1870-1879 Atlantic hurricane seasons
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The decade of the 1870s featured the 1870-1879 Atlantic hurricane seasons. While data is not available for every storm that occurred, some parts of the coastline were populated enough to give data of hurricane occurrences. Each season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic basin. Most tropical cyclone formation occurs between June 1 and November 30.
[edit] 1870 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | July 30, 1870 |
|---|---|
| Last storm dissipated: | November 3, 1870 |
| Strongest storm: | #4 - 110 knots (130 mph) |
| Total storms: | 11 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | 2052 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872 |
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On October 5, a tropical storm developed south of Haiti. It moved west-northwest, becoming a hurricane south of Cuba on the 6th. The hurricane rapidly strengthened to its peak of 115 mph prior to hitting Matanzas, Cuba on the 7th. After crossing the island, it moved slowly over the Florida Keys, causing an additional 1200 deaths there. It moved out to sea, last being seen on the 14th. The hurricane, known as the Hurricane of San Marcos or the Straits of Florida Hurricane, caused massive flooding in Cuba and south Florida, resulting in 2000 casualties.
Later in October, on October 19 to be exact, another hurricane hit western Cuba, this time a Category 2. It crossed Florida, and caused 52 deaths.
[edit] 1871 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | June 1, 1871 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 13, 1871 |
| Strongest storm: | #3, 4 - 100 knots (115 mph) |
| Total storms: | 8 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $5,000+ (1871 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 30+ |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873 |
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Two June tropical storms began the hurricane season by hitting Texas on June 2 and June 9. The two caused light damage and one death.
On August 21, a major hurricane hit the Virgin Islands, having developed from a tropical wave on August 17. It continued west-northwestward, weakening to a Category 2 hurricane but maintaining its strength through the Bahamas. The hurricane hit the east coast of Florida on the 25th, and weakened to a tropical depression over Georgia. It turned eastward, restrengthening to a tropical storm while over the open waters. The storm was last seen on the 30th near Cape Cod, after causing 27 deaths.
A tropical storm formed in the Bay of Campeche on September 30. It moved northwest, strengthening to a hurricane. It paralleled the Texas coast, remaining offshore of the Gulf Coast until its Florida landfall on the 5th. It dissipated in the western Atlantic Ocean, after causing at least 2 deaths and around $5,000 in damage.
[edit] 1872 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 1, 1872 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 29, 1872 |
| Strongest storm: | #2 - 90 knots (100 mph) |
| Total storms: | 5 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 0 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | None |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874 |
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In the southern Gulf of Mexico, a tropical storm developed on October 22. It crossed Florida as a 60 mph (97 km/h) tropical storm, and hit South Carolina as a minimal hurricane. It caused 4-8 inches of rain in the Norfolk area.
[edit] 1873 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | June 1, 1873 |
|---|---|
| Last storm dissipated: | October 9, 1873 |
| Strongest storm: | #2, 5 - 100 knots (115 mph) |
| Total storms: | 5 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $3.5 million (1873 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 626 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875 |
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[edit] Hurricane Two
- Main article: Nova Scotia Cyclone of 1873
On August 13, a tropical storm formed in the Tropical Atlantic. It followed the track of a Cape Verde-type hurricane, becoming a hurricane on the 17th. It recurved to the north and northeast as it was reaching its peak of 115 mph (185 km/h). As it passed to the south of Nova Scotia, it slowed down, and drifted towards the coast of Newfoundland. The hurricane was able to retain hurricane strength, and made landfall on Newfoundland on the 26th, and became extratropical the next day. This hurricane caused strong winds in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, causing heavy rain, $3.5 million in damage ($70 million in 1990 USD), and 600 deaths. During this hurricane, the first hurricane warning was issued between Cape May, New Jersey and New London, Connecticut.
[edit] Hurricane Five
A tropical storm was first seen in the eastern Caribbean on September 26. It moved northwestward, hitting Haiti as a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane. It turned westward as a minimal tropical storm, but as it crossed the Yucatán Channel, it restrengthened, becoming a major hurricane again before hitting southwest Florida on the 7th. The hurricane became extratropical on the 9th after causing 26 deaths.
[edit] 1874 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | July 2, 1874 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 4, 1874 |
| Strongest storm: | #7 - 90 knots (105 mph) |
| Total storms: | 7 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 0 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | None |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876 |
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A northward moving tropical storm through the Gulf of Mexico, which formed on September 2, hit the northeast Mexico coast on the 4th. It destroyed the Brazos Santiago lighthouse, but caused not much damage elsewhere.
Later in September, a tropical storm formed in the western Caribbean. After hitting the Yucatán Peninsula, it crossed Florida as a category 1. It hit South Carolina on the 28th, and became extratropical on the 30th while crossing the Eastern Seaboard. This was the first hurricane ever to be shown on a weather map.
