Hurricane Irene produced somewhat heavy damage across southern Florida in October 1999. The ninth named storm and the sixth hurricane of the season, Irene developed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 13 from a tropical wave. It moved northward, hitting western Cuba before attaining hurricane status. Irene struck Florida on October 15 as a Category 1 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, first at Key West and later near Cape Sable. The storm moved across the state and tracked northward over the Gulf Stream. It approached the Carolinas but remained offshore. Irene turned eastward and significantly intensified into a strong Category 2 hurricane on October 18. By the following day, the system became extratropical due to cooler waters to the southeast of Newfoundland and was quickly absorbed by another extratropical low. Category 2 hurricane: peak winds of 110 mph (95 knots), lowest pressure 958 mb. October 12 – October 19, 1999. Landfalls: October 14 at 70 mph, 21.3°N 82.9°W; October 14 at 70 mph, 22.7°N 82.5°W; October 15 at 75 mph, 24.6°N 81.6°W; October 15 at 80 mph, 25.3°N 81.1°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 10.4. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL131999 (public domain).