1896 Atlantic hurricane season

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

1896 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedJuly 4, 1896
Last system dissipatedNovember 29, 1896
Strongest storm
NameTwo
 • Maximum winds115 mph (185 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure956 mbar (hPa; 28.23 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total storms7
Hurricanes6
Major hurricanes
(Cat. 3+)		2
Total fatalities286
Total damage$10 million (1896 USD)
Related article
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898

The 1896 Atlantic hurricane season was fairly inactive but produced one of the costliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States until that point, along with several other destructive

tropical cyclones. The season began in early July with a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and ended in late November with a slow-moving tropical storm over the Lesser Antilles. Of the season's seven documented systems, six are believed to have become hurricanes, and two intensified into major hurricanes—the equivalence of Category 3 or greater on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. All but one of the systems directly affected land to some degree; Hurricane "Six" remained over open water and only posed a threat to shipping lanes. In addition, a possible storm was identified off the coast of North Carolina on August 28–29, but modern reanalysis efforts have found insufficient evidence to classify it as a tropical cyclone.[1] Tropical systems in the 1896 season killed at least 286 people and inflicted more than $10 million (1896 USD
) in damage.

The first hurricane made landfall in the

Cedar Keys with a large storm surge and subsequently causing extensive devastation in the eastern United States. The hurricane caused 202 deaths and more than $9 million in damage across eight states, plus Washington, D.C., and the Great Lakes. About two weeks later, Hurricane "Five" roughly paralleled the U.S. East Coast, causing substantial coastal flooding and destruction of beachfront property. Little is known about the season's sixth hurricane which never affected land. Torrential rainfall associated with the final tropical storm of the season triggered deadly flooding on Montserrat
, where nearly 50 people drowned and many more lost their homes.

Timeline

1896 East Coast hurricane1896 Cedar Keys hurricaneSaffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale

Systems

Hurricane One

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 4 – July 9
Peak intensity100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

The first documented tropical cyclone of the 1896 season has unclear origins. Although its official track in the

Florida Panhandle east of Pensacola, at Category 2 intensity.[2] Upon moving ashore, the hurricane produced powerful winds as high as 100 mph (160 km/h).[1] The storm rapidly weakened as it moved inland, and after tracking north for five days, its remnants dissipated near Baffin Bay on July 12.[2]

Widespread damage was reported in Pensacola and along the coast, with watercraft suffering the greatest losses. In the city's harbor, the storm sank nine fishing boats, damaged two

rainbands on the storm's eastern side spawned a tornado in Halifax County, North Carolina, that killed one person and destroyed several houses. Several more tornadoes developed in Virginia later in the day, causing five injuries and scattered damage.[4][8]

Hurricane Two

Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationAugust 30 – September 10
Peak intensity115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min);
956 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane San Ramón of 1896

On August 30, a tropical storm materialized east of the Lesser Antilles, on a northwestward course.[9] The next night, it made landfall on the southern coast of Puerto Rico as a Category 2 hurricane, accompanied by severe rain and wind.[1][10] The storm passed just north of Hispaniola and Cuba over the next several days,[1] delivering tropical storm-force winds to the islands.[10] On the evening of September 6, while near the Bahamas, a steamship crossed the center of the hurricane and recorded a barometric pressure of 28.24 inHg (956 mbar).[11] This corresponds to maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), or a Category 3 major hurricane, which represents storm's peak intensity.[10] The ship suffered extensive damage and lost one crew member when he fell overboard.[1] Tracking generally northward, the storm weakened to minimal hurricane intensity before making landfall over eastern Massachusetts on September 10, with 80 mph (130 km/h) maximum sustained winds extending to a radius of 35 mi (55 km) from the center.[2][10] Sustained hurricane-force winds were observed in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts as the storm moved ashore.[12] The system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone shortly thereafter.[2]

