hurricane|1948]] and [[Hurricane Georges|1998]].{{sfn|Clark|p=13}} A {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=on}}-long segment of seawall typically rising {{convert|8|ft|m|abbr=on}} above average high tide was destroyed in Key West, resulting in the flooding of an adjacent estate.<ref name="FloodsRecedeKeyWest" />{{rp|6-A}} In total, {{convert|4000|ft|m|abbr=on}} of seawall and road along [[Florida State Road A1A|South Roosevelt Boulevard]] was destroyed; it was repaired in 1951.{{sfn|Clark|p=13}} Six U.S. Navy vessels ran aground along Key West.<ref name="FloodsRecedeKeyWest">{{cite news|first1=Milt|last1=Sosin|title=Floods Recede in Key West|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160586/|access-date=June 23, 2019|work=[[Miami Daily News]]|issue=309|date=October 19, 1944|location=Miami, Florida|pages=1-A, 6-A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}
*[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160586/the_miami_news/ "Floods Recede in Key West', p.&nbsp;1-A] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624081029/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160586/the_miami_news/ |date=June 24, 2019 }}
*[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33862907/ "Key West: Floods Recede", p.&nbsp;6-A]</ref>{{rp|1-A}} Farther offshore, a crew of 21&nbsp;people was forced to abandon a [[lightvessel|lightship]] near the northwest entrance to the harbor at Key West while the storm passed.<ref name="DamageLight65">{{cite news |title=Damage Light in 65-M.P.H. Miami Gale |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33187479/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]] |issue=309 |date=October 13, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |pages=1-A, 6-A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

[[File:1944 hurricane effects in Key West MM00017078x (15293610590).jpg|thumb|Strong winds from the hurricane downed trees in many Floridian communities.|alt=Palm trees strewn across a street]]
The majority of the $10–$13&nbsp;million toll inflicted to property occurred along the coast, particularly from storm surge.<ref name="CD_FL" /> It was highest on the western coast between Sarasota and the [[Everglades]], the greatest tide-related damage occurring along the beaches of Fort Myers.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} At least fifteen cottages were destroyed on [[Estero Island]], where Fort Myers Beach is located, as well as the island's fishing pier. The entire island was inundated under {{cvt|3|–|6|ft}} of seawater, flooding buildings. One apartment complex was half destroyed, part of its foundation caving in. Other longstanding landmarks on Fort Myers Beach were either destroyed or sustained severe damage, and many ships were lost or grounded well inland.<ref name="RedCoconut">{{cite news |title=Red Coconut, 15&nbsp;Cottages Wiped Away |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8429770/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[The News-Press|Fort Myers News-Press]] |issue=339 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Fort Myers, Florida |pages=1, 4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The surge accumulated upstream in the [[Caloosahatchee River]], flooding roads with {{convert|3|–|5|ft|m|abbr=on}} of water.<ref name="MyersEscapes" />

