Nassau Hurricane of 1926
Encyclopedia
The Nassau Hurricane of 1926, also known as the Bahamas-Florida Hurricane of July 1926 and Hurricane San Liborio, was a destructive Category 4 hurricane that affected the Bahamas at peak intensity. Although it weakened considerably before its Florida landfall, it was reported as one of the most severe storms to affect Nassau
in the Bahamas
in several years until the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
, which occurred just two years later. The storm also delivered flooding rains and loss of crops to the southeastern United States
and Florida
.
as a tropical disturbance on July 22. Moving northwest, the tropical storm passed near Dominica with moderate intensity, then passed just south of Puerto Rico on July 23 with a gradual increase in intensity. San Juan, Puerto Rico
, recorded maximum winds of around 66 mph (105 km/h) and a low barometric pressure of 1005 mbar as the storm's center passed near the extreme southwest corner of Puerto Rico. The storm continued northwest and tracked over Hispaniola
while strengthening to hurricane status. The storm continued strengthening, and by the time it reached the central Bahamas, it was at full Category 4
intensity with 140 mph (225 km/h) winds. On July 26, while still moving northwest, the storm's eye passed directly over Nassau, where winds were unofficially estimated at 135 mph (220 km/h) and heavy damage was reported. Moving slowly, the storm weakened while sliding up the Florida coast, making final landfall near Melbourne, Florida
, on July 27 as a Category 2 hurricane
. In Florida, the storm's lowest barometric pressure of 975 mbar was observed.
The storm weakened rapidly as it moved inland, weakening to a tropical storm and eventually a depression as it moved across Georgia
and Alabama
while dumping heavy rains, resulting in serious flooding. It continued across the southeastern United States while losing tropical characteristics, gradually beginning to curve northeastward over Arkansas
, Missouri
, and the Ohio Valley, becoming extratropical
on August 1. It finally dissipated the following day as it moved northeastward over Lake Ontario
.
, the Dominican Republic
, Bahamas
, and Florida
by the storm.
s in the west-central region of the island, occurred. Heavy rainfall
of around 6.18 inches occurred on the island, while the average rainfall reported for July was 6.50 inches. Around 25 lives were lost when heavy flood
s resulted from rapid rise of rivers. Total losses in Puerto Rico were estimated at $2.350 million dollars.
as the storm center passed over the eastern half of the island.
. Trees, power poles, and various debris littered streets, and many people were left homeless. Automobiles at Nassau were also reported damaged by the storm, and flooding was reported. The hurricane also caused heavy damage nearby on Eleuthera
and Andros
, as well as in the Exuma
s.
reported a heavy storm surge along the Indian River which damaged or destroyed homes, docks, and boats.
Points further south along the Florida coast, such as Miami
, received only a brush from the storm, resulting in rains and some light wind damage. Flooding was also experienced at points such as Palm Beach
. Damage estimates in Florida exceeded $2.5 million.
, this was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in July (with 140 mph winds) until Hurricane Emily
of 2005, a Category 5 hurricane
which had top sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a pressure of 929 millibars, surpassed the intensity of the July 1926 hurricane. Hurricane Dennis
, also from 2005, was also still more intense in barometric pressure and wind strength than the hurricane of July 1926. Note that Hurricane Audrey
was also more intense and occurred even earlier in the season in June.
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
in the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
in several years until the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee hurricane, or San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was a deadly hurricane that struck the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida in September of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season...
, which occurred just two years later. The storm also delivered flooding rains and loss of crops to the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
.