[edit] 1875 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 19, 1875 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 16, 1875 |
| Strongest storm: | #3 - 100 knots (115 mph) |
| Total storms: | 6 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 1 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | 800 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877 |
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On September 8, a hurricane was first observed east of Barbados. It moved passed the islands and through the Caribbean, hitting Cuba on the 13th. It weakened while over Cuba to a tropical storm, but in the Gulf of Mexico, it restrengthened to a peak of 115 mph (185 km/h). It hit Indianola, Texas at that intensity on the 16th. It turned northeastward, dissipating over Mississippi. The storm brought strong storm surge to the Texas coast, causing heavy damage and a total of 800 deaths. The storm was the first of two hurricanes to devastate Indianola, the other being the Indianola Hurricane of 1886.
[edit] 1876 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | Before September 9, 1876 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 23, 1876 |
| Strongest storm: | #2 - 100 knots (115 mph) |
| Total storms: | 5 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 1 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | 19 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878 |
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[edit] San Felipe Hurricane
A hurricane first observed east of the Windward Islands on September 12 hit the islands that night. It strengthened to become a Category 3 hurricane, and hit Puerto Rico at that intensity on the 13th. It crossed over Hispaniola and Cuba before turning northward, avoiding Florida on the way. The weakened tropical storm headed towards the Carolinas, where it strengthened to a minimal hurricane before hitting near Wilmington, North Carolina on the 17th. It continued through the interior of the United States, dissipating on the 19th near Cape Cod. There were 19 deaths reported, but historians suspected the Spanish Government withheld actual damage and death toll data. The storm was remembered as the "San Felipe Hurricane" because it struck on September 13, the feast day of Saint Philip.
[edit] External links
[edit] 1877 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 1, 1877 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 29, 1877 |
| Strongest storm: | #4 - 100 knots (115 mph) |
| Total storms: | 8 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 1 |
| Total damage: | Unknown |
| Total fatalities: | 84 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879 |
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On September 21, a tropical storm was first observed east of the Leeward Islands. It moved west at a low latitude, hugging the coast of South America while strengthening. It crossed over northern Venezuela on the 23rd, one of just a few tropical systems to hit that country. The hurricane turned northward, weakening to a minimal Category 1 storm. It crossed the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, where it strengthened to a 115 mph (185 km/h) major hurricane just before landfall. It hit the Florida Panhandle on the 3rd, and became extratropical over the Carolinas on the 4th. The storm caused heavy rain and destruction, resulting in 84 deaths.
[edit] 1878 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | July 1, 1878 |
|---|---|
| Last storm dissipated: | December 2, 1878 |
| Strongest storm: | #7 - 120 knots (140 mph) |
| Total storms: | 12 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $2 million (1878 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 108 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880 |
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A tropical storm was first observed on September 1 just north of South America. It moved to the west-northwest, becoming a hurricane before hitting the Leeward Islands on the 2nd. It continued across the Caribbean, hitting Haiti and paralleling the north coast of Cuba. It hit southern Florida, and after drifting around the state, reached the western Atlantic where it became a hurricane again. It stuck southern South Carolina on the 12th, and became extratropical the next day over Virginia. It caused at least 9 deaths, though more is possible.
A tropical storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico on October 9. It moved across Florida, and after tracking near the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, it strengthened to a hurricane. The storm brought heavy wind and rain to New England, causing 27 deaths.
- Main article: Gale of 1878
On October 18 a tropical storm formed west of Jamaica. As it neared its Cuban landfall, it strengthened to a 100 mph (160 km/h) hurricane, but weakened while crossing the island. It passed over southeast Florida and the Bahamas, strengthening to a 100 mph (160 km/h) hurricane again before hitting North Carolina. The hurricane raced across the interior of the United States, becoming extratropical on the 24th over New York. The hurricane caused over $2 million in damage, and at least 72 casualties.
[edit] 1879 Atlantic hurricane season
 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 9, 1879 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | November 20, 1879 |
| Strongest storm: | #4 - 110 knots (130 mph) |
| Total storms: | 8 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $.5+ million (1879 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 47 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881 |
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On August 13 a tropical storm was first seen near the Windward Islands. It passed to the north of the islands, and became a hurricane near the Bahamas on the 16th. It continued northward, and hit eastern North Carolina as a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane. After crossing the state it moved to into the northwestern Atlantic, crossing Cape Cod and Nova Scotia before becoming extratropical on the 20th. The hurricane was responsible for 46 deaths, as well as great damage in North Carolina and Virginia.
A tropical storm first seen in the western Caribbean Sea on August 19 hit the Yucatán Peninsula, reaching the Gulf of Mexico on the 21st. The storm moved northward, hitting the northeast Texas coast on the 23rd. Damage was heavy, but there were no reported deaths.
Only a week after the previous storm, Louisiana was hit by a stronger storm; a 130 mph (210 km/h) hurricane hitting just west of Morehead City, Louisiana on the 1st. It caused $500,000 in damage and one death.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml
- http://www.met.inf.cu/sometcuba/boletin/v07_n02/english/records_eng.htm
- http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/galeof78.htm
- http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm
- http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/history/
- Indianola Hurricanes from the Handbook of Texas Online
