NHC AL081948 · Atlantic basin
Unnamed Hurricane of 1948
September 18, 1948 – September 26, 1948
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Unnamed 1948 storm peaked at Category 4 with 132 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 106 US cities, 106 of them while still at hurricane strength.
The 1948 storm in the record
HURDAT2 tracks the unnamed storm of 1948 (AL081948) for 8 days, from September 18, 1948 to September 26, 1948. Its first position, at 18.2°N 79.2°W, records it as a tropical storm; its last, at 47.5°N 39.0°W, as an extratropical cyclone. Its peak was 132 mph (115 knots), Category 4, on September 22, and its lowest central pressure was 940 millibars on September 22. It spent about 6 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks 2 landfalls within 50 miles of a US city on this site; they were on September 21 at 121 mph (Category 3), 8 miles from Summerland Key, FL; on September 22 at 132 mph (Category 4), 27 miles from Marco Island, FL. It has 2 more landfalls in the record farther from the cities here. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 106 US cities, all in Florida, between September 21 and September 22. The strongest pass was 132 mph (Category 4) 27 miles from Marco Island, FL; the centre came closest to Stuart, FL, less than a mile away. All of them had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 32 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 40% of the 737 storms on this site, and ranks 2nd of the 4 storms of 1948 here.
- Peak strength
- Category 4
- Cities within 75 mi
- 106
- At hurricane strength
- 106
- States
- 1
132 mph
when closest
Cities Unnamed 1948 storm passed near, strongest first
Florida (106)
- Marco IslandCategory 4 · 27 mi
- NaplesCategory 4 · 34 mi
- Bonita SpringsCategory 4 · 44 mi
- Florida CityCategory 4 · 53 mi
- Fort Myers BeachCategory 4 · 55 mi
- HomesteadCategory 4 · 57 mi
- SanibelCategory 4 · 62 mi
- St James CityCategory 4 · 66 mi
- EsteroCategory 4 · 47 mi
- Key LargoCategory 4 · 64 mi
- BokeeliaCategory 4 · 74 mi
- TavernierCategory 3 · 57 mi
- Cutler BayCategory 3 · 60 mi
- Cape CoralCategory 3 · 64 mi
- IslamoradaCategory 3 · 52 mi
- Fort MyersCategory 3 · 55 mi
- Palmetto BayCategory 3 · 59 mi
- MarathonCategory 3 · 29 mi
- Summerland KeyCategory 3 · 2 mi
- Key WestCategory 3 · 9 mi
- Big Pine KeyCategory 3 · 10 mi
- ImmokaleeCategory 3 · 26 mi
- South MiamiCategory 3 · 58 mi
- North Fort MyersCategory 3 · 63 mi
- Lehigh AcresCategory 3 · 47 mi
- MiamiCategory 3 · 55 mi
- Coral GablesCategory 3 · 57 mi
- DoralCategory 3 · 50 mi
- Key BiscayneCategory 3 · 64 mi
- HialeahCategory 3 · 49 mi
- AlvaCategory 3 · 49 mi
- Miami LakesCategory 3 · 49 mi
- Miami ShoresCategory 2 · 57 mi
- Miami BeachCategory 2 · 61 mi
- Opa LockaCategory 2 · 52 mi
- Miami GardensCategory 2 · 49 mi
- North MiamiCategory 2 · 56 mi
- MiramarCategory 2 · 47 mi
- North Miami BeachCategory 2 · 54 mi
- Bay Harbor IslandsCategory 2 · 59 mi
- WestonCategory 2 · 37 mi
- LabelleCategory 2 · 42 mi
- Pembroke PinesCategory 2 · 44 mi
- AventuraCategory 2 · 55 mi
- Sunny Isles BeachCategory 2 · 56 mi
- Hallandale BeachCategory 2 · 53 mi
- DavieCategory 2 · 45 mi
- HollywoodCategory 2 · 51 mi
- SunriseCategory 2 · 39 mi
- PlantationCategory 2 · 42 mi
- Dania BeachCategory 2 · 51 mi
- ClewistonCategory 2 · 19 mi
- Moore HavenCategory 2 · 30 mi
- TamaracCategory 2 · 39 mi
- North LauderdaleCategory 2 · 40 mi
- LauderhillCategory 2 · 42 mi
- Lauderdale LakesCategory 2 · 43 mi
- Fort LauderdaleCategory 2 · 47 mi
- Wilton ManorsCategory 2 · 48 mi
- Belle GladeCategory 2 · 1 mi
and 46 more
Other storms of the 1948 season
- Unnamed (AL021948)Tropical storm · 84 cities
- Unnamed (AL051948)Category 1 · 212 cities
- Unnamed (AL091948)Category 3 · 73 cities
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.