The hurricane's highest storm surge measured in Florida was {{convert|12.28|ft|m|abbr=on}} above mean low tide at [[Jacksonville Beach, Florida|Jacksonville Beach]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}} At the time, the {{convert|7.1|ft|m|abbr=on}} high storm surge measured at Fernandina Beach was the second-highest observed there on record.<ref name="HurricaneMatthew">{{cite report|last1=Brouillette |first1=Daniel J. |title=Hurricane Matthew — a Major 2016 Hurricane That Florida But Had Major Effects |url=https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/images/docs/Hurricane_Matthew_Florida_summary.pdf |publisher=Florida Climate Center |access-date=June 30, 2019 |location=[[Tallahassee, Florida]] |page=4 |date=October 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123010919/http://climatecenter.fsu.edu/images/docs/Hurricane_Matthew_Florida_summary.pdf |archive-date=November 23, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> There, nearly 50&nbsp;beach houses collapsed, contributing to a $500,000&nbsp;damage toll.<ref name="CD_FL" /><ref name="FruitBelt">{{cite news |title=Storm Hits Fruit Belt Hard Blow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33212174/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Sun-Sentinel#History|Fort Lauderdale Daily News]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=35 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> As much as {{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}} of beach eroded because of the elevated seas at Fernandina Beach.{{sfn|Barnes|p=165}} Winds of {{convert|35|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} tore awnings and broke windows in downtown Jacksonville,<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras">{{cite news|title=Storm Heading for Hatteras|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160294/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]]|issue=309|date=October 19, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> and brought down the antenna of radio station [[WJCT-FM|WJCT]].<ref name="StormReportsOverState" /> Waist-deep water in [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]] flooded many buildings including the headquarters of the ''[[St. Augustine Record]]'' newspaper, which did not print for the first time in a half-century.<ref name="Causes1MPinellas" /> At an airfield near [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], two hangars sustained heavy damage; three planes were damaged and two were destroyed.<ref name="CitrusWindfall">{{cite news |last1=Montayne |first1=Carlton |title=Citrus Windfall Marks Storm's Path in State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33219432/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]] |issue=310 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |pages=1, 2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Off [[Cape Canaveral]], two shrimp boats were stranded in the storm and eventually beached along [[Cocoa, Florida|Cocoa]]. Rough seas also washed out a segment of the bridge connecting Cocoa with [[Merritt Island]]. Likewise, a {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=on}}-section of the bridge between [[Titusville, Florida|Titusville]] and the coast collapsed into the river below.<ref name="ShrimpBoat" /> Three commercial fishing vessels were either sunk or awash at [[Pass-a-Grille]], and several sport craft were lost.<ref name="BoatsIncur">{{cite news|title=Boats Incur Most Damage as Storm Whips Beaches; Property Loss Minor|first1=Alan|last1=Hopkins|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33215643/|access-date=June 24, 2019|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=9|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Rough surf also occurred in Florida's interior lakes, waves in [[Lake Tohopekaliga]] breaching several hundred feet of seawall near [[Kissimmee, Florida|Kissimmee]].<ref name="ShrimpBoat">{{cite news |title=Storm Swamps Shrimp Boats Off Cocoa-Canaveral Coast|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33211031/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Orlando Sentinel|Orlando Reporter-Star]] |issue=4739 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |page=1}}</ref>

Damage was widespread across the western coast of the Florida peninsula, though its severity varied greatly.<ref name="RoadPatrol">{{cite news |title=Road Patrol Says Coast Hard Hit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33219876/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Fort Myers News-Press]] |issue=339 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Fort Myers, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The Sarasota and [[Venice, Florida|Venice]] areas where the hurricane made landfall were particularly hard hit.<ref name="Metadata" /> Numerous groves in the region were damaged by high gusts. The combination of fallen trees, downed power lines, and storm surge blocked roadways. [[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]] farther south mostly avoided the storm's damaging effects, though downed trees were reported at nearby [[Nocatee, Florida|Nocatee]] and Arcadia.<ref name="TampaSeems">{{cite news |title=Sarasota Area Seems Hardest Hit by Storms |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33218395/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944|location=Tampa, Florida |page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Communication service in Fort Myers suffered greatly, limiting connectivity to proximate locales.<ref name="AllCommunicationLines">{{cite news |title=All Communication Lines Go Out in Storm Here|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220039/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Fort Myers News-Press]] |issue=339 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Fort Myers, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Sustained winds at [[Page Field]] were clocked at {{convert|90|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} with gusts exceeding {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="MyersEscapes">{{cite news|title=City Escapes Serious Loss in Hurricane|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220096/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Fort Myers News-Press]] |issue=339 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Fort Myers, Florida |pages=1, 3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

