Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | September 9,1903 |
Dissipated | September 16,1903 |
Category 1 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 90 mph (150 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 976 mbar (hPa);28.82 inHg (lowest directly measured) |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 14 direct |
Damage | $500,000 (1903 USD)($16.3 million in 2024 USD) |
Areas affected | The Bahamas,Florida,Alabama,Georgia |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1903 Atlantic hurricane season |
The 1903 Florida hurricane was a moderate Atlantic hurricane that caused extensive wind and flood damage in peninsular Florida and over the adjourning Southeastern United States in early to mid September 1903. The third tropical cyclone and third hurricane of the season,this storm was first observed near the Turks and Caicos Islands early on September 9. Moving northwestward,it became a hurricane the next day and passed near Nassau,Bahamas. The cyclone then turned to the west-northwest on September 11 and passed just north of Bimini. As it crossed the Bahamas,the cyclone produced hurricane-force winds that caused damage to crops and buildings,but no deaths were reported over the island chain.
Late that day,the cyclone struck near Fort Lauderdale,Florida. The steamship Inchulva capsized near Delray Beach,drowning nine of her crew members. The cyclone caused severe wind damage in present-day Broward and Palm Beach counties,although most of the losses were to crops such as sugarcane. The cyclone weakened to a tropical storm while crossing Florida,but re-intensified into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on September 13. Hours later the storm made landfall near present-day Panama City,Florida. In Northwest Florida,Alabama,and Georgia,the cyclone produced widespread rainfall,causing some crop damage. Additionally,a storm surge caused boats to be blown ashore in the Florida panhandle. In all,the storm killed 14 people in Florida and produced $500,000 in damage. [nb 1]
After falling to tropical storm intensity early on September 14,the storm weakened to a tropical depression on September 16,several hours before dissipating over South Carolina.
Based upon scientific research conducted by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division in 2003, the cyclone is estimated to have begun as a moderate tropical storm about 15 miles (25 km) south-southeast of West Caicos early on September 9. However, due to scarce observations, its genesis likely occurred earlier than this time but was undetected operationally. [1] Moving slowly northwest, the cyclone quickly strengthened into a hurricane with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir–Simpson scale, early the next day. By 00:00 UTC on September 11, it attained its initial peak of 85 mph (140 km/h) while about 10 miles (15 km) west-northwest of Nassau, New Providence Island. Turning to the west-northwest, the cyclone maintained its intensity while passing just north of Bimini. [2] Around 23:00 UTC, the cyclone struck South Florida near Fort Lauderdale. [1] [3] Thereafter, the hurricane weakened upon crossing the Everglades, diminishing to a tropical storm early on September 12. [2]
Shortly afterward, the cyclone entered the Gulf of Mexico near Egmont Key, in the Tampa Bay area, with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Then it quickly began to restrengthen, regaining hurricane status the following day while centered about 100 miles (160 km) south of St. Marks, in the Big Bend of Florida. As it neared the Florida panhandle the storm, curving to the northwest and increasing its forward speed, acquired its secondary and strongest peak of 90 mph (150 km/h). The hurricane passed just west of Cape San Blas, but did not strike there. As its heading veered to the north-northwest, the cyclone made landfall just east of Panama City around 23:00 UTC. [3] [1] Moving inland, the cyclone decelerated dramatically and lost hurricane intensity, weakening further as it entered southern Alabama early on September 14. The next day, its trajectory gradually veered eastward, and by 00:00 UTC on September 16, it degenerated into a tropical depression. Less than 24 hours later, the system dissipated just east of the Georgia–South Carolina border. [2]
Between 06:00 and 12:00 UTC on September 10, the United States Weather Bureau issued storm signals, equivalent to a tropical storm warning in 2024, from Cedar Key, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina. [4] [5] These were later upgraded to hurricane warnings in South Florida. [4] Due to inclement weather conditions in West Palm Beach, which had been newly incorporated as a town just days earlier, businesses suspended their normal operations and people boarded up buildings, even as the strongest winds arrived. [4] As the cyclone moved into the Gulf of Mexico, reports from September 12 through September 14 helped ships prepare for the storm. [6]
In the Bahamas, the eye of the storm passed over Cat Cay, accompanied by a barometric reading of 28.82 inHg (976 mb). Only 0.84 inches (21 mm) of rain attended the passage of the hurricane on the island. [7] On New Providence Island, Nassau recorded a pressure of 988.8 mbar (29.20 inHg) and winds of 60 mph (97 km/h), shortly before the anemometer blew away. Afterward, the winds shifted from east to south and were estimated to be as high as 90 mph (140 km/h). On the island, the hurricane ruined the fruit crop and caused considerable damage to small structures. [8] [9] The storm also caused heavy damage to local shipping. [10]
