Hurricane Dora Makes Landfall Near St. Augustine

The Storm That Sent the Beatles to Key West Finally Reaches Florida

Just after midnight on September 10, 1964, Hurricane Dora reached Florida.

At approximately 12:20 a.m., the hurricane made landfall about six miles north of St. Augustine. Peak winds around St. Augustine were estimated at approximately 125 mph.

Dora became the first hurricane during the twentieth century to make landfall in northeast Florida.

For Florida Learning Hub, the story has an unusual connection to September 9. Hurricane Dora prevented the Beatles from flying to Jacksonville and forced their aircraft to divert to Key West. While the Beatles waited hundreds of miles away, the storm responsible for their unexpected Florida detour was approaching St. Augustine.

Hours later, Dora came ashore.

The Storm That Was Supposed to Turn Away

Dora began as a disturbance near the Cape Verde Islands in late August. It became a tropical storm on September 1 and a hurricane soon afterward.

Eventually Dora became a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching approximately 130 mph. Forecasters initially expected a weather system farther north to turn Dora away from the United States.

It didn't. Instead, Dora turned west. Northeast Florida found itself directly in the path.

St. Augustine Waits

Dora approached the Florida coastline almost perpendicular to the shore. Long-lasting onshore winds pushed Atlantic water toward the coast. The hurricane slowed as it approached, prolonging the pounding.

Shortly after midnight September 10, radar placed the landfall approximately six miles north of St. Augustine. The ancient city and surrounding communities experienced violent wind, rain and storm surge.

Water Comes Ashore

Storm tides along northeast Florida rose approximately five to eight feet or more above normal in some locations. On Anastasia Island, water levels were estimated at approximately 12 feet.

Coastal roads were damaged or destroyed. More than forty homes were lost along the coast. Jacksonville-area beaches experienced extensive flooding and erosion. The effects extended far beyond the immediate landfall point.

Then Came the Rain

Dora moved inland across North Florida—but slowly. Instead of simply crossing the state and disappearing, the storm's unusual movement helped produce enormous rainfall.

More than ten inches fell over an estimated 10,000 square miles. Mayo recorded 23.73 inches. Live Oak received 18.62 inches and suffered serious flooding.

Dora established flood records on portions of North Florida's river system, including the Santa Fe River at Fort White. The hurricane had become not merely a coastal disaster but an inland flooding disaster.

Dora and the Beatles

Meanwhile, one of the strangest side stories in Florida hurricane history was unfolding.

The Beatles had performed in Montreal on September 8 and were supposed to continue toward Jacksonville. Dora made that impossible. Their aircraft instead landed at Key West before dawn on September 9.

The world's most famous musical group spent roughly two unexpected days in the Keys while Dora battered northeast Florida. The Beatles eventually reached Jacksonville and performed at the Gator Bowl on September 11.

Two Florida stories separated by hundreds of miles were therefore tied together by one hurricane.

A Northeast Florida Benchmark

Dora became a defining hurricane for St. Augustine, Jacksonville and North Florida. Florida's most famous hurricane history often centers on South Florida and the Keys. Dora is a reminder that Northeast Florida is not immune.

Contemporary estimates placed Florida damage from Dora at roughly $200 million or more in 1964 dollars. Coastal destruction, inland flooding and agricultural damage made Dora a statewide event.

September 10, 1964

September 9's story was almost whimsical: a hurricane sent the Beatles to Key West.

September 10 explains what was happening at the other end of Florida. While fans gathered outside a Key West motel hoping to glimpse John, Paul, George and Ringo, residents of Northeast Florida were confronting one of the most important hurricanes in their region's modern history.

At 12:20 a.m. on September 10, Dora crossed the coast near St. Augustine.

The storm that created one of Florida's strangest music stories also created one of Northeast Florida's defining natural disasters.

Sources for Additional Reading

• National Weather Service — Florida Flood and Hurricane History — Hurricane Dora landfall, rainfall and flooding information.
• NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory — Hurricane Dora's St. Augustine Landfall — Historical analysis of Dora.

NOAA and National Weather Service maps and historical weather imagery are U.S. government material; FLH links readers to the originating agency record.

Related: Hurricane Dora Sends the Beatles to Key West

Next: The Beatles Reach Jacksonville and Play the Gator Bowl