Trees were downed in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]] by gusts to {{convert|90|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> Power outages were extensive, exacerbated by an unexpected short-circuiting of an electrical plant during the storm. These outages disrupted the city's streetcar and water pump systems.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> Windows were blown out of 20&nbsp;storefronts, and roofs were torn off some homes.<ref name="CalledLight">{{cite news|title=Damage Left by Hurricane Called Light|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33218718/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944|location=Tampa, Florida |page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Structural damage was minor overall, with damage evaluated at $25,000–$50,000.<ref name="TrolleysIdle">{{cite news|title=Trolleys Idle as Power Fails; Trees Uprooted, Debris Litters Streets|first1=Edward|last1=Stevens|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33215454/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=9|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Damage from citrus losses and property damage in the rest of Pinellas County was valued at $1,000,000.<ref name="HeavyPinellas">{{cite news |title=Damage Heavy in Pinellas|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33219295/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Offshore, nine people were killed, and three crew members survived, after their ship sank at the mouth of Tampa Bay;{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}}<ref name="NineFearedLost">{{cite news |title=Nine Feared Lost in Capsized Boat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220469/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=310 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Tampa suffered similarly to St. Petersburg, and experienced a lull in the winds as the center of the hurricane passed overhead.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> Plate glass windows and storefronts in the downtown area were broken.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> Short-circuiting wires triggered by the storm caused two major fires, destroying a home and burning most of a shipyard shop;<ref name="CalledLight" /><ref name="CarpenterShop">{{cite news |title=Fire Destroys Carpenter Shop at M'Closkey's|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33218827/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Tampa firefighters also responded to another eight fires during the hurricane, though these caused minor damage.<ref name="ShortedWires">{{cite news |title=Shorted Wires Cause Fires|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33218827/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Strong winds uprooted trees in the [[Davis Islands (Tampa)|Davis Islands]] and [[Gulfport, Florida|Gulfport]] along the coast of the Tampa Bay area.<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /><ref name="FallenTreesGulfport">{{cite news|title=Fallen Trees Biggest Damage at Gulfport|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24748527/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Similarly, downed trees were characteristic of the damage in [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]]. Roofs of older buildings were torn by the strong winds, though damage overall was slight.<ref name="ClearwaterDamageSlight">{{cite news|title=Clearwater Damage Slight, Storm Uproots Few Trees|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33215236/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=9|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

Although storm damage in Miami was relatively minor, two people were killed—one from a downed electric line and another from a traffic collision—in the greater metropolitan area.<ref name="TwoDeadMiami">{{cite news|first1=John|last1=Watts|title=Two Dead in Miami as Result of Storm|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160662/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]]|issue=309|date=October 19, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |pages=1-A, 6-A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Early green bean and tomato crops in neighboring [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach County]] were ruined by the hurricane. Between {{convert|500|–|900|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of snap bean crops were lost throughout the Everglades, battered by excessive rainfall of {{convert|8|–|10|in|mm|abbr=on}}, but growers were optimistic the rains would later lead to improved harvests.<ref name="BeanCrop">{{cite news|title=Winds and Rain Ruin Bean Crop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220695/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |issue=216 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=West Palm Beach, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> A {{convert|300|ft|m|abbr=on}}-stretch of seawall was destroyed in [[El Cid Historic District]] along with an adjacent dock; this was the only structural damage in [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]].<ref name="NormalOperation">{{cite news|title=Wind-Buffeted City Gets Back to Normal Operation|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220823/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |issue=216 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=West Palm Beach, Florida |pages=1, 7|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

