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The 1932 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1932, and lasted until November 30, 1932. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
The 1932 season was an active one. An early tropical storm formed in May and hit Hispaniola, causing minimal damage. A Category 4 struck Galveston, Texas and the Galveston Seawall proved its worth. A Category 1 hit Alabama. The 1932 Bahamas Hurricane passed over the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane. A late-season Category 4 killed up to 3,000 people in Cuba. A Category 2 had a direct hit on Puerto Rico. And two tropical storms came ashore in Louisiana and one hit Florida.
[edit] Storms
[edit] Tropical Storm One
A tropical storm formed on May 5 in the south-central Caribbean Sea. Moving slowly northeast, the system gradually strengthened to its first peak of 45 mph (one-minute sustained) on May 7, and made landfall shortly thereafter on Hispaniola as a minimal tropical storm.[1][2] The system weakened over land as it crossed the Dominican Republic, emerging into the western Atlantic on May 8 as a 40 mph tropical storm. The weak tropical storm then began to curve more to the northwest on May 9 while restrengthening slightly, regaining a secondary peak of 50 mph on May 10 south-southwest of Bermuda. The system weakened to a depression shortly thereafter, and the diffuse system dissipated on May 11 just to the southwest of Bermuda.[1][2] Although the system affected Hispaniola as a minimal tropical storm, little damage was reported, and there were no reports of damage from Bermuda. Additional reports of damage, if any, are unknown.
[edit] Hurricane Two
A tropical storm formed August 11 in the southern Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatán Peninsula. Moving northward over the southern Gulf of Mexico on the 12th, it rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 with winds estimated at 145 mph (233 km/h) and an estimated central pressure of 942 millibars shortly before making landfall near Freeport, Texas, on the 13th. The eye of the compact storm crossed the coast about 10 p.m. on August 13, creating a 30- to 40-mile (64 km) wide path of heavy destruction in Brazoria County, Texas. The lowest barometric pressure recorded was 27.83 inches (942 mbar) in East Columbia in Brazoria County. Official warning was just four hours prior to the storm's landfall, and many people evacuating inland had to abandon their cars in high winds and heavy rains.[3]
In Galveston, Texas, power to an electrical and phone service was cut off, temporarily reducing communications. The passage between Galveston Island and mainland Texas was flooded, temporarily cutting off Galveston from the mainland. Heavy rains occurred, and a foot of rain fell as the storm moved north towards the coast.[3][4] 40 people were killed. The greatest single toll for any town was 7 in West Columbia, Texas, where sustained winds over 100 mph (160 km/h) flattened several homes. Two neighborhoods that had been constructed for oil industry workers there were nearly destroyed by the heavy tides and storm surge. Freeport, Angleton and Galveston suffered extensive wind damage, and the inland towns of Brazoria, West Columbia, Damon and Needville, all in the path of the eye, were also devastated. Damage estimates were $7.5 million in 1932 U.S. dollars.[3]
[edit] Hurricane Three
A tropical storm formed on August 26, east of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It headed north-northwest while affecting the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. It made landfall in South Florida on August 30, with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h), and only weakened to winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. While heading northwest in the Gulf of Mexico, it reached peak strength of 80 mph (130 km/h) on August 30, and made landfall on September 1 with those peak winds near Bayou La Batre. Ten fishing boats were sunk and one boy was killed. As it continued northwestward, it weakened to tropical storm status on September 1, before weakening to a tropical depression on September 2, and lost it's advisory status on September 4 near Warwick in southwest Ontario.[5][6]
[edit] Hurricane Four
- Main article: 1932 Bahamas Hurricane
This rare Category 5 hurricane began its life as a minimal tropical storm east of Puerto Rico on August 30. It moved northwest, rapidly intensifying and reaching its peak with 160 mph (260 km/h) winds as it crossed the Bahamas and Abaco Island on September 5 after moving through the Bahamas at peak intensity, causing great damage on Abaco.[7] The storm then began to curve northeastward out to sea, never affecting the United States mainland. 16 people were killed in the Bahamas from the hurricane.