In southeast Florida, no meteorological observations were available within 50 miles (80 km) of the eye. [8] However, the cyclone did produce an 8-foot (2.4 m) storm surge at Jupiter, [11] which was near the radius of maximum wind, [12] and generated sustained winds of 84 mph (135 km/h) there. Winds of damaging force extended 30 miles (50 km) north of Jupiter, and the preponderance of the damage was limited to areas south of that settlement. Only pineapple sheds were damaged at Jupiter. [8] About 9 mi (14 km) south, the schooner Martha T. Thomas was blown ashore, without loss of crew members. [13]
In West Palm Beach, many buildings were unroofed, while rainfall and winds subsequently caused further damage to their interiors, such as at The Tropical Sun office building, the Seminole Hotel, the Palms Hotel, Schmid's Commercial Hotel, and properties owned by former mayor Marion E. Gruber. Several other businesses suffered similar damage. Much debris, including roofing materials, branches, paper, and driftwood, was thrown into the streets, and large trees were "snapped off". In the African American section of the town, several buildings were destroyed, including three of the four churches. Damage there ran "way up in the thousands." [4]
Hotels on the nearby island of Palm Beach survived, but many coconut palms and other vegetation were prostrated. On the west shoreline of Lake Worth Lagoon, homes were swept off their foundations and their interiors flooded. [4] Coconut trees and shrubbery were also toppled on Munyon Island. All three of the cottages were blown into the Lake Worth Lagoon, while the hotel also suffered some damage. [14] The Lake Worth News building in Lake Worth was severely damaged by flooding. [4] Destruction in Boynton Beach was "almost indescribable." Dozens of homes were damaged to some degree. The ground was "literally covered" with fruit, including guava, lemons, and lime, while pineapple fields were flattened. Power and telegraph lines and trees, including many large pine trees, were toppled throughout the city. Offshore, a Standard Oil barge was beached against a reef; the crew of 11 men were forced to swim ashore. [15]
The settlements of Pompano, where the eye was believed to have come ashore, and Delray Beach were nearly annihilated; trees were defoliated and many buildings dismantled. At Pompano the two-story McNab home was leveled, along with a well-built packing house. [4] Offshore of Delray Beach, the 400-foot-long (120 m) British steamship Inchulva, laden with 7,000 t (7,000,000 kg) of wheat, wrecked near the Orange Grove House of Refuge. Of the 28 crew members, nine drowned as the ship stranded just 200 yd (180 m) off the beach. The wreck was later salvaged and transformed into an underwater diving attraction. [16]
Damage in the Miami area was mainly confined to small buildings that were overturned, trees uprooted, smokestacks downed, metal awnings broken, and metal roofs scattered. Only two or three homes were blown off their foundations in the northern part of the area. At the new building for The Miami Metropolis , the wall on the west side collapsed. Telegraph and electrical lines were downed throughout the city, leaving the streets "a tangle of wires." [17] The loss of electricity was restored by the night of September 12. [15] Damage in South Florida reached $100,000, [8] mainly to crops such as sugarcane in the Everglades. [18] [19]
In Central Florida, the cyclone only caused minor damage to structures and blew down trees, but at least two people died in Tampa. The storm also damaged businesses in the area and reportedly blew down half the local orange crop. [13] Heavy rainfall occurred along the path, peaking at 14+1⁄2 in (370 mm) at Fort Meade. [20] In the Florida panhandle, the hurricane produced a pressure of 984.8 mbar (29.08 inHg) and winds up to 80 mph (130 km/h) at St. Andrews settlement, near Panama City. The peak storm surge was measured at up to 10 ft (3.0 m) in the town of Apalachicola. Up to 50% of the cotton crop was destroyed, but overall structural damage was minor, though ships were grounded near Apalachicola. [21] [18] As the cyclone moved inland over Alabama and Georgia on September 14 and 15, it produced widespread rains peaking at 5.42 in (138 mm) at Griffin, Georgia. Minor crop damage occurred in low-lying areas, but advance warning reduced the potential damage. [22] Overall, the hurricane killed 14 people, all in Florida, and caused $500,000 in losses. [23] [19]
The 1976 Atlantic hurricane season was an fairly average Atlantic hurricane season in which 21 tropical or subtropical cyclones formed. 10 of them became nameable storms. Six of those reached hurricane strength, with two of the six became major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The season officially began on June 1 and lasted until November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the first system, a subtropical storm, developed in the Gulf of Mexico on May 21, several days before the official start of the season. The system spawned nine tornadoes in Florida, resulting in about $628,000 (1976 USD) in damage, though impact was minor otherwise.