[[File:1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane rainfall.png|thumb|Rainfall totals associated with the hurricane in the United States|alt=Contour map of rainfall totals over the Southeastern United States]]
[[Gale|Gale-force winds]] affected the entire Florida peninsula, the westward extent of the strong winds reaching [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]]. Wind-field analyses later demonstrated that winds of at least {{convert|50|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} spanned an area with a diameter of {{convert|300|mi|km|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Barnes|p=165}} The strongest winds were focused within a {{convert|30|mi|km|abbr=on}}-wide region east of the storm's center and penetrated far inland, with sustained winds of {{convert|82|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} and a gust of {{convert|108|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} reported in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=222}} These winds occurred over the state's core citrus-producing areas—[[De Soto County, Florida|De Soto]], [[Hardee County, Florida|Hardee]], [[Lake County, Florida|Lake]], [[Orange County, Florida|Orange]], Polk, and [[Sarasota County, Florida|Sarasota]] counties—resulting in the loss of approximately 25&nbsp;million boxes of fruit.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}}<ref name="CD_FL" /> Damage to Florida's citrus crop was estimated at $20&nbsp;million,<ref name="StormHeadsHatteras" /> with an expected cut of $50&nbsp;million to the state's annual citrus profits.<ref name="VastScene">{{cite news|first1=W. W.|last1=Patterson|title=Vast Scene of Desolation in All Central Florida Groves|agency=United Press International|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33211188/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=Orlando Reporter-Star |issue=4739 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |page=1}}</ref> As late as a week before the hurricane's arrival, 1944&nbsp;had been expected to be the best year for Florida citrus production in history.<ref name="OfferedFederalHelp">{{cite news |title=State's Storm-Devastated Citrus and Vegetable Men Are Offered Federal Help |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243165/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=The [[St. Petersburg Times]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=90 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=10|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Citrus losses extended beyond the core regions, with significant losses in [[Seminole County, Florida|Seminole]] and [[Osceola County, Florida|Osceola]] counties.<ref name="ShrimpBoat" /> The grapefruit harvest saw a 40&nbsp;percent loss while the early- and mid-season orange harvest saw a 15–20&nbsp;percent loss.<ref name="CD_FL" /> Rainfall-related damage, primarily to tomatoes, cabbage, beans, and peppers, collectively resulted in a 75&nbsp;percent loss of crops in the [[Hollywood, Florida|Hollywood]] area.<ref name="75Hollywood">{{cite news |title=Crop Damage Placed at 75% in Hollywood|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33160924/|access-date=June 23, 2019 |work=[[Miami Daily News]]|issue=309|date=October 19, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=6–A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

Of Florida's interior cities, Orlando saw the most severe damage, amounting to several million dollars.<ref name="CD_FL" /> While reports of severe property damage were relatively infrequent, damage to ancillary structures and roofs was widespread.<ref name="ArmytoHelpCity" /> Approximately 600–800&nbsp;homes and numerous stores were damaged.<ref name="StormReportsOverState">{{cite news |title=Storm Reports from Over State|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33221243/|work=The Tampa Daily Times |issue=221 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |pages=1, 3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The hurricane disrupted most communications in Orlando and surrounding communities outside of [[Downtown Orlando|downtown]]; only two cables linking the city with Jacksonville remained in service.<ref name="ArmytoHelpCity" /> Felled trees blocked a third of the city streets.<ref name="Causes1MPinellas" /> Orlando recorded its rainiest 24-hour period since 1910, observing {{convert|7.49|in|mm|abbr=on}} between October&nbsp;18–19. Damage across Orange County was preliminarily estimated between $3–5&nbsp;million, the damage in Orlando accounting for roughly half of the toll. One person was electrocuted in the downtown area. The [[Orlando Sentinel|''Orlando Reporter-Star'']] called the hurricane the Orlando's worst storm in 50&nbsp;years. At nearby [[Winter Park, Florida|Winter Park]], power failures caused the municipal water system to shut down. Many homes in [[Gotha, Florida|Gotha]] were roofless from the storm's winds. Between Gotha and [[Windermere, Florida|Windermere]], more than half of the grapefruit trees were stripped of their fruits, as well as 10–20&nbsp;percent of orange trees and five percent of tangerines.<ref name="ArmytoHelpCity">{{cite news|title=Army to Help City; No Electric Service; Citrus Loss Heavy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33209712/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=Orlando Reporter-Star |issue=4739 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |pages=1, 3}}</ref>

Elsewhere in the Florida interior, two hangars at [[Alachua Army Air Field]] near [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]] collapsed. Some trees in Gainesville were toppled onto houses. Severe property damage was noted in [[Bartow, Florida|Bartow]], and roofs were torn from a school and several homes in [[Williston, Florida|Williston]] and [[Groveland, Florida|Groveland]]. Damage was limited primarily to crops in the [[Palatka, Florida|Palatka]] and [[Crescent City, Florida|Crescent City]] areas, with only minor losses sustained otherwise.<ref name="Causes1MPinellas" /> Heavy rains and gusts as high as {{convert|75|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} were recorded in [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]], which lost all power during the storm.<ref name="DamageLightLakeland">{{cite news|title=Damage Light at Lakeland|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33219209/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref>