Several rivers in Puerto Rico overflowed, leading to extensive flooding. Five homes were destroyed along the coast of

storm tides inundated streets, wharves, and cellars along the coast, while farther inland, high winds damaged crops and stripped orchards of their fruit.[14] Wind gusts reached 80 mph (130 km/h) at Point Judith, Rhode Island, where five vessels were destroyed, and 75 mph (121 km/h) on Block Island.[1] In Providence, the storm brought down communications wires and lodged numerous yachts against the coast.[15] To the north, four sloops sank in Dorchester Bay.[1] In Boston, the storm caused minor wind damage, mostly limited to chimneys, fences, and signs.[16] On September 14, a stricken Italian barque called the Monte Tabor grounded out on a sandbar off Cape Cod after encountering the hurricane several days earlier. Seven of the ship's crew members made it safely to shore, but inexplicably, three others—including the captain—committed suicide upon running aground.[17]

Hurricane Three

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 18 – September 28
Peak intensity100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

An unusually large storm formed east of the

recurved to the northeast far from the East Coast of the United States, but still produced northeasterly wind gusts as high as 58 mph (93 km/h) at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and 51 mph (82 km/h) at Cape Hatteras, roughly 300 mi (480 km) northwest of the hurricane. Although its intensity and path are not certain,[1] the Atlantic hurricane database tracks the storm until dissipation south of Iceland on September 28.[2]

Hurricane Four

Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationSeptember 22 – September 30
Peak intensity125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min);
960 mbar (hPa)

The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896

Main article: 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane

The most destructive tropical cyclone of the season, and one of the costliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States at the time,

low pressure area over the Great Lakes.[20]

The Cedar Keys were struck by a devastating 10.5 ft (3.2 m) storm surge that undermined buildings, washed out the connecting railroad to the mainland, and fully submerged the smaller, outlying islands where 31 people were killed.[21][22] Strong winds destroyed many of the red cedar trees that played an important role in the economy of the region,[23] and several cedar mills were severely damaged or destroyed.[24] In interior Florida, the hurricane devastated many communities, leaving thousands of people homeless.[25][26] Few homes or businesses were left standing in the hardest-hit areas.[27] In northern Florida and southern Georgia, the hurricane razed millions of acres of pine forests, which crippled the local turpentine industry.[28] In Savannah, Georgia, a 45-minute onslaught of fierce winds unroofed thousands of structures and left parks in a state of disarray.[29][30] Damage to shipping and shoreline settlements in the Sea Islands was extensive.[31]

As the hurricane continued northward, cities and agricultural districts alike suffered extensive damage in

earthen dam upstream from Staunton, unleashing a torrent of water that swept homes from their foundations and ravaged the town's business district.[33] In Washington, D.C., thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped, communications were severed, and localized streaks of violent gusts damaged many public and private buildings.[34] Many trees, some of historical significance, were blown down on the White House grounds.[31] In Pennsylvania, flooding rains and powerful wind gusts produced widespread destruction, washing out railroads in western areas while demolishing hundreds of barns in and around Lancaster County.[35][36] The storm demolished a 5,390 ft (1,640 m) bridge over the Susquehanna River,[36] while the Gettysburg Battlefield lost hundreds of trees, a few of which landed on historical monuments.[37] Damaging winds brought down trees and powerlines throughout the Northeastern United States, and the hurricane's extratropical remnants wrought havoc on shipping in the Great Lakes.[38] Along the storm's path, it caused at least 202 deaths,[39] and wrought more than $9.6 million in damage.[40]

Hurricane Five

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 7 – October 13
Peak intensity100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

The East Coast Hurricane of 1896

Main article: 1896 East Coast hurricane

This cyclone was first noted in the southern

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, passing roughly 115 mi (185 km) to the southeast.[2] For several days, the hurricane brushed the coast from Virginia to southern New England with hurricane-force wind gusts.[1] The storm became extratropical by 00:00 UTC on October 14, and struck the coast of central Nova Scotia before dissipating on October 16.[2]

The storm had generally minor effects in Florida, mostly limited to coastal flooding in northeastern portions of the state.

storm tides that inundated and greatly eroded Cobb's Island, part of the Virginia Barrier Islands. Hotels and cottages there were extensively damaged.[32] The storm claimed about 50 acres (20 ha) of Cobb's Island, reducing its size by two-thirds; subsequently, the inhabitants abandoned the island and its use as a resort ended.[42] Along the Jersey Shore, low-lying railroads were flooded, boardwalks were destroyed, and many beach houses sustained damage.[41][43] The hurricane did $200,000 in damage to coastal installations on New York's Coney Island.[44] To the north, wind gusts as high as 80 mph (130 km/h) affected eastern New England, where shipping interests were heavily impacted by the storm.[1] Three sailors died when a schooner went aground along the coast of Delaware,[45] and another was tossed overboard while battling rough seas offshore.[44] Overall damage amounted to $500,000.[43]