Hurricane Donna, known in Puerto Rico as Hurricane San Lorenzo, was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the East Coast of the United States, especially Florida, in August–September. The fifth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, Donna developed south of Cape Verde on August 29, spawned by a tropical wave to which 63 deaths from a plane crash in Senegal were attributed. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Donna by the following day. Donna moved west-northwestward at roughly 20 mph (32 km/h) and by September 1, it reached hurricane status. Over the next three days, Donna deepened significantly and reached maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) on September 4. Thereafter, it maintained intensity as it struck the Lesser Antilles later that day. On Sint Maarten, the storm left a quarter of the island's population homeless and killed seven people. An additional five deaths were reported in Anguilla, and there were seven other fatalities throughout the Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, severe flash flooding led to 107 fatalities, 85 of them in Humacao alone.
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 1946 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in no fatalities in the United States. The season officially began on June 15, 1946, and lasted until November 15, 1946. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the first storm, developed in the Gulf of Mexico on June 13, while the final system dissipated just offshore Florida on November 3. There were seven tropical storms; three of them attained hurricane status, while none intensified into major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. This had not occurred since 1940 and would not again until 1968. Operationally, the fifth tropical storm, which existed near the Azores in early October, was not considered a tropical cyclone but was added to HURDAT in 2014.
The 1945 Atlantic hurricane season produced multiple landfalling tropical cyclones. It officially began on June 16 and lasted until October 31, dates delimiting the period when a majority of storms were perceived to form in the Atlantic Ocean. A total of 11 systems were documented, including a late-season cyclone retroactively added a decade later. Five of the eleven systems intensified into hurricanes, and two further attained their peaks as major hurricanes. Activity began with the formation of a tropical storm in the Caribbean on June 20, which then made landfalls in Florida and North Carolina at hurricane intensity, causing one death and at least $75,000 in damage. In late August, a Category 3 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale struck the Texas coastline, with 3 deaths and $20.1 million in damage. The most powerful hurricane of the season, reaching Category 4 intensity, wrought severe damage throughout the Bahamas and East Coast of the United States, namely Florida, in mid-September; 26 people were killed and damage reached $60 million. A hurricane moved ashore the coastline of Belize in early October, causing one death, while the final cyclone of the year resulted in 5 deaths and $2 million in damage across Cuba and the Bahamas two weeks later. Overall, 36 people were killed and damage reached at least $82.85 million.
The 1935 Atlantic hurricane season was a near-normal hurricane season. Altogether, ten tropical cyclones developed, eight of which intensified into tropical storms. Five of those tropical storms strengthened into hurricanes, while three of those reached major hurricane intensity. The season ran from June 1 through November 15, 1935.
The 1928 Atlantic hurricane season was a near average hurricane season in which seven tropical cyclones developed. Of these, six intensified into a tropical storm and four further strengthened into hurricanes. One hurricane deepened into a major hurricane, which is Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. The first system, the Fort Pierce hurricane, developed near the Lesser Antilles on August 3. The storm crossed the Bahamas and made landfall in Florida. Two fatalities and approximately $235,000 in damage was reported. A few days after the first storm developed, the Haiti hurricane, formed near the southern Windward Islands on August 7. The storm went on to strike Haiti, Cuba, and Florida. This storm left about $2 million in damage and at least 210 deaths. Impacts from the third system are unknown.
