Floridians in the Panhandle began assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Kate on this date. The latest hurricane to ever reach the continental United States, Kate was a category three hurricane which first stuck the Florida Keys killing two and flooding the region, then headed northeast in the Gulf of Mexico making landfall near Panama City. Heavy rain and storm surge in the region destroyed much of the Apalachicola Bay oyster industry, causing many fishermen to lose their jobs. The estimated cost of damage in Florida and Georgia was nearly $300 million.