[edit] Tropical Storm Five
A tropical storm formed on September 9 in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. It headed northeast, strengthened to 50 mph (80 km/h), and made landfall in Northwest Florida on September 15, lossing only 5 mph (8.0 km/h) in stength before entering the Atlantic Ocean. As it continued northeastward, it weakened further to 40 mph (64 km/h), before turning into an extratropical storm on September 16, and dissipated with winds of 40 mph (64 km/h) on September 17.[8]
[edit] Tropical Storm Six
A tropical storm formed on September 18 in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. It headed northeast, maintained strength, and made landfall near Marsh Island, Louisiana on September 19, and continued further inland into the United States. As it continued northeastward, it weakened to tropical depression status on September 20 in northern Mississippi, before dissipating with winds of 15 mph (24 km/h) on September 21 over southwestern Pennsylvania.[9]
[edit] Hurricane Seven
- Main article: 1932 San Ciprian Hurricane
A tropical storm which was first observed east of the Lesser Antilles on September 25 rapidly intensified as it moved westward, reaching a peak of 120 mph (190 km/h) winds the next day. It crossed through the northern islands on the 26th, and struck Puerto Rico on the 27th. After devastating the islands it greatly weakened, remaining as a tropical storm as it headed westward. The storm crossed the Yucatan Peninsula before dissipating on October 3 over Mexico. The San Ciprian Hurricane, as it was later known as, killed 225 people and caused $30 million in damage.[10]
[edit] Tropical Storm Eight
A tropical storm formed on October 7 in the central Caribbean Sea northeast of Honduras. It headed northwest, strengthened to 45 mph (72 km/h), and made landfall in northern Honduras on October 10. It's winds then weakened to 40 mph (64 km/h), as it continued north-northwestward across the Yucatán Peninsula, but maintained strength at 40 mph (64 km/h). It then emerged into the southern Gulf of Mexico on October 12. It continued westward and eventually turned north, it's winds increased to 50 mph (80 km/h), and made landfall in Louisiana on October 15. It weakened to tropical depression status on October 16 in central Alabama, before dissipating with winds of 15 mph (24 km/h) on September 21 over southwestern West Virginia.[11]
[edit] Tropical Storm Nine
A tropical storm formed on October 8 in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Virgin Islands. It headed northwest, strengthened to 50 mph (80 km/h), and got very close to Bermuda on October 10. It then turned northeast, was downgraded to a tropical depression and dissipated on October 12.[12]
[edit] Hurricane Ten
- Main article: 1932 Cuba Hurricane
A tropical storm formed on October 30 in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Virgin Islands. It was upgraded to hurricane strength on November 1 as it headed southwest into the Caribbean Sea. It was upgraded to Category 2 status on November 3 with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The storm strengthened into a major hurricane on November 5, and later peaked as an intense Category 4 hurricane on November 9 in the western Caribbean Sea. The storm later struck central Cuba shortly thereafter at its peak of 135 mph (215 km/h) on the same day, weakening to a Category 3 hurricane after crossing the island. The storm continued to slowly weaken as it moved through the Bahamas the following day, later weakening to a tropical storm and dissipating on November 13, becoming an extratropical storm shortly thereafter on the 14th over the central North Atlantic. The storm caused severe damage and a total of 3,033 deaths in Cuba.[13][14]
[edit] Hurricane Eleven
A tropical storm formed on November 3 in the central Atlantic Ocean. It headed north into the atlantic waters. It gained hurricane status on November 17 and turned northwest. As it continued, it stengthened to a peak of 100 mph (160 km/h), before weakening to an extratropical storm on November 10, as it impacted the Azores.[15]
[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy Rating (ACE)
The table below shows the ACE for each storm in the season. Broadly speaking, the ACE is a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the duration of its lifetime; thus, hurricanes that lasted a long time (such as Ten and Four) have higher ACEs. The ACE rating is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph/63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
| ACE (104 kt²) – Storm[16] |
| 1 |
Ten |
45.1 |
2 |
Four |
38.9 |
3 |
Seven |
12.6 |
| 4 |
Eleven |
9.60 |
5 |
Three |
7.35 |
6 |
Two |
6.34 |
| 7 |
Eight |
5.45 |
8 |
Five |
3.94 |
9 |
One |
3.27 |
| 10 |
Nine |
2.47 |
11 |
Six |
.980 |
|
|
|
| Total=136.000 (136) |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
