The 1893 Sea Islands hurricane was a deadly major hurricane that struck the Sea Islands which was near Savannah,Georgia on August 27,1893. [1] It was the 7th deadliest hurricane in the United States history,and was one of the three deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season;the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people,mostly from storm surge. This is also the storm that made United States Life-Saving Service Keeper Dunbar Davis famous,by rescuing four ships. The long-term effects included strengthening Jim Crow at the expense of local Blacks. [2]
Deadliest United States hurricanes | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rank | Hurricane | Season | Fatalities |
1 | 4 "Galveston" | 1900 | 8,000–12,000 |
2 | 4 "San Ciriaco" | 1899 | 3,400 |
3 | 4 Maria | 2017 | 2,982 |
4 | 5 "Okeechobee" | 1928 | 2,823 |
5 | 4 "Cheniere Caminada" | 1893 | 2,000 |
6 | 3 Katrina | 2005 | 1,392 |
7 | 3 "Sea Islands" | 1893 | 1,000–2,000 |
8 | 3 "Indianola" | 1875 | 771 |
9 | 4 "Florida Keys" | 1919 | 745 |
10 | 2 "Georgia" | 1881 | 700 |
Reference: NOAA, GWU [3] [4] [nb 1] |
In the United States, coastal flooding was reported from St. Augustine, Florida, to Georgetown, South Carolina. [5] : 60 The storm downed hundreds of trees and partially or fully deroofed dozens of buildings in Florida, some as far as 50 mi (80 km) inland. Storm surge and abnormally high tides also caused damage, especially along the First Coast. [6] Winds deroofed structures as far south as St. Augustine and many buildings in Mayport suffered damage. Nearby, Jacksonville reported deroofed structures and downed trees and signs. [5] : 63 In Georgia, storm surge and tides inundated coastal areas with up to 7 ft (2.1 m) of water on Hutchinson Island and at least 6 ft (1.8 m) on Tybee Island and in parts of Savannah. Throughout the coast around Savannah and Tybee Island, tides washed away or destroyed homes, piers, and wharves, and beached ships, while winds destroyed many other buildings and downed numerous trees. Wind damage was reported as far inland as Augusta, Midville, and Waycross. [5] : 66
The hurricane carried with it a heavy storm surge, reaching 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea-level according to Clara Barton, although the modern NOAA SLOSH model calculates that some areas may have been inundated up to 30 ft (9.1 m), [7] which caused great destruction along the coastline and offshore Sea Islands in Georgia and South Carolina. Additionally, the News and Courier reported that storm surge reached 18 ft (5.5 m) at Wappoo Cut on Edisto Island and also noting the water "spread itself over the surrounding country like an endless inland lake. For two days communication between the island and the mainland was practically suspended". [5] : 68 Intense winds destroyed many homes, outbuildings, and trees on the island. [5] : 65 Waters from Port Royal Sound submerged Coosaw, Lady's, Parris, Warsaw, and Port Royal islands, including the city of Beaufort. There, coastal flooding significantly damaged or demolished waterfronts and wharves, [5] : 66 while few homes in Beaufort and Port Royal remained undamaged by the winds. [5] : 63
In Charleston, storm surge and tides flooded The Battery and some western parts of the city. [5] : 68 Winds downed trees and unroofed some homes. [5] : 65 An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people were killed (mostly by drowning), putting it on-par with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the sixth-deadliest hurricane in US history. St. Helena was estimated to have 6,000 African-Americans living there while 2,000 were women. The majority of the African-Americans owned land there and some rented. A lot of structures in that area were not elevated higher than 2 feet; therefore, they were covered by the first waves that went above the normal water mark. [8]
Although the hurricane was devastating, the American Red Cross did not arrive until October 1, possibly because of ongoing efforts following another hurricane that hit South Carolina in June. After the Red Cross arrived, a warehouse of clothing and food was started at Beaufort, South Carolina, to provide services to the affected. Relief efforts were impeded by a second Category 3 hurricane that struck just north of the area, near Charleston, South Carolina, on October 13. During a massive 10-month relief campaign, success was declared, with the Sea Islands population living in decent houses producing their own food again. Damages from the storm totaled to at least $1 million (1893 USD), equivalent to $34 million in 2023. [9]
