Unnamed hurricane of 1948 (AL081948)
Unnamed hurricane of 1948 (AL081948) was a Category 4 hurricane at its peak, with 132 mph winds and a lowest pressure of 940 mb, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Modeled winds reached tropical-storm force (39 mph) at 6 of the cities we track; the strongest was Naples, FL, with a modeled peak gust of 120 mph.
- Peak strength132 mph winds (1-minute)
- Category 4
- Cities with tropical-storm-force windsModeled, of the cities we track
- 6
- LandfallsFirst September 20, 1948
- 4
- Lowest pressure
- 940 mb
Track, wind field and cities
Select a piece of the track or a city for details.
- Depression or weaker
- Tropical storm
- Hurricane, Category 1 or 2
- Major hurricane, Category 3 to 5
- Landfall
- City (larger ring, stronger modeled gust)
- Modeled wind field, 39 to 111 mph sustained (darker, stronger; orange 111 mph+)
The shaded areas are where our model puts Unnamed hurricane of 1948 (AL081948)’s sustained winds over open land at 39 mph or more (tropical-storm force), 58, 74 (hurricane force) and 111 mph (major hurricane force) at some point along its track. Modeled, not measured. How we model hurricane winds
Landfalls
- September 20, 1948, Category 3 at 127 mph, in Cuba
- September 21, 1948, Category 3 at 127 mph, in Cuba
- September 21, 1948, Category 3 at 121 mph, about 108 miles from Naples, FL
- September 22, 1948, Category 4 at 132 mph, about 39 miles from Naples, FL
Modeled winds at cities (6)
Estimated peak winds for open, flat ground at each city’s center. Not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
| City | Peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples, FL | 120 mph | 98 mph | 38 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 2:00 AM GMT-4 |
| Miami, FL | 93 mph | 75 mph | 59 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 2:00 AM GMT-4 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 90 mph | 73 mph | 13 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 10:45 AM GMT-4 |
| Cape Coral, FL | 84 mph | 69 mph | 66 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 2:00 AM GMT-4 |
| Palm Bay, FL | 65 mph | 53 mph | 57 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 1:45 PM GMT-4 |
| North Port, FL | 62 mph | 50 mph | 93 miles | Sep 22, 1948, 2:00 AM GMT-4 |
Best track (36 positions)
| Time | Status | Wind | Pressure | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 06:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 46 mph | 18.2°N, 79.2°W | |
| Sep 18, 12:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 58 mph | 18.2°N, 79.8°W | |
| Sep 18, 18:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 69 mph | 994 mb | 18.3°N, 80.4°W |
| Sep 19, 00:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 18.5°N, 80.8°W | |
| Sep 19, 06:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 92 mph | 18.8°N, 81.1°W | |
| Sep 19, 12:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 19.2°N, 81.5°W | |
| Sep 19, 18:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 121 mph | 951 mb | 19.6°N, 81.9°W |
| Sep 20, 00:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 127 mph | 20.0°N, 82.2°W | |
| Sep 20, 06:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 127 mph | 20.5°N, 82.3°W | |
| Sep 20, 12:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 127 mph | 21.2°N, 82.3°W | |
| Sep 20, 18:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 127 mph | 21.9°N, 82.3°W | |
| Sep 20, 22:00 UTC (landfall) | Category 3 hurricane | 127 mph | 22.3°N, 82.1°W |