The 1926 Atlantic hurricane season featured the highest number of major hurricanes at the time. At least eleven tropical cyclones developed during the season, all of which intensified into a tropical storm and eight further strengthened into hurricanes. Six hurricanes deepened into a major hurricane, which is Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. It was a fairly active and deadly season. The first system, the Nassau hurricane, developed near the Lesser Antilles on July 22. Moving west-northwest for much of its duration, the storm struck or brush several islands of the Lesser and Greater Antilles. However, the Bahamas later received greater impact. At least 287 deaths and $7.85 million (1926 USD) in damage was attributed to this hurricane. The next cyclone primarily affected mariners in and around the Maritimes of Canada, with boating accidents and drownings resulting in between 55 and 58 fatalities. In late August, the third hurricane brought widespread impact to the Gulf Coast of the United States, especially Louisiana. Crops and buildings suffered $6 million in damage and there were 25 people killed.
The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 was a large and intense tropical cyclone that devastated the Greater Miami area of Florida and caused catastrophic damage in the Bahamas and the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 1926, accruing a US$100 million damage toll. The devastation wrought by the hurricane resulted in the end of Florida's land boom, and represented an early start to the Great Depression in the state. It has been estimated that a similar hurricane would cause about $235 billion in damage if it were to hit Miami in 2018.
The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the fourth deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane, 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane, and Hurricane Maria. The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly in Lake Okeechobee. It was the fourth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, the only major hurricane of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season, and remains the deadliest disaster in Florida’s history to date. It developed off the west coast of Africa on September 6 as a tropical depression, but it strengthened into a tropical storm later that day, shortly before passing south of the Cape Verde islands. Further intensification was slow and halted late on September 7. About 48 hours later, the storm strengthened and became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Still moving westward, the system reached Category 4 intensity before striking Guadeloupe on September 12, where it brought great destruction and resulted in 1,200 deaths. The islands of Martinique, Montserrat, and Nevis also reported damage and fatalities, but not nearly as severe as in Guadeloupe.
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 1898 Atlantic hurricane season marked the beginning of the Weather Bureau operating a network of observation posts across the Caribbean Sea to track tropical cyclones, established primarily due to the onset of the Spanish–American War. A total of eleven tropical storms formed, five of which intensified into a hurricane, according to HURDAT, the National Hurricane Center's official database. Further, one cyclone strengthened into a major hurricane. 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. The first system was initially observed on August 2 near West End in the Bahamas, while the eleventh and final storm dissipated on November 4 over the Mexican state of Veracruz.
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.
The 1926 Nassau hurricane also known as the San Liborio hurricane or The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1926, in Puerto Rico, was a destructive Category 4 hurricane that affected the Bahamas at peak intensity. Although it weakened considerably before its Florida landfall, it was one of the most severe storms to affect the Bahamian capital Nassau and the island of New Providence in several years until the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, which occurred just two years later. The storm also delivered flooding rains and loss of crops to the southeastern United States and Florida. Being a slightly mid-range Category 4, this hurricane peaked at about 967 mbars, making it the least intense Category 4 Atlantic hurricane on record, especially for wind speeds of 140 mph.
The 1932 Bahamas hurricane, also known as the Great Abaco hurricane of 1932, was a large and powerful Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas at peak intensity. The fourth tropical storm and third hurricane in the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season, it was also one of two Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean that year, the other being the 1932 Cuba hurricane. The 1932 Bahamas hurricane originated north of the Virgin Islands, became a strong hurricane, and passed over the northern Bahamas before recurving. The storm never made landfall on the continental United States, but its effects were felt in the northeast part of the country and in the Bahamas, especially on the Abaco Islands, where damage was very great. To date, it is one of four Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall in the Bahamas at that intensity, the others having occurred in 1933, 1992, and 2019.