===Elsewhere in the United States===
[[File:Hurricane Thirteen surface analysis 1944 Oct 21 0630z.png|thumb|left|upright=1.2|[[Surface weather analysis]] of the hurricane's remnants over [[Chesapeake Bay]] on October&nbsp;21|alt=Map depicting isobars and fronts associated with a low-pressure area]]
Total losses in the state of Georgia were estimated at between $250,000–$500,000. Most of the damage occurred before the arrival of the storm's center of circulation. Downed trees blocked streets and highways in several communities. Communication services were scant in some areas as telecommunication and power lines were severed by the storm. Strong winds also damaged the shingles of some buildings to varying degrees. The shipyard in [[Brunswick, Georgia]], was hit particularly hard, several of its buildings and four cranes being damaged. Eastern extents of the city were also inundated by storm surge as far as {{convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on}} inland, prompting the evacuation of affected homes.<ref name="CD_GA">{{cite journal|last1=Knarr|first1=A. J. |title=Georgia Section |journal=Climatological Data |date=October 1944 |volume=48 |issue=10 |page=40|publisher=[[National Climatic Data Center]] |location=Atlanta, Georgia}}</ref> The high wind-swept tides caused coastal inundation throughout the Southeastern U.S. coast, destroying many fishing boats at the [[Port of Savannah]].{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}}  The highest tides in Georgia occurred in [[Fort Pulaski National Monument|Fort Pulaski]], where the sea rose {{convert|5.9|ft|m|abbr=on}} above mean sea level.<ref name="StormTideFreqGA">{{cite report|type=NOAA Technical Memorndum |last1=Ho |first1=Francis P. |title=Storm Tide Frequency Analysis for the Coast of Georgia |url=https://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hdsc/Technical_memoranda/TM19.pdf |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |access-date=June 30, 2019 |location=Silver Spring, Maryland |date=September 1974 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702120544/http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hdsc/Technical_memoranda/TM19.pdf |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Water damage on the island of [[St. Simons, Georgia|St. Simons]] forced the evacuation of 1,200&nbsp;people.<ref name="CutsBrunswick" />{{rp|4}} The hurricane's heaviest rainfall occurred at the [[Brunswick Golden Isles Airport|Brunswick airport]], where {{convert|11.4|in|mm|abbr=on}} was recorded.<ref name="NHRP3">{{cite report|last1=Schoner |first1=R. W. |last2=Molansky |first2=S. |title=Rainfall Associated with Hurricanes (And Other Tropical Disturbances) |chapter=Storms in the South Atlantic Coastal Region |issue=3 |chapter-url=https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/TM/NHRP_03_1956.pdf |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=June 23, 2019 |location=Washington, D.C. |page=196 |date=July 1956 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521100141/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/TM/NHRP_03_1956.pdf |archive-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Winds reaching {{cvt|65|mph}} brought down power and communication lines across the Carolinas, leaving much of [[Charleston, South Carolina]], without electricity.{{sfn|Sumner|p=223}}<ref name="LashesSC" /> Tides to {{convert|9|ft|m|abbr=on}} inundated low-lying areas of the city, primarily around [[The Battery (Charleston)|The Battery]].<ref name="LashesSC">{{cite news|title=Hurricane Lashes South Carolina, Moves On |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33213344/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |pages=1, 2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Trees and signage were downed in [[Florence, South Carolina|Florence]], located {{convert|70|mi|km|abbr=on}} from the coast. Several railroad coaches traversing the [[Atlantic Coast Line Railroad]] just south of Florence were damaged.<ref name="CitrusWindfall" /> Heavy rains throughout South Carolina caused $350,000&nbsp;in damage to property and crops.<ref name="SC1900-49">{{cite web|author1=South Carolina State Climatology Office |title=Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Affecting South Carolina 1940–1949 |url=http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Tropics/1940s.php |website=Tropical Storms and Hurricanes: 1940–1949 |publisher=[[South Carolina Department of Natural Resources]] |access-date=June 23, 2019 |location=[[Columbia, South Carolina]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101092349/http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Tropics/1940s.php |archive-date=January 1, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In northwestern parts of the state, unpicked cotton crops perished.<ref name="UnharvestedCrops">{{cite news |title=Heavy S.C. Rainfall Last Week Damaged Unharvested Crops |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243417/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=The Index-Journal |issue=243 |date=October 26, 1944 |location=[[Greenwood, South Carolina]] |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Winds of {{convert|30|–|40|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} damaged corn and [[lespedeza]] in [[North Carolina]], constituting most of the $200,000&nbsp;damage toll wrought by the storm there.<ref name="CD_NC">{{cite journal|last1=Kichline|first1=H. E. |title=North Carolina Section |journal=Climatological Data |date=October 1944 |volume=48 |issue=10 |page=37|publisher=[[National Climatic Data Center]] |location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>

