The Last Island hurricane of 1856 was an intense Atlantic hurricane that destroyed Last Island

Last Island, Louisiana

Last Island was a barrier island and a pleasure resort southwest of New Orleans on the south shore of Louisiana, USA. It was destroyed by the Last Island Hurricane of August 10, 1856...

 in southern Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. The first tropical cyclone, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, it rapidly intensified

Rapid deepening

Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...

 before making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The powerful winds and storm surge

Storm surge

A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...

 of 9–10 feet destroyed the island, which was a popular tourist resort. The cyclone killed more than 200 people.