The 1877 Atlantic hurricane season lasted from mid-summer to late-fall. Records show that in 1877 there were eight cyclones, of which five were tropical storms and three were hurricanes, one of which became a major hurricane (Category 3+). 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.[1]
| 1877 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | August 1, 1877 |
| Last system dissipated | November 29, 1877 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Four |
| • Maximum winds | 115 mph (185 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 960 mbar (hPa; 28.35 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 8 |
| Hurricanes | 3 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 1 |
| Total fatalities | 84 |
| Total damage | Unknown |
Season summary
edit
The Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) recognizes eight tropical cyclones for the 1877 season. Five were tropical storms and three were hurricanes, with winds of 75 mph (119 km/h) or greater. The first storm was a tropical storm which formed near the Turks & Caicos Islands on August 1. It traveled parallel to the US east coast to make landfall in New Brunswick on August 5. The second storm of the season formed as a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico on September 14. It developed into a Category 1 hurricane which first struck Louisiana on September 18, then Florida the next day before dissipating in the Atlantic on September 21. Hurricane Three was a Category 1 hurricane that existed between September 16 and 22 without making landfall. Hurricane Four was the strongest and most destructive storm of the season and impacted both Venezuela and Florida. Most notably, Hurricane Four caused 84 fatalities in the United States. Tropical Storm Five existed between September 24 and September 29 in which period it traveled from north of Hispaniola to a point off the south-east coast of the United States. Tropical Storm Six existed for a few days in mid-October without making landfall. Tropical Storm Seven formed in the western Gulf of Mexico, tracked parallel to the US Gulf coast and crossed the Florida peninsula between October 24 and October 28. The last storm of the season was known to have existed for two days in November. It dissipated off the Newfoundland coast on November 29.
Systems
editTropical Storm One
edit| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | August 1 – August 5 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min); |
A tropical storm was first observed to the north of Turks and Caicos Islands on August 1. It tracked along the eastern edge of the Bahamas, before paralleling the east coast of the United States. By August 2, the tropical storm was nearly a hurricane, though records show that winds never exceeded 70 mph (113 km/h). It gradually weakened as it headed generally north. The storm finally made landfall in New Brunswick as a 60 mph (96 km/h) tropical storm on August 5. Later it dissipated as it emerged into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.[2] Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth could not confirm the existence of this storm due to potentially unreliable accounts, erring on the side of proposing the removal of this cyclone from HURDAT.[3]
Hurricane Two
edit| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 14 – September 21 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min); 982 mbar (hPa) |
Although the Monthly Weather Review reported decreasing atmospheric pressures over the Gulf of Mexico as early as the night of September 12,[4] the track for this storm begins on September 14 about 110 mi (175 km) west-northwest of the Yucatán Peninsula. Initially moving northwestward, the cyclone turned northward on September 16, roughly 24 hours before it intensified into a hurricane. Later on September 17, the hurricane curved east-northeastward while just offshore Texas.[5] At 16:00 UTC the next day, the storm made landfall to the southwest of Cocodrie, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and an estimated minimum pressure of 982 mbar (29.0 inHg).[5][6] On September 19 the hurricane made another landfall at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It quickly weakened back to a tropical storm while still in the state of Florida. After emerging into the Atlantic on September 20, the storm was last noted the next day roughly 175 mi (280 km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina.[5]
The entire coast of Texas experienced impacts from this storm. Galveston observed sustained winds up to 60 mph (95 km/h) and tides reached up to 5.2 ft (1.6 m) above mean low water. Additionally, 4.64 in (118 mm) of rainfall in 24-hour period, setting the daily rainfall record for September 17.[7] Parts of Galveston became submerged by tides for a few hours and a few unoccupied buildings were severely impacted by the storm. Other locations reporting coastal flooding included Brazos Island and Lynchburg.[8] Extensive crop losses occurred in portions of Louisiana. Many barns, plantations, and crops suffered damage St. John the Baptist Parish, with about 30% of rice crops ruined. In New Orleans, the hurricane downed numerous trees and fences and destroyed gardens.[9] Damage in Texas and Louisiana alone reached nearly $500,000.[10] Heavy rains fell over Alabama, causing the Black Warrior River to rise significantly.[4]
Hurricane Three
edit| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 16 – September 22 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min); |
A Category 1 hurricane was first discovered on September 16 in the mid-North Atlantic. It moved generally to the northwest for a few days then passed safely to the northeast of Bermuda between September 18 and 19th. It weakened to a tropical storm as it was moving toward Atlantic Canada. It dissipated while just offshore of southern Newfoundland.[2] The storm is known to have reached hurricane strength from ship reports, most notably from the Harley John, and wind reports from St. Paul Island, Canada[6]
Hurricane Four
edit| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 21 – October 4 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min); 955 mbar (hPa) |
On September 21, a tropical storm was first observed east of Grenada and Saint Vincent.[4] Moving westward at a low latitude, the cyclone intensified into a hurricane early the next day while moving between Grenada and Tobago. The storm then remained close to the coast of South America while strengthening, becoming a Category 2 hurricane on the present-day Saffir–Simpson scale on September 23. Early on the next day, the system curved west-northwestward before striking Venezuela's Paraguaná Peninsula and Colombia's Guajira Peninsula. The cyclone turned northwestward by September 26, passing near the northeast tip of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.[5]
