1888 Louisiana hurricane

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Hurricane Three
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 14, 1888 (1888-08-14)
Mid-Atlantic states, and Northeastern United States
Part of the 1888 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1888 Louisiana hurricane was a major hurricane that caused significant

Mississippi Valley in late August 1888. It was the third tropical cyclone
and second hurricane of the 1888 Atlantic hurricane season.

History

The cyclone first appeared north-northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands, but may have formed earlier, undetected. It moved west-northwest, reaching hurricane intensity and making several landfalls in the Bahamas. In the island chain, the hurricane caused some damage to shipping, fruit groves, and fences, but apparently caused no known deaths.

The storm then peaked as the equivalence of a strong Category 3 hurricane before hitting South Florida near present-day Miami Beach. Few people then lived in the area, so damage was mostly minimal, but a large storm surge affected the coast, and areas farther north on the peninsula reported damage to fruit groves, communications wires, and boats. Afterward, the cyclone crossed the thinly populated southern peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico, which it reached as a weaker hurricane. Re-intensifying over the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane attained a secondary peak intensity of 110 miles per hour (177 km/h) before hitting Louisiana at that intensity. Areas along the Gulf Coast reported significant, widespread destruction from heavy rains, storm surge, and high tides, especially in Louisiana, where the storm destroyed crops and blew down buildings.

The storm then curved northeast into

Mid-Atlantic region
, one of which caused 10 of the 12 reported deaths in the outbreak.

Meteorological synopsis

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

By 12:00

Category 3 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale—with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).[2]

After reaching major hurricane status, the cyclone approached the

Miami.) Although few observations were available near the inner core of the cyclone, scientific reassessment conducted by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project determined that the central pressure at landfall was likely close to 945 millibars (27.91 inHg),[3] based primarily upon an observed storm surge value.[4] The hurricane is one of 15 major hurricanes to have impacted southeast Florida since official records in the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) began in 1851.[3] After striking South Florida—now defined as part of the Miami metropolitan area—the cyclone weakened as it moved inland over the Everglades, passing well to the south of Lake Okeechobee. By 06:00 UTC on August 17, the cyclone reached the coast of Southwest Florida near present-day Cape Coral; due to interaction with land, its maximum sustained winds had decreased to 80 mph (129 km/h), equivalent to a modern Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. The storm then passed out into the Gulf of Mexico near present-day Matlacha and Cayo Costa State Park.[2]

After entering the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida, the cyclone began to re-intensify and turn to the west. By 18:00 UTC on August 17, the hurricane regained winds equivalent to those of a modern Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. After having traveled west-northwest for its entire lifespan, at this time its path shifted to the west and began to approach the northern

Mississippi Valley, reaching the Mid-Atlantic region by 00:00 UTC on August 22. Early on August 22, the storm passed over southern New England, and by 12:00 UTC it became extratropical while centered about 80 mi (129 km) south of Bar Harbor, Maine. The extratropical cyclone was last positioned northeast of Newfoundland and Labrador at 18:00 UTC on August 24.[2]

Preparations and impact

As the hurricane passed through The Bahamas, it damaged fruit trees, crops, and fences, especially on the Abaco Islands, Harbour Island, and New Providence. According to the New York Times, winds in Nassau, on New Providence, shifted from northeast and southwest, lasting about eight hours, but causing only slight damage to nearby shipping.[5]

The hurricane affected few people in South Florida, striking a portion of the coast that was largely unpopulated and devoid of major settlements. Nevertheless, the cyclone produced widespread damage over much of the region, extending as far north as

Coconut Grove in the 1926 Miami hurricane[9]—in fact, it was even higher than the officially measured value of 13.2 ft (4.0 m) in Miami from the same storm[10]—and was only exceeded by the 16.89 ft (5.1 m) measured at the Burger King International Headquarters near Cutler in Dade County during Hurricane Andrew in 1992.[11][12] However, little information is available about the circumstances of the storm surge value reported in 1888.[4]

