| 1856 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | August 9, 1856 |
| Last system dissipated | September 22, 1856 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | One |
| • Maximum winds | 150 mph (240 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 934mbar (hPa; 27.58inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 6 |
| Hurricanes | 4 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 2 |
| Total fatalities | ≥400 total |
| Total damage | Unknown |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1854,1855,1856,1857,1858 | |
The1856 Atlantic hurricane season was a deadlyAtlantic hurricane season that featured sixtropical cyclones. The first system,1856 Last Island hurricane, was first observed in theGulf of Mexico on August 9. The final storm, Hurricane Six, was last observed on September 22. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in theAtlantic. The season also had anaccumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 48.96.[1][note 1] Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. Five of themstruck land, while one of the cyclones has only a single known point in its track due to a sparsity of data. Operationally, another tropical cyclone was believed to have existed in theWilmington, North Carolina, area in September,[2] butHURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – excludes this system. Another tropical cyclone that existed over theNortheastern United States in mid-August was later added to HURDAT.[3]
Four tropical cyclones reached hurricane status, including two which becamemajor hurricanes, Category 3 or higher on the modern-daySaffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea are currently known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 has been estimated.[4] The strongest cyclone of the season struck Louisiana at peak intensity, with sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h). This was the strongest hurricane, in terms ofsustained winds, to strike the state untilLaura andIda tied it in2020 and2021 respectively. It also - the 1856 Last Island hurricane - brought devastation to southern Louisiana. At least than 400 people were killed after a storm surge submergedLast Island, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in Louisiana history.[5] Hurricane Two brought heavy rains and squalls toBarbados andGrenada, causing "considerable" damage. Tropical Storms Three and Four had a minor impact on the Northeastern United States andCuba, respectively. Additionally, Hurricane Five caused four deaths inInagua,Bahamas and had a minor impact on Cuba and the United States.
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 9 – August 12 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 150 mph (240 km/h)(1-min); 934 mbar (hPa) |
The Last Island Hurricane of 1856
On August 9, a minimal hurricane was observed near theDry Tortugas. The storm moved northwestward and strengthened, becoming a Category 2 hurricane about 12 hours later. The hurricane reached Category 3 strengthened late on August 9. It continued to deepen and became a Category 4 hurricane on the following day. At 1800 UTC on August 10, the hurricane attained its peak intensity withmaximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimumbarometric pressure of 934 mbar (27.6 inHg). Simultaneously, the storm made landfall in Last Island, Louisiana. It rapidly weakened inland and fell to tropical storm intensity on August 11. The system then drifted northeastward, until dissipating overMississippi early on August 12.[3]
Offshore, at least 183 people drowned after steamers and schooners sunk in rough seas produced by the hurricane.[6] A storm surge between 11 and 12 feet (3.4 and 3.7 m) lashed Last Island, Louisiana. The island was completely submerged, with virtually every structure destroyed, including the hotels and casinos, while all crops were ruined. Additionally, Last Island itself split in two. Inland, heavy rainfall caused theMermentau River to overflow, destroying crops and every house inAbbeville. The storm produced up to 13.14 inches (334 mm) of precipitation toNew Orleans. InPlaquemines Parish, rice fields were under several feet of water, while many orange trees lost their fruit.[7] The storm resulted in at least 200 fatalities,[8] making it one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in the history of Louisiana.[7][9]
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 13 – August 14 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h)(1-min); |
A hurricane with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) was initially observed about 750 mi (1,205 km) northwest of the coast ofVenezuela on August 13. The cyclone tracked due westward and crossedGrenada, before entering the eastern Caribbean. Heavy rain and squalls were reported inBarbados andGrenada. This system was last noted nearLa Orchila, Venezuela on August 14.[3][10]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 19 – August 21 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h)(1-min); |