The storm's effects tapered as precipitation and high seas spread north along the [[United States East Coast|U.S. East Coast]].<ref name="SubsidesInPhila" /><ref name="RiverStagesAndFloods">{{cite journal |last1=Swenson |first1=Bennett |title=River Stages and Floods |journal=[[Monthly Weather Review]] |date=October 1944 |volume=72 |issue=10 |pages=210–211 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1944)072<0210:RSAF>2.0.CO;2 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]] |bibcode=1944MWRv...72..210S |doi-access=free }}</ref> Widespread rains were reported throughout [[Virginia]]. Some flooding occurred around [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]], blocking some minor roads. High winds downed as many as 30&nbsp;percent of unharvested apples. [[Norfolk, Virginia|Greater Norfolk]] endured {{cvt|35|mph|adj=on}} winds and a {{cvt|2|ft|adj=on}} storm surge.<ref name="LittleDamageInThisState">{{cite news |title=Hurricane Did Little Damage in This State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33367090/ |access-date=June 29, 2019 |work=[[The News Leader|The Evening Leader]] |agency=Associated Press |volume=80|issue=109 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=Staunton, Virginia |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> In [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]], the elevated seas rose over the seawall, inundating low-lying areas.<ref name="WindsHitArea">{{cite news |title=Rains, Winds Hit Area but Storm Passes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33367685/ |access-date=June 29, 2019 |work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |volume=49|issue=286 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=Newport News, Virginia |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> A Weather Bureau meteorologist characterized the storm's effects in Maryland as "an old-fashioned [[nor'easter]]". Minor telecommunication disruptions were reported in Maryland by the [[C&P Telephone#The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland|Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company]]. Debris buildup in [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] blocked some sewage pipes.<ref name="EndByNoon">{{cite news |title=Storm to End by Noon, Local Bureau Says |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33368161/ |access-date=June 29, 2019 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun|The Sun]] |volume=215 |issue=136 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=Baltimore, Maryland |page=16|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Rough surf topped bulkheads damaged by the 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane along the coast of [[North Jersey]], flooding oceanside streets. Similar [[coastal flooding]] occurred along the barrier island, Long Beach Island, farther south. Strong winds blew out some windows in the [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], region.<ref name="SubsidesInPhila">{{cite news |title=Storm Subsides in Phila. Damage Slight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33368408/ |access-date=June 29, 2019 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |volume=231|issue=114 |date=October 22, 1944 |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Gusts of {{convert|50|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} grounded airplane traffic and yachts in [[New England]].<ref name="Freezing">{{cite news|title=Below-Freezing Predicted in Wake of Heavy Storm |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33368624/ |access-date=June 29, 2019 |work=[[The Boston Globe|The Boston Sunday Globe]] |volume=146 |issue=114 |date=October 22, 1944 |location=Boston, Massachusetts |pages=1, 17 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}
*[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33368624/the_boston_globe/ "Below-Freezing Predicted in Wake of Heavy Storm", p. 1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629211339/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33368624/the_boston_globe/ |date=June 29, 2019 }}
*[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36987633/the_boston_globe/ "Storm", p. 17] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010140821/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36987633/the_boston_globe/ |date=October 10, 2019 }}</ref>{{rp|1}} An empty coal barge was grounded upon [[Thompson Island (Massachusetts)|Thompson Island]], carried by wind-driven seas. One driver in [[Somersworth, New Hampshire]], was killed after losing control of their car on a slick roadway—three passengers were injured. Downed wires in [[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]] and [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], cut power to roughly 250&nbsp;homes.<ref name="Freezing" />{{rp|17}}

