1892 Atlantic hurricane season

1892 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	June 9, 1892
Last system dissipated	October 29, 1892
Strongest storm
Name	Three, Five, and Seven
• Maximum winds	100 mph (155 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
Seasonal statistics
Total storms	9
Hurricanes	5
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)	0
Total fatalities	33
Total damage	$1.5 million (1892 USD)
Related article
1890s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
Atlantic hurricane seasons 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894

The 1892 Atlantic hurricane season included the last tropical cyclone on record to pass through the Cabo Verde Islands at hurricane intensity until 2015. A total of nine tropical storms developed, five of which strengthened into a hurricane, though none of them became a major hurricane.^{[nb 1]} However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.^[2] Three tropical storms made landfall on the United States.

Neither meteorologists José Fernández-Partagás and Henry F. Diaz in 1996 nor the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project added or removed any storms during their reanalysis of the season, though the latter upgraded the eighth storm to a hurricane. A reanalysis study by climate researcher Michael Chenoweth, published in 2014, concluded that 11 cyclones formed in the Atlantic in 1892. Chenoweth proposed the removal of the ninth system from the official hurricane database (HURDAT) and the addition to three storms. However, the changes suggested in Chenoweth's study have yet to be included in HURDAT.

On June 9, the first storm of the season developed over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Striking Cuba and Florida, the cyclone dropped heavy precipitation in both regions. Flooding in the former rendered approximately $1.5 million (1892 USD) in damage and at least 16 deaths. Two other systems struck the United States in 1892, though neither caused much impact. In October, a hurricane passed near Tobago and moved across Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, British Honduras, and Mexico, leaving damage in several regions and 17 fatalities, 16 of which occurred when a schooner capsized near Cabo Gracias a Dios. The ninth and final system was last noted on October 29. Collectively, the storms of the 1892 season inflicted at least 33 deaths and more than $1.5 million in damage.

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	June 9 – June 16
Peak intensity	50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min); ≤1005 mbar (hPa)

The first tropical storm developed about 45 mi (70 km) south of Isla de la Juventud on June 9. Initially moving northwestward, the storm made landfall later that day on the south coast of Pinar del Río Province in Cuba. The storm recurved northward and entered the Gulf of Mexico early the following morning, where it intensified and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Around that time, it turned to the northeast and made landfall at 23:00 UTC on June 10 in northern Monroe County, Florida, at the same intensity. The cyclone crossed Florida and emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near modern-day Deerfield Beach early the following day. Thereafter, the system headed out to sea for a few days, before re-approaching the Southeastern United States. Late on June 16, it was last noted about 80 mi (130 km) south-southeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina.^[3] Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth proposed a similar path and duration for this system, but adding a tropical depression stage at the beginning, with the cyclone not reaching tropical storm until June 10, when it was located near the Florida Keys.^[4]

In Cuba, moderately gusty winds and torrential rainfall were reported from Santa Clara to Pinar del Río, with the worst impact conditions being experienced in Matanzas. There, the San Juan and Yumurí rivers overflowed, causing water to rise 10 ft (3.0 m) above most houses. Civil guards and troops assisted rescue work and evacuation of residents.^[5] Furniture in 325 houses were swept away by the floodwaters. About 450 head of cattle drowned. Additionally, 600,000 bags of sugar stored in warehouses were lost.^[6] The storm left at least 16 deaths and approximately $1.5 million in damage.^[5] The storm also brought winds and rains to Florida. In just a few hours, Hypoluxo recorded 3.6 in (91 mm), while Titusville measured 12.95 in (329 mm) over a period lasting six days.^[7] In Jupiter, multiple trees were downed and severe damage was inflicted on crops.^[5]

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS)
Duration	August 15 – August 21
Peak intensity	75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min);

On August 15, the steamship Francia encountered a tropical storm east of the northernmost Lesser Antilles.^[5] The storm initially moved westward but curved northwestward by the following day, causing it to remain north of the islands,^[3] although Saint Thomas and Tortola reported thunderstorms and heavy rains. A north-northwestward motion of the storm commenced by August 18, while the cyclone reached hurricane status on the next day.^[3] During this time, the steamship Duart Castle encountered the system; rough seas caused severe damage to the ship and shifted around its cargo, injuring six people.^[5] The storm passed west of Bermuda between August 19 and August 20. Winds remained just below tropical storm-force winds on the island; a church, many trees, and lime and orange crops suffered extensive damage, however.^[5] The system then curved northeastward, continuing in that direction until becoming extratropical near Sable Island on August 21. The extratropical storm hit Newfoundland, and completely lost its identity on August 24.^[3]

