Evidence of a supercell comes from the storm's shape and structure, and cloud tower features such as a hard and vigorous updraft tower, a persistent, large overshooting top, a hard anvil ( especially when backsheared against strong upper level winds ), and a corkscrew look or striations.

This was immediately followed by an abrupt weakening, and the storm's maximum sustained winds dropped to later that day.

Most of the houses, businesses, and other buildings suffered roof damage from the storm's ferocious winds.

Throughout its duration, it was a small tropical cyclone, although with a radius of gale force winds spreading 100 miles ( 160 km ) to the north, the storm's thunderstorm area quickly spread over Cuba.

Although Noreasters can produce winds that are similar to those in hurricanes, they do not produce the storm surge that proved to be the 1938 storm's greatest killer.

The storm's power was made apparent by its sustained hurricane-force winds of approximately with gusts to and the formation of an eye-like structure in the middle of the storm.

The fierce northeast winds from the storm — with the low pressure area stalled off of Martha's Vineyard — combined with astronomically high tides and storm surge resulting from the storm's low pressure to send water over low-lying land along the shores of Long Island Sound, Cape Cod Bay, and other bodies of water, resulting in some of the worst coastal flooding ever recorded.

It brought 70 mph ( 110 km / h ) winds to Turks and Caicos Islands and South Andros, as well as precipitation in the storm's outer bands.

During thunderstorm formation, winds move in a direction opposite to the storm's travel, and they move from all directions into the thunderstorm.

At time of Irene's arrival, red tides were ongoing in western Florida ; winds from the storm's precursor blew thousands of dead fish ashore.

The storm's persistent strong currents and easterly winds caused moderate beach erosion on the East Coast of the United States, mostly along the Florida coast.

Diamond Shoal Light reported sustained winds of 100 mph ( 160 km / h ), and Cape Hatteras, where the storm's eye came ashore, experienced 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) winds.

The storm's severe winds, waves, and storm surge left numerous beaches, piers, and other coastal structures heavily impaired.

Usually, such low readings near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico are observed only in hurricanes of Category 2 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, Overall, the storm's surge, winds, and tornadoes damaged or destroyed 18, 000 homes.

Further inland, the combination of strong winds and rains left heavy crop damage, destroying 3 million bushels of corn and another million bushels of soybeans ; losses to the corn crop were mitigated due to about half of the crop having been harvested before the storm's arrival.

Upon coming ashore, the storm's eye was about 20 km ( 12 mi ) wide, with gale-force winds within 95 km ( 60 mi ) of the center.

The storm's winds peaked at as it curved northeast out to sea, dissipating a couple days later.

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, the storm's moderately powerful winds downed telephone and telegraph wires and uproofed several buildings.

Along the Florida Panhandle, the storm's winds impacted power, telephone, and telegraph lines, and inflicted $ 2, 000 worth of damage to a dock warehouse.

The 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) wind measurement from Puerto Rico was taken by a cup anemometer in San Juan, 30 miles ( 50 km ) north of the storm's center, which measured 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) sustained winds three hours before the peak wind speed was reached ; however, the instrument was destroyed soon after and could not be calibrated.

Hurricane-force winds were measured in Guayama for 18 hours ; since the storm is estimated to have been moving at 13 mph ( 21 km / h ), the diameter of the storm's hurricane winds was estimated very roughly to be 234 miles ( 376 km ).< ref name =" mwr-pr "> After leaving the Caribbean, the hurricane moved across the Bahamas as a strong Category 4 hurricane.

Tides at Norfolk, Virginia were only slightly above normal during the storm's passage to the east, and winds were moderate in strength.

Charley initially was expected to hit further north in Tampa, and caught many Floridians off-guard due to a sudden change in the storm's track as it approached the state.

At first, the storm's proximity to Hispaniola prevented further strengthening, but by August 31, it had managed to intensify into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir – Simpson Hurricane Scale.

These fears were not realized, as the storm's path turned further east.

The storm's structure further deteriorated the following day, and Dora dissipated over southwest of Cabo San Lucas, without affecting land.

On August 26, a strong frontal trough weakened the high pressure system to the storm's north, causing a turn to the north during the next few days.

Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico on October 3, Stan had weakened to a tropical depression ; however, convection began to redevelop over the storm's center, allowing the system to re-attain tropical storm status.

In addition to Halifax Regional Municipality's urban core, the town of Truro and all of rural Colchester County as well as the western part of Pictou County experienced property damage and power outages from falling trees ; numerous barns and other agricultural buildings were damaged east of the storm's path, including a replica of the Hector in Pictou Harbour.

Throughout the storm's path from Central America into New England, a total of 63 people died in storm-related events.

During the deep freeze, Jack and Jason take shelter in an abandoned Wendy's restaurant, then resume their journey after the astronauts confirm the storm's dissipation, finally arriving in New York.

The telethon featured an appearance by John Goodman, a native of Affton, Missouri who now calls New Orleans home and whose family was actually missing for a time during the storm's peak.

" The New War ," the first Mack Bolan novel after Don Pendleton turned over Executioner series to Gold Eagle, is set during Hurricane Frederic with the storm's devastation having a major effect on the story.

The trough enhanced the wind divergence over the storm's center, allowing it to strengthen once again to reach hurricane force about south of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Despite the storm's common name as the " Blizzard of 1996 ", one of the few observing sites to record true blizzard conditions was Trenton-Mercer Airport near Trenton, New Jersey.

In November 1999, Nevis was hit by Hurricane Lenny, which caused some heavy damage to the island's infrastructure on the western coast, because of the storm's unusual track from west to east.

Late on September 20, this set-up caused the storm's forward speed to increase substantially.

Throughout the Caribbean Sea, the storm's effects consisted primarily of light rainfall, and in Florida, the precipitation caused flooding and minor damage.

Becoming a Category 2 storm while southeast of Cozumel, Storm Two nicked the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula, but caused little effect, perhaps because of the storm's small size.

An unspecified number of deaths were caused by the hurricane, and despite the damage, an August 1911 issue of the Monthly Weather Review described the storm's effects as lighter than expected, estimating total damage in Pensacola at $ 12, 000 ( 1911 USD, $ 280, 000 2011 USD ).

Although much of the storm's damage was caused by straight-line winds ( see downburst ), several tornadoes were reported.