Hurricane Donna Strikes the Florida Keys

A Powerful Storm That Changed the Keys

In the early morning darkness of September 10, 1960, one of the most powerful hurricanes in Florida history crossed the Middle Keys.

Its name was Donna.

The center crossed the Florida Keys between approximately 2 and 3 a.m. Maximum sustained winds in the Keys were estimated around 140 mph, with still stronger gusts. Buildings were torn apart. Boats and docks were destroyed. Water swept across portions of the Overseas Highway.

Then Donna continued northward and struck Florida again. By the time the hurricane was finished, much of the peninsula had experienced its effects.

A Cape Verde Hurricane

Donna originated far across the Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands. The storm developed in late August and became a hurricane as it traveled westward across the tropical Atlantic.

At its strongest, Donna reached maximum sustained winds of approximately 160 mph. It affected portions of the northeastern Caribbean and Bahamas before turning toward Florida.

By September 9, residents of the Florida Keys knew a dangerous hurricane was approaching.

The Middle Keys Take the Blow

Donna crossed the Middle Keys during the early hours of September 10. The National Weather Service describes destruction in the Marathon-Tavernier area as nearly complete for all but the most substantial buildings.

At Tavernier, a wind instrument reached its 120-mph limit and remained pinned there for roughly 45 minutes. Meteorologists later estimated sustained winds near 140 mph in the strongest portion of the hurricane.

The water was equally destructive. Storm tides crossed portions of the Keys, inundating the Overseas Highway and washing away approaches to bridges. Homes, businesses, docks and boats were battered throughout the island chain.

Donna Crosses Florida

Donna did not stop at the Keys. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane moved northward near Florida's southwest coast and crossed the coastline again south of Naples.

Naples and Everglades City experienced extremely powerful winds. The storm then traveled through the Florida peninsula before emerging into the Atlantic near Daytona Beach.

Donna therefore subjected an enormous portion of Florida to hurricane conditions, tropical-storm winds, flooding or heavy rainfall.

Agriculture Takes a Beating

Florida in 1960 was still heavily dependent upon agriculture. Donna struck that economy hard.

Thousands of trees were toppled. The citrus belt experienced damaging winds. Contemporary estimates indicated losses of roughly 25 to 35 percent of Florida's grapefruit crop and approximately 5 to 10 percent of its orange and tangerine crop. Avocado production also suffered severe losses.

Evacuation Saved Lives

Donna was tremendously destructive, yet one statistic is particularly important. The Weather Bureau estimated that evacuation in many vulnerable coastal areas reached approximately 90 to 95 percent.

Florida recorded twelve deaths attributed directly or indirectly to the storm. Considering the magnitude of the destruction, authorities recognized that evacuation had prevented a much greater loss of life.

It was an important lesson for a state whose population was rapidly increasing.

A Hurricane Studied by Modern Science

Donna also arrived during an important period in hurricane research. Weather radar was improving. Aircraft routinely entered tropical cyclones. Scientists from the National Hurricane Research Laboratory studied Donna closely as it approached and crossed Florida.

Radar captured the classic structure of the hurricane near South Florida. Research teams later traveled through the Keys documenting destruction.

Donna was therefore both a disaster and an important scientific event in the development of modern hurricane forecasting.

Donna's Florida Legacy

Hurricane Donna became one of the benchmark hurricanes against which later Florida storms were measured. For generations of Keys residents, the name required little explanation.

Donna demonstrated the vulnerability of the Overseas Highway. It demonstrated the destructive combination of wind and water. It demonstrated how a hurricane could damage agriculture hundreds of miles from its landfall.

And it demonstrated something else: evacuation works.

On September 10, 1960, one of the great hurricanes of the twentieth century crossed the Florida Keys—and continued across the state.

Sources for Additional Reading

• National Weather Service Miami — Hurricane Donna, September 1960 — Detailed meteorological history, damage and Florida impacts.
• NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory — Hurricane Donna — Research history and historical imagery.

NOAA and National Weather Service historical hurricane imagery is U.S. government material; FLH links readers directly to the originating agency record.