1887 Atlantic hurricane season
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Another May storm formed south of Jamaica
on May 17, way outside of the season and moved generally northward. It crossed Cuba
on the 19th as a 60 mi/h tropical storm, and moved out to sea. Two peaked at 60 mi/h twice, once on May 18 and May 20. Two dissipated on the 21st in the Atlantic Ocean
. When this storm and the first storm were active simultaneously from the 17th to the 18th, it became the earliest for two storms to be active at one time.
.
on July 20, and traversed the Caribbean Sea
, reaching winds of 105 mi/h, as a strong Category 2 hurricane on July 22 before turning northward. It weakened after crossing the Yucatán Peninsula
, and made landfall on the Florida panhandle before dissipating on the 28th of July.
on the 30th of July and moved northwestward across the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a storm and reaching peak winds of 60 mi/h on August 2 near St. Vincent
before dissipating near Cuba the same day.
path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Six formed on August 14 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
. Six started moving toward the Carolina coast and moved far north and peaked at 120 mi/h & 967 mbar
major hurricane on the 20th and rapid weakening began. Six was declared extratropical two days later.
path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Seven formed from a depression on August 18 into Tropical Storm 7 and followed the same track as Six. Seven peaked at 125 mi/h winds for three straight days as a major hurricane and rapid weakening began. Seven was declared extratropical on August 27.
.
, traversed the Caribbean Sea, remaining away from land until hitting extreme northeast Yucatán Peninsula
on the 17th. It moved across the Gulf of Mexico, and weakened slightly before landfall as it hit near Brownsville, Texas
on the 21st as a 85 mi/h hurricane. The storm rapidly weakened over Texas and northeast Mexico, and dissipated on the 22nd.
Rainfall was reported at 8 inches at Brownsville, Texas and on September 21 and 2.26 inches (57.4 mm) on September 22.
and moved northward. The storm peaked at 80 mi/h with pressure of 983 mbar
on the 16th and started losing its tropical characteristics while northeast of Newfoundland on September 18 and was soon declared as an extratropical storm.
.
, Twelve dissipated the next day. Twelve was the shortest lived storm in the 1887 season lasting only two days (October 8 & 9th).
. It moved westward into Puerto Rico
and Hispaniola
, and strengthened into a hurricane while south of Cuba.Thirteen peaked at 85 mi/h for four straight days. In the Gulf of Mexico, 13 turned northeastward, and hit southeastern Louisiana
before becoming extratropical over North Carolina
early on the 21st over the ocean.
, causing moderate crop damage and disruption in the southern part of the country. Because the 13th storm of the season existed at the same time to its northeast, this system was not included, though further research is under way to determine if it was a new storm or a variation of the 13th storm of the season.
and the Atlantic Ocean
. Sixteen made landfall and moved across Florida
as a tropical storm on the 30th . Sixteen paralleled the Carolina coastline and peaked at an 70 mi/h storm with a tropical pressure of 993 mbar on October 31. Sixteen was declared extratropical a day later and hit an extratropical peak of 80 mi/h and a 990 mbar extratropical pressure. The storm was dissipated on the 6th of November. Sixteen caused a ship to capsize, killing 2 sailors, and resulted in the loss of four other ships.
. It moved to the west-northwest, and looped to the northeast. While looping, it peaked at 80 mi/h, but rapid weakening began while the storm was moving to the northeast. The storm was last seen on December 4 in the open Atlantic Ocean.
on December 4. It moved northwestward at first, then turned to the northeast, strengthening into a hurricane on December 7 before rapid weakening began and Eighteen was declared an extratropical storm on the 9th.
. Nineteen peaked in intensity on the 10th with 60 mi/h winds. Nineteen passed by St. Vincent
and continued westward until dissipating near the coast of Costa Rica
on the 12th. When Tropical Storm Nineteen formed on December 7, it made 1887 the year with the most off-season storms (five). Nineteen is the only tropical cyclone recorded to make landfall in Costa Rica.
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time (such as #7 and #9) have higher ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph/63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on May 17, way outside of the season and moved generally northward. It crossed Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
on the 19th as a 60 mi/h tropical storm, and moved out to sea. Two peaked at 60 mi/h twice, once on May 18 and May 20. Two dissipated on the 21st in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. When this storm and the first storm were active simultaneously from the 17th to the 18th, it became the earliest for two storms to be active at one time.
Tropical Storm Three
A weak tropical storm, which began its life in the northwest Caribbean Sea on June 11. Three peaked at 40 mi/h and moved northward through the Gulf of Mexico, and dissipated on the 14th after making landfall in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Hurricane Four
The 4th storm of the season moved through the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
on July 20, and traversed the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, reaching winds of 105 mi/h, as a strong Category 2 hurricane on July 22 before turning northward. It weakened after crossing the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
, and made landfall on the Florida panhandle before dissipating on the 28th of July.
Tropical Storm Five
Tropical Depression Five formed east of the Windward IslandsWindward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
on the 30th of July and moved northwestward across the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a storm and reaching peak winds of 60 mi/h on August 2 near St. Vincent
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
before dissipating near Cuba the same day.
Hurricane Six
The season's first of two major hurricanes, both following a very similar 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...
path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Six formed on August 14 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Six started moving toward the Carolina coast and moved far north and peaked at 120 mi/h & 967 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
major hurricane on the 20th and rapid weakening began. Six was declared extratropical two days later.
Hurricane Seven
The season's second of two major hurricanes, both following a very similar 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...
path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Seven formed from a depression on August 18 into Tropical Storm 7 and followed the same track as Six. Seven peaked at 125 mi/h winds for three straight days as a major hurricane and rapid weakening began. Seven was declared extratropical on August 27.