Damage was reported as far north as Maine. Some areas, particularly New York City and Long Island, were already reeling from what later came to be known as the 1893 New York hurricane that had struck the region just days before, on August 24, and were damaged anew by this storm. "Immense" damage was reported to shade trees and telegraph and telephone wires in Washington. In Annapolis, Maryland "hardly a tree was left standing" and Baltimore reported the worst flooding since 1868. In New Jersey, damage was "heavy" in the New Brunswick area, and many trees were downed and roofs were blown off in Trenton. Damage was heavy all along the New Jersey coast and breakers were described as the biggest ever witnessed. Railroad tracks were under four feet of water between Bay Head and Berkley. In New York, several people died in The Rockaways, and a number of people were killed at points along the Hudson River when tow boats were destroyed. Crops were heavily damaged in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Boats were wrecked and sunk in the Dunkirk area. In Brooklyn, where 13 houses under construction were destroyed, damage was "severe" and Gravesend Bay was "littered with the wrecks of small yachts and boats." In Coney Island, roofs were lifted off big buildings and carried for blocks. Waves topped the seawall by 15 feet at Battery Park. Damage was heavy at resorts on Long Island and it was the worst storm on the New England coast in 20 years. [10] [11] [12] [13]
The 1947 Atlantic hurricane season was the first Atlantic hurricane season to have tropical storms labeled by the United States Air Force. The season officially began on June 16, 1947, and ended on November 1, 1947. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the first tropical cyclone developed on June 13, while the final system was absorbed by a cold front on December 1. There were 10 tropical storms; 5 of them attained hurricane status, while two became major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the modern day Saffir–Simpson scale. Operationally, the third tropical storm was considered two separate tropical cyclones, resulting in the storm receiving two names. The eighth tropical storm went undetected and was not listed in HURDAT until 2014.
The 1916 Atlantic hurricane season featured eighteen tropical cyclones, of which nine made landfall in the United States, the most in one season until 2020, when eleven struck. The first storm appeared on May 13 south of Cuba, while the final tropical storm became an extratropical cyclone over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on November 15. Of the 18 tropical cyclones forming that season, 15 intensified into a tropical storm, the second-most at the time, behind only 1887. Ten of the tropical storms intensified into a hurricane, while five of those became a major hurricane. The early 20th century lacked modern forecasting tools such as satellite imagery and documentation, and thus, the hurricane database from these years may be incomplete.
The 1912 Atlantic hurricane season was an average hurricane season that featured the first recorded November major hurricane. There were eleven tropical cyclones, seven of which became tropical storms; four of those strengthened into hurricanes, and one reached major hurricane intensity. The season's first cyclone developed on April 4, while the final dissipated on November 21. The season's most intense and most devastating tropical cyclone was the final storm, known as the Jamaica hurricane. It produced heavy rainfall on Jamaica, leading to at least 100 fatalities and about $1.5 million (1912 USD) in damage. The storm was also blamed for five deaths in Cuba.
The 1903 Atlantic hurricane season featured seven hurricanes, the most in an Atlantic hurricane season since 1893. The first tropical cyclone was initially observed in the western Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico on July 21. The tenth and final system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone well northwest of the Azores on November 25. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Six of the ten tropical cyclones existed simultaneously.
The 1899 Atlantic hurricane season featured the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record. There were nine tropical storms, of which five became hurricanes. Two of those strengthened into major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the modern day Saffir–Simpson scale. The first system was initially observed in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on June 26. The tenth and final system dissipated near Bermuda on November 10. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. In post-season analysis, two tropical cyclones that existed in October were added to HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database. At one point during the season, September 3 through the following day, a set of three tropical cyclones existed simultaneously.
