Remembering Hurricane Betsy, 60 Years Later

Hurricane Wilma struck the Florida Keys on October 24, 2005, causing the worst storm surge inundation in Key West since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. Though the center of the Category 3 storm passed about 75 miles to the northwest, Wilma’s massive wind field and rapid movement pushed a devastating storm surge onto the low-lying island. Water levels in Key West harbor reached nearly six feet above mean sea level. This surge, particularly a second wave coinciding with high tide, flooded approximately 7

Hurricane Betsy was first hurricane to cause more than $1 billion in damage - The Weather Network