Upon reaching the central Gulf of Mexico, the storm began trekking to the north-northeast on October 1 and then to the northeast by the next day. Early on October 3, the system intensified into a Category 3 hurricane, shortly before making landfall near present-day Mexico Beach, Florida,[5] with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 955 mbar (28.2 inHg).[6] The storm rapidly weakened after moving inland, falling to tropical storm intensity over south-central Georgia several hours later. While passing over North Carolina on October 4, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, which continued northeastward until dissipating offshore Nova Scotia on the next day.[5]
Strong winds generated by the storm on Grenada downed some trees and telegraph lines and damaged some roofs. Saint Vincent also reported strong winds and heavy rains, but little damage occurred. The cyclone left catastrophic impacts on Curaçao. The New York Times noted that in Willemstad, "many of the most solid structures were crushed as if they were things of paper and many persons were buried in their ruins."[4] Waves completely swept away a nunnery, with only one nun surviving. Numerous ships were lost in the vicinity of Curaçao. It is estimated that the storm caused at least 70 deaths and about $2 million on the island.[11] In Cuba, winds and rains generated by the storm left damage and the loss of some lives in the western portion of Pinar del Río Province.[4] It caused a storm tide of 12 feet (3.7 m) at St. Marks, Florida.[6] The storm caused heavy rain and flooding throughout North Carolina. Numerous ships were wrecked along the United States Atlantic coast.[12] Overall, the hurricane was responsible for at least 84 deaths.[13]
Tropical Storm Five
edit| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 24 – September 29 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); |
On September 24 a tropical storm was discovered north of Hispaniola. It tracked through the Bahamas over the next few days. After passing the Bahamas, it moved parallel to the southeastern coast of the United States.The storm reached peak intensity on September 28. It apparently dissipated on September 29.[2]
Tropical Storm Six
edit| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | October 13 – October 16 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); |
A tropical storm was discovered roughly halfway between Bermuda and the Cape Verde Islands on October 13. It headed generally northward and did not strengthen. It became extratropical to the southeast of Cape Race on October 16. This extratropical storm lasted until October 18.[2] Chenoweth instead declared this storm a slow-moving extratropical low-pressure area associated with a frontal system.[3]
Tropical Storm Seven
edit| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | October 24 – October 28 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); |
A tropical storm was first discovered on October 24 in the Gulf of Mexico. It paralleled the states of the Gulf Coast for a few days before ultimately making landfall near Cedar Key, Florida, as a tropical storm. The storm later strengthened slightly but dissipated on October 28.[2] Chenoweth proposed the removal of this storm from HURDAT, arguing that evidence supported a cold front moving across Florida, following by the development of an extratropical low offshore the Southeastern United States.[3]
Tropical Storm Eight
edit| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | November 28 – November 29 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); |
A tropical storm was discovered in the vicinity of the Bahamas on November 28. It reached peak intensity on November 29. The storm became extratropical by November 30 and affected many areas of Atlantic Canada.[2] The 2014 study by Chenoweth also suggested that this system was extratropical.[3]
Other storms
editChenoweth proposed three other storms not currently listed in HURDAT:[3]
- August 23 to August 30, peaked as a tropical storm
- October 2 to October 6, peaked as a tropical storm
- October 26 to October 27, peaked as a Category 1 hurricane
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Landsea, C. W. (2004). "The Atlantic hurricane database re-analysis project: Documentation for the 1851–1910 alterations and additions to the HURDAT database". In Murname, R. J.; Liu, K.-B. (eds.). Hurricanes and Typhoons: Past, Present and Future. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 177–221. ISBN 0-231-12388-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Hurricane Research Division (2008). "Easy to Read HURDAT". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Chenoweth, Michael (December 2014). "A New Compilation of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1851–98". Journal of Climate. 27 (12). American Meteorological Society: 8682. Bibcode:2014JCli...27.8674C. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00771.1. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Fernández-Partagás, José; Diaz, Henry F. (1995). A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources: 1851–1880 Part II: 1871–1880 (PDF) (Report). Climate Diagnostics Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d Hurricane Research Division (2008). "Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ David M. Roth (February 4, 2010). "Texas Hurricane History" (PDF). National Weather Service Camp Springs, Maryland. p. 22. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "The Texas Storm". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 19, 1877. p. 1. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Wind's Work". The Daily American. Nashville, Tennessee. September 20, 1877. p. 1. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "General News". The Jeffersonian. West Chester, Pennsylvania. September 22, 1877. p. 2. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Climate Summary". Meteorological Department Curaçao. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ David Roth & Hugh Cobb. "Virginia Hurricane History". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
- ^ Edward N. Rappaport & Jose Fernandez-Partagas (1996). "The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492–1996: Cyclones with 25+ deaths". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