In his 2014 study, Chenoweth extended the track back to August 14. The storm also became more intense than indicated by HURDAT, strengthening into a major hurricane.^[4]

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
Duration	September 3 – September 17
Peak intensity	100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

The official track for this storm begins well southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on September 3, one day before being encountered by a ship.^[5] Initially trekking west-northwestward, the system is estimated to have intensified into a hurricane on September 5. Strengthening further, the cyclone reached Category 2 intensity on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale on September 7, likely peaking with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). The storm moved in a large, mostly parabolic path across the Atlantic, turning north-northwestward on September 9, north-northeastward on September 11, and then northeastward on September 13. It is estimated that the cyclone weakened back to tropical storm intensity on September 14, a day before turning east-southeastward while well north of the Azores. The storm was last noted near the Galicia region of Spain on September 17.^[3]

Chenoweth's study kept this system as a tropical storm until September 7, while also arguing that the cyclone did not strengthen beyond a minimal Category 1 hurricane. He also adds an extratropical transition on September 15.^[4]

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	September 8 – September 13
Peak intensity	60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min);

The track for this storm begins over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on September 8, when The New York Times declared that "a general disturbance appears developing", with decreasing atmospheric pressures.^[5] Initially moving northwestward, the storm turned northeastward on September 10 and intensified to its estimated peak sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Early on September 12, the system made landfall near Golden Meadow, Louisiana, and then accelerated north-northeastward. The storm weakened inland and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 13 over Kentucky. Thereafter, the extratropical remnants of the storm crossed Ohio and eastern Canada, emerging into the Labrador Sea on September 16. By the following day, the extratropical cyclone dissipated near southern Greenland.^[3]

The New York Times noted that nearly all weather stations across the Gulf Coast of the United States reported rainfall in association with this storm. Pensacola, Florida, observed wind gusts up to 54 mph (87 km/h), while the extratropical remnants of the storm produced an identical measurement in Cleveland, Ohio.^[5] According to Chenoweth's 2014 study, this cyclone instead developed near the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on September 10. Instead of making landfall in Louisiana, the system struck the western Florida Panhandle and quickly dissipated over Alabama.^[4]

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
Duration	September 12 – September 23
Peak intensity	100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

Observations indicate the presence of a tropical storm on September 12 about 140 mi (225 km) west-northwest of Dakar, Senegal. The storm moved west-northwestward through the Capo Verde Islands without making landfall and intensified into a hurricane on the following day roughly halfway between São Nicolau and Santiago.^[3] While crossing through the archipelago, storm surge and abnormally high tides caused several vessels to flounder. On land, the hurricane destroyed many dwellings, severely damaged plantations, and killed "a quantity of cattle", according to The Times.^[8] Aside from this system, Hurricane Fred in 2015 became the only other cyclone to pass through the Capo Verde Islands as a hurricane.^[9]

After entering the open Atlantic, the cyclone strengthened and likely peaked with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) on September 14, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. The storm may have remained at this intensity for nearly a week, falling back to Category 1 hurricane status on September 20 as it began turning northwestward. By September 22, the hurricane curved northeastward, several hours before falling to tropical storm intensity. The cyclone then weakened to a tropical depression late on September 23 and was last noted about 575 mi (925 km) west-southwest of Flores Island in the Azores.^[3] While Chenoweth does not suggest significant changes to the storm's duration, peak intensity, or path, he proposed a 12-hour tropical depression stage on September 12 and then an extratropical transition on September 23.^[4]

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	September 25 – September 27
Peak intensity	60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min);

The sixth tropical storm of the season was a very short-lived storm that was first recorded northwest of Ciudad del Carmen on September 25. The storm travelled northwest across the Bay of Campeche before making landfall near the Mexico-Texas border, dissipating inland on September 27.^[3] In the state of Veracruz, the cyclone demolished over 60 homes in Tuxtepec and many others in rural areas outside the city. The storm also inflicted extensive damage to many trees and local banana plantations. Additionally, Orizaba reported significant losses to banana, corn, rice, and tobacco crops.^[10]

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS)
Duration	October 5 – October 16
Peak intensity	100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min);