Hurricane Six

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
 
DurationOctober 26 – November 9
Peak intensity100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

Little is known about the sixth storm of the season, which was first observed near 9°N 44°W / 9°N 44°W / 9; -44 on October 17, and intensified into a moderate hurricane as it roamed the open Atlantic for two weeks. It was last noted near 36°N 35°W / 36°N 35°W / 36; -35 on November 9.[2] On October 28, a ship was damaged by a severe squall or possible tornado, accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning, about 800 mi (1,300 km) to the northwest of the storm's estimated track. This incident may have been related to the hurricane if it were exceptionally large, and represents the only extant observation of the storm that modern reanalysis efforts were able to uncover.[10]

Tropical Storm Seven

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 27 – November 29
Peak intensity60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min);

The final documented system of 1896 formed over the far southern

Saint Vincent, and Barbados.[1] Several days of rainfall over Montserrat culminated in a "cloud burst" late on November 28,[46] with improving conditions reported by the next morning.[1] The storm remained below hurricane intensity and was last noted on November 29, just over 100 mi (160 km) northeast of Anguilla.[2] In the affected islands, heavy precipitation gave rise to flash flooding along mountain streams and in valleys, destroying crops and property. Cotton, coffee, and sugar plantations sustained significant damage.[1]

On Montserrat, one plantation recorded at least 21.15 in (537 mm) of rain in 21 hours, though the rain gauge overflowed between each of the three observations, preventing an accurate total from being obtained. It was speculated that several feet of rain may have locally fallen on certain hillsides, as evidenced by landslides that swept away trees, boulders, and large volumes of earth.

first mate, who reached solid ground by clutching to a piece of floating debris, and walking inland several miles.[47]

See also

References

Specific

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Partagás, José Fernández (1995). "A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources: Year 1896" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hurricane Research Division (June 16, 2016). "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  3. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)247[c1:CITOCO]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  4. ^
    doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[230:LS]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  5. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  6. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ United States Army Corps of Engineers (1945). Storm total rainfall in the United States. War Department. p. SA 3–4.
  8. ^ a b Barnes, p. 77
  9. ^ Orlando Férez (1970). "Notes on the Tropical Cyclones of Puerto Rico" (PDF). San Juan, Puerto Rico National Weather Service. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Hurricane Research Division (May 2015). "Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  11. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[336a:BNAHC]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  12. ^ Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (July 2016). "Continental United States Hurricane Impacts/Landfalls 1851-2015". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  13. ^
    doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[316:LS]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  14. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  15. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  16. ^ "Historical Report Database". Harvard Forest. Harvard University. 2001. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  17. ^ Snow, pp. 237–238
  18. ^ Schwartz, p. 101
  19. ^ Barnes, p. 78
  20. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  21. ^ National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area. "Hurricane of 1896 Strikes with a Fury: Fact Sheet" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  22. ^ Oickle, pp. 59–61
  23. ^ Oickle, p. 97
  24. ^ Oickle, p. 53
  25. ^ Oickle, p. 65
  26. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  27. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  28. ^ Oickle, p. 66
  29. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[368b:NCTWIH]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  30. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  31. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  32. ^ a b Roth, David M. "Virginia Hurricane History: Late Nineteenth Century". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  33. ^ Schwartz, p. 103
  34. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[322:TWOS]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  35. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  36. ^ a b Schwartz, p. 105
  37. ^ "National Park Service Discovers Bullets in Downed Witness Tree on Culp's Hill". Gettysburg Daily. August 10, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  38. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  39. ^
    View expanded list of sources
  40. ^
    View expanded list of sources
  41. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  42. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  43. ^
    doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[398:LS]2.0.CO;2
    . Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  44. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  45. ^ Schwartz, p. 108
  46. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  47. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon

Works cited

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1896 Atlantic hurricane season.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1896_Atlantic_hurricane_season&oldid=1160331078"