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Aug 27, 2007 11:57 pm US/Eastern
Hurricane Minute: Hurricane Cleo Hits In 1964
by Bryan Norcross
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
43 years ago on August 27th, the eye of Hurricane Cleo made landfall on Key Biscayne and then moved right over Miami and Fort Lauderdale on its way north up the coast. That was the last time the eye of a hurricane hit Downtown Miami--August 27, 1964.
Weather bureau scientists captured pictures of Cleo's eye wall flying over the Caribbean near Haiti. Then at Category 4 strength, the storm mauled Southwestern Haiti. The Haitian mountains took their toll, so a weaker storm headed north toward Florida the next day.
During the day on the 26th, Cleo was sputtering down to Category 1 strength and barely that according to reconnaissance reports at 11pm. At the national hurricane center they were monitoring the storm on their new radar.
Director Gordon Dunn confidently announced that the center would stay 22 miles offshore of Miami Beach. Well it didn't work out that way.
Beginning about three hours later Cleo blasted Miami and Fort Lauderdale with winds over 100 mph. Channel 7's tower came down; planes were tossed at the airport, and marinas in Dade and Broward were a mess.
The lesson of Cleo resonates today. Over-precise forecasting of a hurricane can get you into trouble.
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