The third tropical storm of the season developed on August 19 about 170 mi (275 km) southeast ofCape Fear, North Carolina. At 1100 UTC that day, it made landfall nearCape Lookout with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm traveled north and emerged into theChesapeake Bay nearNorfolk, Virginia. The storm continued travelling northward just offshore of the east coast of the US before finally dissipating offRhode Island on August 21.[3] Heavy rains and strong winds were reported inConnecticut,Massachusetts,New York, and Washington, D.C. This system was known as theCharter Oak Storm, because it felled the famedCharter Oak inHartford, Connecticut.[11] Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth proposed the removal of this storm from HURDAT, noting "Weather map analysis indicates low came from Ohio and deepened east of Massachusetts drawing in much colder air behind it".[12]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 21 – August 21 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h)(1-min); |
A limited number of sources indicate that a tropical storm was briefly active in the vicinity ofHavana, Cuba on August 21. The storm probably originated from theBahamas.[13] Chenoweth considers information on this storm to have actually been related to the following cyclone, due to "bad data fromTannehill (1938)".[12]
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 25 – September 3 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 115 mph (185 km/h)(1-min); 969 mbar (hPa) |
The Southeastern States Hurricane of 1856
A hurricane formed north ofHispaniola on August 25. It moved westward, passing over theInagua Islands before striking the north coast ofCuba as a Category 2 hurricane on August 27. The cyclone weakened to Category 1 strength as it crossed the island, close toMatanzas, but regained first Category 2 and then Category 3 strength as it moved north through the Gulf of Mexico. The cyclone made landfall nearPanama City, Florida, on August 31 as a Category 2 hurricane. Thereafter, it then quickly weakened to a tropical storm while moving northward throughGeorgia andSouth Carolina. The storm entered the Atlantic from the state ofVirginia on next day and dissipated on September 3.[3]
The hurricane destroyed thirty houses on Inagua and four people died there. Several vessels were run ashore on the Cuban coast.[13] In Florida, high tides were reported along the coast.[14] Tides generated by the storm reportedly washed away all land on Sand Key, althoughthe lighthouse survived.[15] TheSS Florida was tossed ashore atSt. Joseph Bay and completely destroyed, while streets were inundated with water inApalachicola. Inland, strong winds and heavy winds brought significant damage, especially atMarianna, which was considered "a wreck." by people in the area.[14] In Georgia, flooding damaged numerous bridges, dams, and corn and cotton crop fields. Many streets and sidewalks inColumbus were blocked by falling trees.[14] AtNorfolk, Virginia, on September 1, the spire of a church was blown down by the storm.[16][17]
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 18 – September 22 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h)(1-min); |
A sixth tropical storm was first observed by the brigCaroline E. Kelly on September 18, which experienced a heavy gale while located about 930 mi (1,495 km) east-southeast of Bermuda.[2] With initial winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), the storm slowly strengthened while moving north-northwestward. At 1200 UTC on September 19, it reached hurricane status and peaked with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The storm decelerated and remained at this intensity for over 24 hours. Late on September 21, the system re-curved westward and weakened to a tropical storm.[3] It was last seen by thePride of the Sea on September 22,[18] while located about 695 mi (1,120 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland.[3]
This is a table of all of the known storms that formed in the 1856 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration (within the basin), areas affected, 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 wasextratropical, awave, or alow, and all of the damage figures are in 1856 USD.
| Saffir–Simpson scale | ||||||
| TD | TS | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Storm name | Dates active | Stormcategory at peak intensity | Max 1-min wind mph (km/h) | Min. press. (mbar) | Areas affected | Damage (USD) | Deaths | Ref(s). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | August 9–12 | Category 4 hurricane | 150 (240) | 934 | Louisiana and southwesternMississippi | Unknown | 400 | [5] | ||
| Two | August 13–14 | Category 1 hurricane | 80 (130) | Unknown | Lesser Antilles | Unknown | None | |||
| Three | August 19–21 | Tropical storm | 60 (95) | Unknown | East Coast of the United States | Unknown | None | |||
| Four | August 21 | Tropical storm | 60 (95) | Unknown | Cuba | Unknown | None | |||
| Five | August 25 – September 3 | Category 3 hurricane | 115 (185) | 969 | Southeastern United States | Unknown | None | |||
| Six | September 18–22 | Category 1 hurricane | 80 (130) | Unknown | Southeastern United States | Unknown | None | |||
| Season aggregates | ||||||||||
| 6 systems | August 9 – September 22 | 150 (240) | 934 | Unknown | ≥400 | |||||
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.florida's hurricane history.
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