1873 Atlantic hurricane season
Encyclopedia
The 1873 Atlantic hurricane season was quiet, with all activity but one storm occurring in September. However, due to scarce technology, only storms that affected land or ships were recorded, therefore, the actual total could be higher.
.
, becoming a hurricane on August 17. It recurved to the north and northeast as it was reaching its peak of 115 mph (185 km/h). As it passed to the south of Nova Scotia
, it slowed down, and drifted towards the coast of Newfoundland. The hurricane was able to retain hurricane strength, and made landfall on Newfoundland on August 26, and became extratropical the next day. Despite its relatively low maximum winds, the Nova Scotia Cyclone was a deadly storm.
It destroyed 1200 boats and 900 buildings in Nova Scotia, and killed 223 people (number disputed) mostly sailors who were lost at sea. The hurricane caused $3.5 million in damage (1873 US dollars, or $53.9 million in 2005 dollars). During this hurricane, the first hurricane warning was issued between Cape May, New Jersey
and New London, Connecticut
.
on September 19. There, it produced heavy damage. Later, it weakened to tropical storm as it crossed over Georgia and South Carolina, although it briefly regained hurricane status before last being observed late on September 20.
on September 26. It moved northwestward, hitting Haiti
as a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane. It turned westward as a minimal tropical storm, but as it crossed the Yucatán Channel
,it restrengthened, becoming a major hurricane again before hitting southwest Florida
on October 7. The hurricane became extratropical on October 9 after causing 26 deaths.
Tropical Storm One
The first storm of the season developed on June 1 over the western Bahamas. It moved northward before turning and striking near the Florida/Georgia border on June 2. The storm quickly dissipated. It produced 28 mph (45 km/h)wind gusts in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Hurricane Two
On August 13, a tropical storm formed in the Atlantic. It followed the track of a Cape Verde-type hurricaneCape Verde-type hurricane
A Cape Verde-type hurricane is an Atlantic hurricane that develops near the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. The average hurricane season has about two Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which are usually the largest and most intense storms of the season because they often have plenty of...
, becoming a hurricane on August 17. It recurved to the north and northeast as it was reaching its peak of 115 mph (185 km/h). As it passed to the south of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, it slowed down, and drifted towards the coast of Newfoundland. The hurricane was able to retain hurricane strength, and made landfall on Newfoundland on August 26, and became extratropical the next day. Despite its relatively low maximum winds, the Nova Scotia Cyclone was a deadly storm.
It destroyed 1200 boats and 900 buildings in Nova Scotia, and killed 223 people (number disputed) mostly sailors who were lost at sea. The hurricane caused $3.5 million in damage (1873 US dollars, or $53.9 million in 2005 dollars). During this hurricane, the first hurricane warning was issued between Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
and New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
.
Hurricane Three
A hurricane was first observed on the central Gulf of Mexico on September 18. It moved quickly northeastward, striking St. Marks, FloridaSt. Marks, Florida
St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 .-Geography:...
on September 19. There, it produced heavy damage. Later, it weakened to tropical storm as it crossed over Georgia and South Carolina, although it briefly regained hurricane status before last being observed late on September 20.
Tropical Storm Four
A few days after the previous storm, another storm was observed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on September 22. It moved across Florida the next day, and was last observed on September 24.Hurricane Five
A tropical storm was first seen in the eastern CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
on September 26. It moved northwestward, hitting Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
as a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane. It turned westward as a minimal tropical storm, but as it crossed the Yucatán Channel
Yucatán Channel
The Yucatán Channel is a strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. The strait is across between Cape Catoche in Mexico and Cape San Antonio, Cuba and reaches a maximum depth of .-References:...
,it restrengthened, becoming a major hurricane again before hitting southwest Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on October 7. The hurricane became extratropical on October 9 after causing 26 deaths.