==Aftermath==
{{Costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricanes by wealth normalization}}
''[[Gleaner Company|The Daily Gleaner]]'', the Jamaican newspaper, coordinated with the Jamaican Central Storm Relief Committee to organize a storm relief fund for the Cayman Islands.<ref name="SRF">{{cite news |title=''Gleaner'' Storm Relief Fund|work=The Daily Gleaner |issue=228 |date=October 18, 1944 |location=Kingston, Jamaica |page=3|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}</ref> The United States initiated relief operations in Cuba, focusing on augmenting food supplies. A [[Pan-American World Airways|Pan-American]] [[Boeing 314 Clipper|Clipper]] with American government officials onboard was dispatched to survey isolated areas of Cuba, including Pinar del Río.<ref name="AtLeast14">{{cite news |title=At Least 14&nbsp;Killed in Cuban Storm|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33218934/|agency=Associated Press|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[Tampa Morning Tribune]] |issue=294 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref><ref name="CubanReliefPlanned">{{cite news |agency=Associated Press|title=Cuban Relief is Planned|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33214608/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> [[President of Cuba]] [[Ramón Grau]] visited hospitals after the storm's passage to aid relief efforts.<ref name="Destitute" />

In the immediate aftermath, between 5,000&nbsp;and 7,000&nbsp;people across Florida were displaced and housed in temporary arrangements; three times as many people required dietary assistance.<ref name="WindsStillStrong">{{cite news |title=Winds Still Strong in North Carolina|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33221093/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=The Tampa Daily Times |issue=221 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |pages=1, 3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The city of Orlando coordinated with the Army Air Forces Tactical Center in debris cleanup operations.<ref name="ArmytoHelpCity" /> Assistance was also provided by line crews from [[Alabama]] and Georgia to restore power to the city.<ref name="StormReportsOverState" /> In response to the widespread citrus losses, the president of Gentile Bros. Co., a company with significant citrus operations in Florida, petitioned the Florida Citrus Commission to raise ceiling prices on citrus fruits sourced from the state.<ref name="ArmytoHelpCity" /> On behalf of citrus interests, U.S. Senator [[Claude Pepper]] of Florida wrote letters to the [[Office of Price Administration]] (OPA), the [[War Food Administration]] (WFA), and the [[War Production Board]] (WPB), requesting their assistance in surveying the damage and to consider both the price ceilings on citrus and restrictions on tin usage; relaxing tin restrictions would allow the salvaging of wind-torn fruits by canning them as juices. Pepper also asked the agencies to consider the price ceilings for vegetables.<ref name="PepperAsks">{{cite news |agency=Associated Press|title=Pepper Asks OPA, WPB Action in Citrus Loss|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33214608/|access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|issue=88 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The [[Texas Department of Agriculture|Texas Agriculture Commissioner]], [[James E. McDonald (Texas politician)|James E. McDonald]], asked Texas citrus growers to suspend shipments to allow Florida citrus growers to recover, echoing a similar gesture from Florida citrus growers following a [[1933 Cuba–Brownsville hurricane|hurricane in 1933]].<ref name="TexasMayHalt">{{cite news |title=Texas May Halt Citrus Shipments |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33242753/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=89 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Officials from the OPA and WFA convened in Lakeland, Florida, on October&nbsp;27 to discuss the calls to increase ceiling prices for citrus;<ref name="CitrusAwaited">{{cite news |title=Decisions on Citrus Prices Still Awaited |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243615/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=Tampa Sunday Tribune |issue=303 |date=October 29, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> Florida citrus growers contended that the [[United States Department of Agriculture|U.S. Department of Agriculture]]'s monthly crop report for October did not accurately reflect the losses caused by the hurricane and sent a delegation to raise the matter in Washington, D.C. in November.<ref name="AskHigherPrices">{{cite news |title=Growers of Citrus Ask Higher Prices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243843/ |work=[[Spokane Daily Chronicle]] |agency=Associated Press |issue=36 |date=November 2, 1944 |location=[[Spokane, Washington]] |page=7|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref> A temporary increase in ceiling prices on citrus fruits was eventually implemented for the state of Florida.<ref name="SecondHike">{{cite news |title=Second Hike in Citrus Price Held Possible |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243977/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=Orlando Reporter-Star |agency=Associated Press |issue=4752 |date=November 4, 1944 |location=Orlando, Florida |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref>