Meteorological history
The system was first spotted 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...
as a tropical disturbance on July 22. Moving northwest, the tropical storm passed near Dominica with moderate intensity, then passed just south of Puerto Rico on July 23 with a gradual increase in intensity. San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, recorded maximum winds of around 66 mph (105 km/h) and a low barometric pressure of 1005 mbar as the storm's center passed near the extreme southwest corner of Puerto Rico. The storm continued northwest and tracked over 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...
while strengthening to hurricane status. The storm continued strengthening, and by the time it reached the central Bahamas, it was at full Category 4
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
intensity with 140 mph (225 km/h) winds. On July 26, while still moving northwest, the storm's eye passed directly over Nassau, where winds were unofficially estimated at 135 mph (220 km/h) and heavy damage was reported. Moving slowly, the storm weakened while sliding up the Florida coast, making final landfall near Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
, on July 27 as a Category 2 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. In Florida, the storm's lowest barometric pressure of 975 mbar was observed.
The storm weakened rapidly as it moved inland, weakening to a tropical storm and eventually a depression as it moved across Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
while dumping heavy rains, resulting in serious flooding. It continued across the southeastern United States while losing tropical characteristics, gradually beginning to curve northeastward over Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and the Ohio Valley, becoming extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on August 1. It finally dissipated the following day as it moved northeastward over Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
Impact
More than 287 people were killed in 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...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, and 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...
by the storm.
Puerto Rico
The storm initially caused little damage until it passed near Puerto Rico, where heavy crop damage, most notably to coffee plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s in the west-central region of the island, occurred. Heavy rainfall
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
of around 6.18 inches occurred on the island, while the average rainfall reported for July was 6.50 inches. Around 25 lives were lost when heavy flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s resulted from rapid rise of rivers. Total losses in Puerto Rico were estimated at $2.350 million dollars.
Hispaniola
Estimated damage amounted to around $3 million in eastern Santo DomingoSanto Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
as the storm center passed over the eastern half of the island.
Bahamas
Although damage reports are not clear, the storm was reported to be destructive around Nassau, where "some roofs were torn off entirely" and that the storm was "more fearful and devastating than any most people can remember", according to an eyewitness account posted in the July issue of the Monthly Weather ReviewMonthly Weather Review
The Monthly Weather Review is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.Topics covered by the journal include research related to analysis and prediction of observed and modeled circulations of the atmosphere, including technique development, data assimilation, model...
. Trees, power poles, and various debris littered streets, and many people were left homeless. Automobiles at Nassau were also reported damaged by the storm, and flooding was reported. The hurricane also caused heavy damage nearby on Eleuthera
Eleuthera
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...
and Andros
Andros, Bahamas
Andros Island is an archipelago within the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas, the largest of the 26 inhabited Bahamian Islands. Geo-politically considered a single island, Andros has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined...
, as well as in the Exuma
Exuma
Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands . The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma by a small bridge. The capital and largest city in the district is George Town , founded 1793 and located on Great...
s.
Florida
The storm was also reported to have caused damage around the point of landfall in Melbourne, Florida, where uprooted citrus trees and roofs blown off were reported. An observer on Merritt IslandMerritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
reported a heavy storm surge along the Indian River which damaged or destroyed homes, docks, and boats.
Points further south along the Florida coast, such as Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, received only a brush from the storm, resulting in rains and some light wind damage. Flooding was also experienced at points such as Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. Damage estimates in Florida exceeded $2.5 million.
Records
Prior to the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season2005 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering numerous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with an estimated 3,913 deaths and record damage of about $159.2 billion...
, this was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in July (with 140 mph winds) until Hurricane Emily
Hurricane Emily (2005)
Hurricane Emily was a powerful, early season tropical cyclone that caused significant damage across the Caribbean Sea to Mexico. A Cape Verde-type hurricane, the storm formed on July 10, 2005, in the central Atlantic Ocean before passing through the Windward Islands on July 14...
of 2005, a Category 5 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
which had top sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a pressure of 929 millibars, surpassed the intensity of the July 1926 hurricane. Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the very active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season...
, also from 2005, was also still more intense in barometric pressure and wind strength than the hurricane of July 1926. Note that Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey was the first major hurricane of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season. Audrey was the only storm to reach Category 4 status in June. A powerful hurricane, Audrey caused catastrophic damage across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. It then affected the South Central United States as...
was also more intense and occurred even earlier in the season in June.
See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Florida hurricanes