Observations suggest the presence of a tropical storm about 290 mi (470 km) east of Tobago on October 5.^[5] The storm moved generally westward and intensified into a hurricane as it passed just south of the island late the following day. Remaining over the far southern Caribbean, the hurricane passed near the ABC islands and then struck Paraguaná in Venezuela as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) on October 8. After briefly re-emerging into the Caribbean, the cyclone made landfall on the Guajira Peninsula several hours later. Thereafter, the system moved in a more west-northwesterly direction and then struck near Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua–Honduras border on October 11. The storm weakened to a Category 1 hurricane while crossing Honduras, but re-strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on October 12 after re-emerging into the Caribbean. Around 18:00 UTC that day, the hurricane made landfall just south of Belize City, British Honduras. Rapidly weakening to a tropical storm, the system soon re-strengthened into a hurricane after emerging into the Bay of Campeche about 24 hours later. The storm re-intensified into a Category 2 hurricane, but weakened to a Category 1 prior to making landfall south of Tampico, Tamaulipas, late on October 15. High terrain over eastern Mexico caused the system to dissipate early the next day.^[3]

Heavy rainfall and strong winds lashed Trinidad on October 6 and October 7. Several interior streams overflowed,^[5] causing a suspension of railroad service and leaving roads impassable. Port of Spain experienced a disruption of water services, while one death occurred in the city.^[11] Offshore, five lighters sank.^[5] The hurricane impacted Venezuela in the immediate aftermath of the Legalist Revolution, with the ousted former president hiding on Curaçao,^[12] which reported rough seas.^[5] La Guaira reportedly experienced its worst storm in 40 years due to landslides, destroying many homes. A railroad was also destroyed, while the city also lost communications with Caracas.^[12] Approximately 800 men worked to remove dirt and other debris left by the landslide along the railroad tracks.^[13] In Honduras, the storm caused significant damage to crops and banana plantations and demolished a number of residences. Several vessels capsized or went ashore,^[14] including the schooner Stranger offshore Cabo Gracias a Dios, causing 16 deaths.^[5] Some other ships sank at the Bay Islands, while many dwellings were destroyed on Roatán.^[14] In Mexico, several ships went missing offshore Veracruz, where the storm also demolished many buildings.^[5]

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS)
Duration	October 13 – October 17
Peak intensity	90 mph (150 km/h) (1-min);

Ships encountered this cyclone between the Bahamas and Bermuda starting on October 13,^[5] with the official track beginning about 240 mi (390 km) northeast of San Salvador Island. Several hours later, the storm intensified into a hurricane while moving northeastward. The hurricane peaked with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) on October 14. While the system passed southeast of Bermuda on the following day,^[3] wind gusts reached 73 mph (117 km/h) at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. A tornado touched down on the eastern side of St. George's Island.^[5] On October 16, the cyclone weakened to a tropical storm and gradually lost tropical characteristics, becoming extratropical late on the next day about 665 mi (1,070 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland.^[3] The extratropical remnants generally continued northeastward until merging with another storm on October 20.^[5]

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	October 21 – October 29
Peak intensity	50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min);

While weather reports first noted a low-pressure area over the central Gulf of Mexico on October 22,^[5] the official track for this storm begins one day earlier. The storm intensified slightly while moving northeastward, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) on October 22. Around 19:00 UTC on October 24, the cyclone made landfall just north of Bradenton, Florida, at the same intensity. The system then tracked east-northeastward and emerged into the Atlantic earlier on the following day near Melbourne. On October 26, the storm resumed a northeastward motion until being last noted approximately 340 mi (545 km) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, early on October 29.^[3]

The cyclone produced wind gusts of 50 mph (85 km/h) in New Orleans, Louisiana, and 45 mph (72 km/h) in Pensacola, Florida. Heavy rains also fell along portions of the South Atlantic coast.^[5] Chenoweth considered this storm extratropical and instead attributed strong winds to pressure gradients.^[4]

Chenoweth proposed three other storms not currently listed in HURDAT. The first of the three developed over the Yucatán Channel on June 20. Moving northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico, the cyclone struck southern Texas on June 24 and dissipated that day. On October 25, the next unofficial storm formed over the southwestern Caribbean. The system crossed far eastern Nicaragua and Honduras before re-emerging into the Caribbean. Chenoweth last documented this storm near the Cayman Islands on October 29. A third unofficial cyclone formed in the off-season over the central Atlantic on December 11. After initially moving southwest, the cyclone turned northeastward and intensified into a Category 1 hurricane. It was last documented just southwest of the Azores on December 15.^[4]

This is a table of all of the known storms that have formed in the 1892 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, landfall, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1892 USD.

Saffir–Simpson scale
TD	TS	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5

• Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project
• Tropical cyclone observation

• Monthly Weather Review
• HURDAT Data for the 1892 Atlantic hurricane season