The WPB, operating jointly with the Red Cross, made {{convert|5000000|ft|m|abbr=on}} of lumber and 5,000&nbsp;shingle squares available for repairs and in the Tampa area.<ref name="RCWPBOffer">{{cite news|title=Red Cross, WPB Offer Assistance |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33220924/ |access-date=June 24, 2019 |work=The Tampa Daily Times |issue=221 |date=October 20, 1944 |location=Tampa, Florida |page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The [[Federal Housing Administration]] allowed mortgage loans of $5,400 for residents whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane, based on the agency's assessment that "property damage was limited to roofs and broken glass" in the state.<ref name="OnlyFewHomes">{{cite news |title=Only Few Homes Storm Wrecked |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33243314/ |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=Miami Daily News |agency=Associated Press |issue=314 |date=October 21, 1944 |location=Miami, Florida |page=3–A|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Free access}}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}}}
*[[List of Florida hurricanes (1900–1949)]]
*[[1910 Cuba hurricane]]&nbsp;– caused extensive damage in western Cuba before affecting much of Florida
*[[Hurricane Charley]]&nbsp;– took a similar path through Cuba and Florida, with a significant core of wind damage spanning central Florida

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist}}

;Sources
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Jay |title=Florida's hurricane history |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/floridashurrican00barn |chapter-url-access=registration |date=May 2007 |publisher=The [[University of North Carolina Press]] |isbn=9780807858097 |pages=163–166 |edition=2nd |chapter=Hurricanes in the Sunshine State, 1900–1949 |location=Chapel Hill, North Carolina |ref={{sfnRef|Barnes}} }}
*{{cite report|last1=Clark |first1=Ralph R. |title=The Impact of Hurricane Georges on the Carbonate Beaches of the Florida Keys |url=https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/HurricaneGeorgesImpactFloridaKeys.pdf |website=Engineering, Hydrology and Geology Program |publisher=[[Florida Department of Environmental Protection]] |access-date=June 30, 2019 |date=1998|ref={{sfnRef|Clark}}}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Sumner |first1=H. C. |title=The North Atlantic Hurricane of October 13–21, 1944 |journal=[[Monthly Weather Review]] |date=November 1944 |volume=72 |issue=11 |pages=221–223 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1944)072<0221:TNAHOO>2.0.CO;2 |url=ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/mwr/072/mwr-072-11-0221.pdf |access-date=May 11, 2019 |publisher=American Meteorological Society |location=Washington, D.C. |bibcode=1944MWRv...72..221S |ref={{sfnRef|Sumner}} |doi-access=free }}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080307022737/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1944.pdf Monthly Weather Review]

{{1944 Atlantic hurricane season buttons}}
{{Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1944 Cuba-Florida Hurricane}}
[[Category:1940s Atlantic hurricane seasons|C (1944)]]
[[Category:Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes|1944]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Florida|1944]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Cuba|1944]]
[[Category:1944 meteorology|Cuba-Florida Hurricane, 1944]]
[[Category:1944 natural disasters in the United States|Cuba-Florida Hurricane, 1944]]
[[Category:1944 in Cuba|Cuba-Florida Hurricane, 1944]]
[[Category:1944 in Florida]]
[[Category:October 1944 events in the United States]] 
[[Category:October 1944 events in North America]]