1895 Atlantic hurricane season
| 1895 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | August 14, 1895 |
| Last system dissipated | October 26, 1895 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Two |
| • Maximum winds | 110 mph (175 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 963 mbar (hPa; 28.44 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 6 |
| Hurricanes | 2 |
| Total fatalities | 56 |
| Total damage | Unknown |
| Related article | |
The 1895 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1895. The season was a fairly inactive one, with six storms forming, only two of which became hurricanes.
Timeline[edit]
Systems[edit]
Tropical Storm One[edit]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | August 14 – August 17 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); ≤1009 mbar (hPa) |
Ships detected a tropical storm over the north-central Gulf of Mexico on August 14.[1] Peaking with sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), the cyclone struck Buras, Louisiana, at 19:00 UTC the following day. The storm then re-emerged into the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Mississippi on Horn Island around 13:00 UTC on August 16 and then the mainland between Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. After moving inland, the system weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated over Alabama on August 17.[2]
As a result of the storm, New Orleans, Louisiana, recorded sustained winds of 30 mph (48 km/h), while Pensacola, Florida, observed sustained winds reaching 48 mph (77 km/h).[1] A weather station in Louisiana recorded 4.2 in (110 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours, while about 2 to 4 in (51 to 102 mm) of precipitation fell from there into Georgia, causing damage to cotton crops.[3]
Hurricane Two[edit]
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 22 – August 30 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 110 mph (175 km/h) (1-min); 963 mbar (hPa) |
Colegio de Belén meteorological observatory director Father Lorenzo Gangioti reported a tropical storm west of Dominica on August 22.[1] Thus, the official track for this cyclone begins several hours earlier, when it was situated just east of Barbados. The storm moved west-northwestward into the Caribbean and strengthened into a hurricane by August 23. While passing near the south coast of Jamaica two days later, the system intensified into a Category 2 on the present-day Saffir–Simpson scale. The official track brings the storm ashore near the northeastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula around 00:00 UTC on August 27, though the hurricane soon entered the Gulf of Mexico. Thereafter, the cyclone likely intensified further in the Gulf of Mexico and peaked with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) before making another landfall in Mexico near Laguna Madre, Tamaulipas, early on August 30. The storm quickly weakened and dissipated within several hours of moving inland.[2]
Winds generated by the storm in western Cuba downed some poles in Pinar del Río Province.[1] The hurricane reportedly washed away the town of Abasola and destroyed all homes in Rodriguez in northeastern Mexico.[4] Damage to property reached into the millions of dollars. According to The Seneca News, the "Mexican National and the Monterey and Gulf railways were the heaviest losers.",[5] with several hundred yards of the former completely washout in some places and many destroyed rail bridges. The Mexican National Telegraph company lost approximately 5 mi (10 km) of wires and the government telegraph wires suffered similarly, leaving communications with Mexico only intact via Mexico City to Eagle Pass, Texas.[6] Hurricane force-wind gusts were reported in Texas as far north as Corpus Christi, while tropical storm-force wind gusts reached Velasco. The former experienced a number of down trees and demolished homes. Additionally, Rockport reported its highest tide since 1883, while coastal flooding inundated several streets in Galveston.[4]
Tropical Storm Three[edit]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 28 – October 7 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min); ≤989 mbar (hPa) |
Meteorologist Ivan Ray Tannehill began the track for this storm in the northwest Caribbean on September 28, which subsequent meteorologists such as José Fernández Partagás confirmed in 1995.[1] The system moved west-northwestward and made landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula south of Tulum.[2] Due to trekking across the peninsula for several hours, the cyclone likely weakened to a tropical depression, but re-intensified into a tropical storm upon emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on September 29. Thereafter, the storm peaked with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) as it curved northeastward and then almost due eastward by the following day. However, upon reaching the Straits of Florida late on October 1, the cyclone assumed a east-northeastward to northeastward motion while passing just south of the Florida Keys. By October 3, the storm moved northeastward towards the western Bahamas, crossing the Abaco Islands before reaching the open Atlantic. The cyclone moved ashore Newfoundland near the Burin Peninsula on October 7 and was last noted shortly thereafter.[2]
Heavy rains fell over western Cuba, causing floods that led to significant crop losses and the destruction of some dwellings in Pinar del Río and La Habana provinces.[1] Additionally, a railroad company suffered about $300,000 in losses.[7] This storm was responsible for an estimated 56 deaths in Cuba.[8] General Martinez de Campos requested that the government provide aid to people residing in the Vuelta Abajo region.[7] Although the cyclone moved just south of the Florida Keys, Key West only recorded sustained winds of 20 mph (32 km/h), while Titusville observed sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). Heavy rains fell in Jupiter,[9] where a downed wire cutoff communications with the telegraph station.[10] The schooner Albertine lost its mast during the storm over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland on October 7.[1]
Tropical Storm Four[edit]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | October 2 – October 7 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min); |
The fourth tropical storm probably formed on October 2 in the western Caribbean Sea. It apparently crossed the Yucatán Peninsula on October 4, just a few days after Three struck the same area. It peaked as a minimal tropical storm with wind of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). This cyclone moved into Texas and Louisiana on October 7, producing breezy conditions and some rain.