As the hurricane passed into the Gulf of Mexico, high tides and strong winds affected the northern U.S. Gulf Coast, beginning in the

Florida Panhandle. The town of Cedar Key experienced light rain as the storm passed well to its southwest. The town also witnessed peak winds of 42 mph (68 km/h) that led to reports of yachts capsizing.[6] The Florida Panhandle, closer to the center of the storm, experienced much higher winds and sustained heavier damages. Winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) affected the town of Pensacola, causing significant damage to property in the area.[6] Farther west, other communities reported even more severe damage due to high tides and storm surge. For instance, the city of Mobile, Alabama, experienced one of its worst floods on record as a storm surge caused the Mobile River to overflow, submerging the Mobile waterfront to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m) and spreading floodwater two to three blocks inland.[1][13] Strong winds that peaked at 55 mph (89 km/h) in the city topped trees, blew down fences, and unroofed some homes.[1][13] Some damage occurred along the Mississippi coast as waves washed out some coastal structures and winds prostrated trees.[14] However, the worst damage occurred in the Mississippi River Delta, just to the east of the center, where severe flooding left large sections of countryside underwater.[7][14] Severe damage occurred to crops in the area, particularly rice and sugarcane: entire rice fields were flooded to a depth of several feet, and much of the sugarcane crop was flattened by strong winds. In the Bayou Teche country, the hurricane blew down numerous outbuildings, unroofed numerous homes, and destroyed some large dwellings and churches.[14] After the storm, growers estimated that 30–60% of the rice crop sustained damage.[15] In many areas at least one-third of the timber was downed.[13]

In the Mid-Atlantic region and southern New England, the storm produced gale-force winds and heavy rainfall, washing out numerous railroad bridges and tracks.[16] Strong winds reached 38 mph (61 km/h) in Norfolk, Virginia, and 44 mph (71 km/h) in New Haven, Connecticut. The winds blew down awnings, signs, and tree branches.[16] In Delaware and Maryland, the cyclone spawned numerous tornadoes—five of which were "significant" (F2 or greater) on the Fujita scale—that killed at least 12 people.[17] One or more tornadoes may have hit Springfield and Glendale in Montgomery County, Maryland, north of Washington, D.C., destroying a church, a dwelling, and a blacksmith's shop. Winds downed large oak trees, "shattering a car" in the county.[16] One tornado caused a large cannery, two stories tall, to collapse, killing 10 people under mounds of debris near Still Pond, Maryland.[16][17]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1888)16[185b:APEIIA]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Landsea, Chris; Anderson, Craig; Bredemeyer, William; et al. (January 2022). Continental United States Hurricanes (Detailed Description). Re-Analysis Project (Report). Miami, Florida: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c National Hurricane Center; Hurricane Research Division; Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (March 2014). "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT) Meta Data". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  5. ^ "A hurricane in the Bahamas". New York Times. Nassau, Bahamas. August 25, 1888. p. 3.
  6. ^
    doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1888)16[198:W]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Barnes 1998, p. 73
  8. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1888)16[211:TOMMDF]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  9. ^ Barnes 1998, p. 113
  10. ^ Duedall & Williams 2002, p. 91
  11. ^ Duedall & Williams 2002, p. 97
  12. ^ Edward Rappaport (1993-12-10). Hurricane Andrew. National Hurricane Center (Preliminary Report). Miami, Florida: United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  13. ^ a b c "Storms south and west: railroads damaged, wires broken, and buildings wrecked". New York Times. August 21, 1888. p. 1.
  14. ^ a b c "By storms and bloods: great damage along the Gulf Coast. Crops damaged, coal barges lost, and a steamer wrecked--many bridges swept away". New York Times. August 22, 1888. p. 3.
  15. ^ "After the storm: further particulars of damage in various sections". New York Times. August 24, 1888. p. 5.
  16. ^
    Baltimore, Maryland
    . August 23, 1888. p. 2.
  17. ^ a b Grazulis 1993, p. 645

Bibliography

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