The 1893 Atlantic hurricane season was a fairly active season, with 12 tropical storms forming, 10 of which became hurricanes. Of those, five became major hurricanes. It has the third highest accumulated cyclone energy on record for Atlantic hurricane season, totaling 231. This season proved to be a very deadly season, with two different hurricanes each causing over 2,000 deaths in the United States; at the time, the season was the deadliest in U.S. history. The season was one of two seasons on record to see four Atlantic hurricanes active simultaneously, along with the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. Additionally, August 15, 1893 was the only time since the advent of modern record keeping that three storms have formed on the same day until 2020 saw Wilfred, Alpha, and Beta forming on the same day; and for the first time, there were two high-intensity hurricanes simultaneously in one month of August, and this was not repeated until the year 2023.
The 1889 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1889. In the 1889 Atlantic season there were nine tropical storms and six hurricanes. However, due to scarce technology and the fact that only storms that affected populated land or ships were recorded, the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.
The 1821 Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane was a intense and record breaking tropical cyclone that devastated the East Coast of the United States in early September & was one of four known tropical cyclones that have made landfall in New York City. It has been estimated that a similar hurricane would cause about $250 billion in damages if a similar storm were to occur in 2014. Despite that, a even earlier and more intense hurricane struck the greater area during the pre-Columbian era which left evidence that was detected in South Jersey via paleotempestological research. A third and more recent storm was the 1893 New York hurricane, while the fourth was Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Hurricane Esther was the first large tropical cyclone to be discovered by satellite imagery. The fifth tropical cyclone, named storm, and hurricane of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, Esther developed from an area of disturbed weather hundreds of miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands on September 10. Moving northwestward, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Esther on September 11, before reaching hurricane intensity on the following day. Early on September 13, Esther curved westward and deepened into a major hurricane. The storm remained a Category 3 hurricane for about four days and gradually moved in a west-northwestward direction. Late on September 17, Esther strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) on September 18. The storm curved north-northeastward on September 19, while offshore of North Carolina. Esther began to weaken while approaching New England and fell to Category 3 intensity on September 21. The storm turned eastward early on the following day, and rapidly weakened to a tropical storm.
The 1888 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1888. In the 1888 Atlantic season there were two tropical storms, four hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea are known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.
Hurricane Helene was the most intense tropical cyclone of the 1958 Atlantic hurricane season. The eighth tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the year, Helene was formed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles. Moving steadily westward, the storm slowly intensified, attaining hurricane strength on September 26. As conditions became increasingly favorable for tropical cyclone development, Helene began to rapidly intensify. Nearing the United States East Coast, the hurricane quickly attained Category 4 intensity on September 26, before it subsequently reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 930 mbar. The intense hurricane came within 10 mi (16 km) of Cape Fear, North Carolina before recurving out to sea. Accelerating Helene gradually weakened, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it passed over Newfoundland on September 29. Helene's extratropical remnants traversed eastwards across the Atlantic Ocean before dissipating near Great Britain on October 4.
The 1924 Atlantic hurricane season featured the first officially recorded Category 5 hurricane, a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds exceeding 155 mph (249 km/h) on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. The first system, Tropical Storm One, was first detected in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on June 18. The final system, an unnumbered tropical depression, dissipated on November 24. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Of the 13 tropical cyclones of the season, six existed simultaneously. The season was average with 11 tropical storms, five of which strengthened into hurricanes. Further, two of those five intensified into major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale.
The 1851 Atlantic hurricane season was the first Atlantic hurricane season to be included in the official Atlantic tropical cyclone record. Six known tropical cyclones occurred during the season, the earliest of which formed on June 25 and the latest of which dissipated on October 19. These dates fall within the range of most Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. None of the cyclones existed simultaneously with another. Three of the six storms only have a single point in their track known.
The 1881 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and early fall of 1881. This is the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. In the 1881 Atlantic season there were three tropical storms and four hurricanes, none of which became major hurricanes. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated. Of the known 1881 cyclones, Hurricane Three and Tropical Storm Seven were both first documented in 1996 by Jose Fernandez-Partagas and Henry Diaz. They also proposed changes to the known tracks of Hurricane Four and Hurricane Five.
The 1854 Atlantic hurricane season featured five known tropical cyclones, three of which made landfall in the United States. At one time, another was believed to have existed near Galveston, Texas in September, but HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – now excludes this system. The first system, Hurricane One, was initially observed on June 25. The final storm, Hurricane Five, was last observed on October 22. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. No tropical cyclones during this season existed simultaneously. One tropical cyclone has a single known point in its track due to a sparsity of data.
The 1879 Atlantic hurricane season ran from the summer to near the end of autumn in 1879. In 1879 there were two tropical storms, four hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated. Of the known 1879 cyclones, Hurricane One were first documented in 1995 by Jose Fernandez-Partagas and Henry Diaz. They also proposed large changes to the known tracks of Hurricanes Two, Three, Seven and Eight. Later one storm was deemed not to be a tropical cyclone at all and was dropped from the database.
The 1898 Georgia hurricane was a major hurricane that hit the U.S. state of Georgia, as well as the strongest on record in the state. It was first observed on September 29, although modern researchers estimated that it developed four days earlier to the east of the Lesser Antilles. The hurricane maintained a general northwest track throughout its duration, and it reached peak winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) on October 2. That day, it made landfall on Cumberland Island in Camden County, Georgia, causing record storm surge flooding. The hurricane caused heavy damage throughout the region, and killed at least 179 people. Impact was most severe in Brunswick, where a 16 ft (4.9 m) storm surge was recorded. Overall damage was estimated at $1.5 million (1898 USD), most of which occurred in Georgia. In extreme northeastern Florida, strong winds nearly destroyed the city of Fernandina, while light crop damage was reported in southern South Carolina. After moving ashore, the hurricane quickly weakened and traversed much of North America; it continued northwestward until reaching the Ohio Valley and turning northeastward, and it was last observed on October 6 near Newfoundland.
Hurricane Able was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States in the 1952 season. Forming on August 18 off the west coast of Africa, Able moved generally west- to west-northwestward for much of its duration. It was first observed by the Hurricane Hunters on August 25 to the north of the Lesser Antilles. Two days later, Able attained hurricane status, and on August 30 it turned sharply to the north-northwest in response to a cold front. The hurricane reached peak winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) just prior to moving ashore near Beaufort, South Carolina on August 31. Although it quickly weakened below hurricane force, Able maintained tropical storm force for almost two days over land, eventually dissipating over Maine on September 2.
Tropical Storm Danny was a weak and short-lived tropical cyclone that caused minor damage to the U.S. states of South Carolina and Georgia. The fourth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the system formed from an area of low-pressure that developed from an upper-level trough over the central Atlantic Ocean on June 22. Moving west-northwestward, the disturbance gradually developed as convection, or showers and thunderstorms, increased over it. Although it was moving over the warm Gulf Stream, the organization of the disturbance was hindered by strong upper-level wind shear. By 18:00 UTC of June 27, as satellite images showed a well-defined center and thunderstorms, the system was upgraded to a tropical depression by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). At 06:00 UTC on the next day, the system further strengthened into Tropical Storm Danny east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. Danny continued its track towards South Carolina while slowly strengthening, subsequently reaching its peak intensity at that day of 45 mph (72 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 1,009 mbar (29.8 inHg) at 18:00 UTC. Danny then made landfall in Pritchards Island, north of Hilton Head, in a slightly weakened state at 23:20 UTC on the same day, with winds of 40 mph (64 km/h) and indicating that Danny weakened prior to moving inland. The system then weakened to a tropical depression over east-central Georgia, before dissipating shortly afterward.