Hurricane Five[edit]
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | October 12 – October 26 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min); ≤973 mbar (hPa) |
The official track for this begins about 1,000 mi (1,610 km) east of Barbados on October 12. Moving westward to west-northwestward, the system passed through the Windward Islands three days later. After entering the Caribbean, the storm intensified into a hurricane on October 16 and to Category 2 hurricane about 24 hours later, peaking with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). The hurricane turned northward on October 19, passing just west of the Cayman Islands on the next day. Thereafter, the cyclone curved north-northeastward and made landfall in Cuba near the city of Cienfuegos around 18:00 UTC on October 21. Quickly emerging into the southwestern Atlantic early the next day, the storm struck Grand Bahama island in the Bahamas shortly after 12:00 UTC. A more northeasterly motion then commenced and the hurricane crossed over or near Bermuda on October 24. The system likely began weakening significantly on the following day and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about 700 mi (1,125 km) southwest of Flores Island in the Azores on October 26. The extratropical remnants dissipated several hours thereafter.[2]
In Cuba, strong winds produced by the storm left significant impacts in Santa Clara Province. This included the destruction of buildings throughout the province, while many other structures lost their roof. Additionally, winds uprooted a number of large trees and downed sugar mill chimneys. Farther west, several towns reported severe flooding, such as in Aguacate, Ceiba del Agua, Güines, Madruga, Nueva Paz, and San Nicolás.[1] Some lives were reportedly lost in Cuba.[11] Parts of the east coast of Florida observed tropical storm-force wind gusts, reaching 55 mph (89 km/h) at both Jupiter and Key West.[1] The storm washed away nearly all wharves from Juno to Lantana. Heavy rainfall left some washouts at nearby sections of the Florida East Coast Railway.[12] In the Bahamas, the storm caused extensive damage on some islands. A correspondent to The Nassau Guardian described northern Bimini as "a wreck from one end to the other." Fewer than half a dozen homes on the island escaped damage, while approximately 2,000 coconut palm trees were uprooted.[13] Strong winds on Bermuda toppled large trees across the island and snapped about 30 telephone poles in Devonshire Parish.[1] Some homes were deroofed and several verandas collapsed.[14]
Tropical Storm Six[edit]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | October 13 – October 17 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min); |
The final storm formed on October 13 and lasted until October 17. The storm was fairly short-lived and mostly maintained its peak intensity as a minimal 40 mph (64 km/h) tropical storm, forming in the Bay of Campeche and curving east-northeast past the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and making landfall in southwest Florida. It weakened to a depression after moving inland and crossing the southern half of the state, finally dissipating off the southeast Florida coast near the Bahamas.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j José Fernández Partagás (1995). "A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources: Year 1895" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Will Barely Miss Us". The Daily Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. August 17, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved December 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b David Roth (January 6, 2010). Texas Hurricane History (PDF) (Report). Silver Spring, Maryland: National Weather Service. pp. 25–26. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Foreign Intelligence". The Seneca News. Seneca, Illinois. September 7, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved December 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mexico's Fiercest Storm". Harrisburg Star-Independent. September 2, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved December 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "The Great Flood in Cuba". San Francisco Chronicle. October 7, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved December 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Edward N. Rappaport; José Fernández Partagás; Jack Beven (April 22, 1997). "Appendix 1. Cyclones with 25+ Deaths". The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1996 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "The Storm Moving This Way". The Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. October 2, 1895. p. 8. Retrieved December 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Cool Wave Passing Off". The Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. October 3, 1895. p. 8. Retrieved December 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Edward N. Rappaport; José Fernández Partagás; Jack Beven (April 22, 1997). "Appendix 2: Cyclones that may have 25+ deaths". The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1996 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Jupiter". The Nassau Guardian. October 26, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Cyclone in Bimini". The Nassau Guardian. October 30, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "A Storm at Bermuda". The Halifax Herald. October 26, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved December 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