Hurricane Fox was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that crossed central Cuba in October 1952. The seventh named storm, sixth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1952 Atlantic hurricane season, it was the strongest and deadliest system of the season. Fox developed northwest of Cartagena, Colombia, in the southern Caribbean Sea. It moved steadily northwest, intensifying to a tropical storm on October 21. The next day, it rapidly strengthened into a hurricane and turned north passing closely to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The cyclone attained peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) as it struck Cayo Guano del Este off the coast of Cienfuegos. Fox made landfall on Cuba at maximum intensity, producing peak gusts of 170–180 mph (270–290 km/h). It weakened over land, but it re-strengthened as it turned east over the Bahamas. On October 26, it weakened and took an erratic path, dissipating west-southwest of Bermuda on October 28.
The 1949 Florida hurricane, also known as the Delray Beach hurricane, caused significant damage in the southern portions of the state late in the month of August. The second recorded tropical cyclone of the annual hurricane season, the system originated from a tropical wave near the northern Leeward Islands on August 23. Already a tropical storm upon initial observations, the cyclone curved west-northwestward and intensified, becoming a hurricane on August 25. Rapid intensification ensued as the storm approached the central Bahamas early on August 26, with the storm reaching Category 4 hurricane strength later that day and peaking with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) shortly after striking Andros. Late on August 26, the storm made landfall near Lake Worth, Florida, at the same intensity. The cyclone initially weakened quickly after moving inland, falling to Category 1 status early the next day. Shortly thereafter, the system curved northward over the Nature Coast and entered Georgia on August 28, where it weakened to a tropical storm. The storm then accelerated northeastward and became extratropical over New England by August 29. The remnants traversed Atlantic Canada and much of the Atlantic Ocean before dissipating near Ireland on September 1.
The 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane was the second-most intense tropical cyclone to strike the United States during the active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. The eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the season, it formed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands on August 31. The tropical storm moved rapidly west-northwestward, steadily intensifying to a hurricane. It acquired peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and passed over portions of the Bahamas on September 3, including Eleuthera and Harbour Island, causing severe damage to crops, buildings, and infrastructure. Winds over 100 mph (160 km/h) affected many islands in its path, especially those that encountered its center, and many wharves were ruined.
Subtropical Storm Four brushed Florida and The Bahamas in October 1974. The eighteenth cyclone and fourth subtropical storm of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season, the storm developed near eastern Cuba on October 4 from an area of disturbed weather. Shortly before striking Andros Island on October 6, the system strengthened into a subtropical storm. The storm made its closest approach to Florida early on October 7. Peaking with sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h), the system veered northward and then northeastward, but nonetheless caused heavy rainfall and coastal flooding on land in Florida. While paralleling offshore North Carolina and South Carolina, the storm began to slowly weaken. By late on October 8, the subtropical cyclone merged with a cold front while well east of Cape Hatteras.
The 1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane was the first of two Atlantic hurricanes to strike the Treasure Coast region of Florida in the very active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. It was one of two storms that year to inflict hurricane-force winds over South Texas, causing significant damage there; the other occurred in early September. The fifth tropical cyclone of the year, it formed east of the Lesser Antilles on July 24, rapidly strengthening as it moved west-northwest. As it passed over the islands, it attained hurricane status on July 26, producing heavy rains and killing at least six people. Over the next three days, it moved north of the Caribbean, paralleling the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. The storm produced extensive damage and at least one drowning as it crossed the Bahamas. On July 29, the cyclone came under the influence of changing steering currents in the atmosphere, which forced the storm into Florida near Hobe Sound a day later. A minimal hurricane at landfall, it caused negligible wind damage as it crossed Florida, but generated heavy rains along its path, causing locally severe flooding. The storm turned west, weakened to below hurricane status, and later exited the state north of Charlotte Harbor on July 31.
(Translation): Storm signals were ordered at Cedar Keys, Dunnellon, Tampa, Punta Gorda, Punta Rassa, Savannah, and Charleston. The tempest is at present over the western Bahamas and increasing in force. Violent and dangerous gusts are indicated on the Florida coast tonight and on the east Gulf and south Atlantic coast tomorrow.