Hurricane Eight
On September 1, a tropical storm formed in the central Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, becoming a hurricane on the 2nd. The hurricane turned to the northeast, and peaked at 105 mi/h as a Category 2 hurricane before becoming extratropical on the 4th. The extratropical storm remained until the 6th, when it dissipated off the coast of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Hurricane Nine
A hurricane, which was first observed on September 11 to the east of the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, traversed the Caribbean Sea, remaining away from land until hitting extreme northeast Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
on the 17th. It moved across the Gulf of Mexico, and weakened slightly before landfall as it hit near Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
on the 21st as a 85 mi/h hurricane. The storm rapidly weakened over Texas and northeast Mexico, and dissipated on the 22nd.
Rainfall was reported at 8 inches at Brownsville, Texas and on September 21 and 2.26 inches (57.4 mm) on September 22.
Hurricane Ten
On September 14, the tenth storm formed in the central Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and moved northward. The storm peaked at 80 mi/h with pressure of 983 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
on the 16th and started losing its tropical characteristics while northeast of Newfoundland on September 18 and was soon declared as an extratropical storm.
Tropical Storm Eleven
The eleventh tropical storm of the season developed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 6. The storm peaked at 55 mi/h, then started moving westward through the Yucatán Peninsula and Bay of Campeche. Eleven dissipated on October 9 after making its second landfall in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Tropical Storm Twelve
A depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Twelve on October 8 and peaked at 70 mi/h winds later that day. After passing over BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Twelve dissipated the next day. Twelve was the shortest lived storm in the 1887 season lasting only two days (October 8 & 9th).
Hurricane Thirteen
The thirteenth storm was first seen on October 9 to the northeast of the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. It moved westward into Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
, and strengthened into a hurricane while south of Cuba.Thirteen peaked at 85 mi/h for four straight days. In the Gulf of Mexico, 13 turned northeastward, and hit southeastern 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...
before becoming extratropical over North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
early on the 21st over the ocean.
Hurricane Fourteen
On October 10, a depression strengthened into TS14 and moved across the ocean. Fourteen peaked with 85 mi/h winds as a Category 1 hurricane on the 11th. On the 12th, Fourteen weakened and was declared extratropical. Around October 14, a storm moved over BelizeBelize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, causing moderate crop damage and disruption in the southern part of the country. Because the 13th storm of the season existed at the same time to its northeast, this system was not included, though further research is under way to determine if it was a new storm or a variation of the 13th storm of the season.
Hurricane Fifteen
A tropical storm was discovered on late afternoon of October 15 and was named Tropical Storm Fifteen on that day with 80 mi/h winds. From October 15 to 16th, Fifteen peaked at 105 mi/h winds making it a Category 2 hurricane. Fifteen stayed out to sea and dissipated on October 19.Tropical Storm Sixteen
A tropical storm formed on October 27 and took a long, erratic track across the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Sixteen made landfall and moved across 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...
as a tropical storm on the 30th . Sixteen paralleled the Carolina coastline and peaked at an 70 mi/h storm with a tropical pressure of 993 mbar on October 31. Sixteen was declared extratropical a day later and hit an extratropical peak of 80 mi/h and a 990 mbar extratropical pressure. The storm was dissipated on the 6th of November. Sixteen caused a ship to capsize, killing 2 sailors, and resulted in the loss of four other ships.
Hurricane Seventeen
On November 27, a tropical storm formed north of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. It moved to the west-northwest, and looped to the northeast. While looping, it peaked at 80 mi/h, but rapid weakening began while the storm was moving to the northeast. The storm was last seen on December 4 in the open Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Eighteen
The 18th storm was first seen to the northeast of the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
on December 4. It moved northwestward at first, then turned to the northeast, strengthening into a hurricane on December 7 before rapid weakening began and Eighteen was declared an extratropical storm on the 9th.
Tropical Storm Nineteen
The 19th and final tropical storm formed on December 7 and moved westward through the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. Nineteen peaked in intensity on the 10th with 60 mi/h winds. Nineteen passed by St. Vincent
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
and continued westward until dissipating near the coast of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
on the 12th. When Tropical Storm Nineteen formed on December 7, it made 1887 the year with the most off-season storms (five). Nineteen is the only tropical cyclone recorded to make landfall in Costa Rica.
Other storms
In addition to the 19 storms named above, during the re-analysis of the hurricane database, the Hurdat research team identified an additional four possible storms.- The first storm existed from June 10 through the 15th, though lack of data of a warm core led to it being classified an extratropical storm.
- The next storm had two reports of gale force winds from September 1 through the 5th, but it was uncertain if a closed circulation existed.
- In late September, a tropical depression passed near St. Kitts with a pressure of 1008 mb, though not enough information led to it not being included in the archive.
- A system from October 22 to the 23rd had some data, though not enough to determine if it had been a tropical storm or a depression.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy Rating (ACE)
The table below shows the ACEAccumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time (such as #7 and #9) have higher ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph/63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
| ACE (104 kt²) – Storm | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30.24 | Seven | 2 | 26.9 | Nine | 3 | 19.59 | Thirteen |
| 4 | 19.54 | Four | 5 | 18.37 | Six | 6 | 9.36 | Seventeen |
| 7 | 8.90 | Fifteen | 8 | 7.43 | Eight | 9 | 7.32 | Eighteen |
| 10 | 6.66 | Five | 11 | 5.34 | Ten | 12 | 4.52 | Nineteen |
| 13 | 3.86 | Fourteen | 14 | 3.76 | Two | 15 | 3.51 | One |
| 16 | 2.20 | Sixteen | 17 | 2.18 | Twelve | 18 | 2.05 | Eleven |
| 19 | 1.10 | Three | ||||||
| Total ACE: 181.73 (182) | ||||||||
See also
- List of tropical cyclones
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons