1878 Haiti–Florida hurricane

Category 2 Atlantic hurricane Hurricane Five1878 Kissimmee hurricane File:1878 September 11 weather map.jpg Surface weather analysis of the storm over Northeast Florida on September 11 September 1, 1878 September 13, 1878 September 13, 1978 90 970 (estimated) September 12, 1878 ≥ 9 F2 atl 1878 > 56 (+3 tornado-related, 1 indirect) 919000 > ($US 919000 1878 -4 in US USD) Windward Islands Hispaniola Cuba British Bahamas Eastern United States Ontario Quebec Rappaport Edward N. Fernández-Partagás José Edward Rappaport The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492–1996 NWS NHC 47 National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center 22 April 1997 28 May 1995 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml? Appendix 2: Cyclones that may have 25+ deaths https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadlyapp2.shtml? 10 September 2021 1878 Atlantic hurricane season The 1878 Haiti–Florida hurricane, also known as the Kissimmee hurricane, was a large, slow-moving Atlantic hurricane that was the most severe to impact the island of Trinidad since 1838. It also caused significant damage to portions of the Greater Antilles, chiefly Hispaniola, and eastern North America, primarily via powerful winds, storm surge, and rainfall-induced flooding. The fifth tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the annual season, it developed over the western tropical Atlantic north of South America on September 1; well formed at the time, it likely originated farther east but went undetected. Quickly strengthening into a hurricane, it impacted the Windward Islands, extensively damaging watercraft, infrastructure, and agriculture, but causing few fatalities. Three days later it struck Hispaniola with winds up to 90 mph (150 km/h), flattening numerous buildings, devastating crops, and claiming at least 16 lives, though estimates ranged upward of several hundred due to the scale of destruction, which dispersed entire populations. A day later the cyclone hit Cuba as a minimal hurricane, spreading relentless rainfall, along with crop damage, over portions of the island and the Lucayan Archipelago as it drifted near the country's northern coast for a few days. On September 7 it suddenly veered northward, impacting the Florida Keys and southern Florida peninsula as a high-end tropical storm. Over the next three days it slid west-northwest, wandering back offshore over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. There it rapidly restrengthened, peaking with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), and backtracked, moving inland over the Nature Coast on September 10. For several days the storm—its effects heightened by its size, slow motion, and a surrounding high-pressure area—delivered copious rain, gusty winds, and high tides to Florida, as it moved erratically over or near much of that state. The rains soaked wide swaths of the south-central peninsula, swamping riparian zones in the region, above all the areas northwest of Lake Okeechobee, while stiff winds downed trees, telecommunications, and fragile structures over a broad cross-section of the state, resulting in a fatality. The storm alternately shed and regained hurricane intensity within a few days of crossing Florida, arcing more to the north before making a final landfall in South Carolina—with Saffir–Simpson winds ranking it a strong Category 1 storm—on September 12. It then sped inland, its tropical features unraveling over West Virginia a day later before dissipation over Canada. The storm buffeted ships offshore Cuba, the Bahamas, and the United States, causing wrecks from the Florida to the Carolinas. Staple and other crops suffered damage from wind and rain, mainly in low-lying areas near water on the coastal plain. Most casualties in the Southeast north of Florida were from drownings or hurricane-spawned tornadoes, some retroactively rated F2 or stronger by meteorologists, that claimed four lives from the Carolinas to Virginia. Historic floods attended the storm's trek across the Appalachian Mountains and into Canada, with fast-rising rivers engulfing communities in several U.S. states and a few Canadian provinces. Railroads and other vital infrastructure, such as bridges, in both nations bore the brunt of the storm, owing to local hydrological milestones set by the storm, such as river rises and rainfall amounts unseen in years. At least 11 of the 32 dead in the U.S. were railroad employees whose trains collapsed due to mudslides or cave-ins from floodwaters. All 10 deaths in Canada were flood-related, as the storm was responsible for major inundations in Greater Toronto and adjourning areas. Cumulatively, the cyclone was blamed for at least 60 deaths and over $900,000 in losses. Meteorological history Five 1878 path.png left 200px new The storm—regarded as the most noteworthy Atlantic system that month due to its climatologically unusual beginning, route, and longevity—likely crystallized between 6° and 10°N, just south of Portuguese Cape Verde, but first appeared in the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) about 500 mi (805 km) east-southeast of Port of Spain, Trinidad, at 00:00 UTC on September 1, at which time it bore winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), equal to a moderate tropical storm,USASC 1878a 3 a day before the first observations were made confirming its existence. Heading west-northwest, it reached hurricane status—Category 1 on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale—a day later. Early on September 2, its eye passed between Tobago and Trinidad with sustained winds of 80–90 mph (130–150 km/h).Fernández-Partagás Díaz 27 As it did so, it gradually veered northwestward, a heading it maintained over the eastern Caribbean for two days. Retaining force, the storm made two consecutive landfalls on Hispaniola early on September 4: over present-day Jaragua National Park, Dominican Republic, then near Belle-Anse, Haiti, at a slightly lower intensity. A study by Michael Chenoweth in 2014, however, concluded that the storm never hit the Dominican Republic and grazed the southwestern edge of the Tiburon Peninsula instead, but its findings have yet to be incorporated into HURDAT.Chenoweth The hurricane lost some potency over western Haiti, reemerging over water near Gressier. Bypassing Port-au-Prince Bay, it briefly degenerated into a tropical storm over Gonâve Island. It quickly recovered, however, over the Windward Passage, and reached a secondary peak of 80 mph (130 km/h) before striking eastern Cuba on September 5. Interaction with land failed to weaken the storm appreciably; for two days the storm, now heading west-northwestward, slowed and meandered along coastal northern Cuba, maintaining winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Reports from Cuban cities gathered by Benito Vines traced the path of the storm, with Santa Clara enduring the transit of the vortex. Early on September 7 the storm, traversing the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, turned sharply northward, toward the Straits of Florida. At 21:00 UTC that day it struck Duck Key in the Florida Keys with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), and five hours later hit the South Florida mainland near Flamingo.Fernández-Partagás Díaz 27 At the time a robust ridge built to its north, inducing a slow drift for a few days. Spending a day over land, the storm abruptly shifted course, heading west-northwestward once more, and entered the eastern Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota early on September 9. Rapidly intensifying over water, the storm attained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h)—the highest in its lifespan—and suddenly reversed course, moving inland near present-day Pine Island, north of Bayport, at 11:00 UTC on September 10.Chenoweth's path did not reenter the Gulf, instead stalling over Charlotte Harbor and moving north over peninsular Florida, after tracking from near Marathon to near Dismal Key—an island east of Cape Romano—as a Category 2 hurricane.Chenoweth "nb" "Chenoweth" Using a simulation to extrapolate the decay of a storm over land, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project determined its central pressure at landfall to be 970 mb inHg on, based on a report of 29.09 inHg mb on taken in the eye at St. Augustine, and used data from three weather stations to verify its track on September 9–10,Ho 133Chris Landsea Craig Anderson William Bredemeyer Noel Charles Michael Chenoweth 3 Christopher Landsea https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html#1878_5 Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT: 1878/05 - 2000 ORIGINAL Re-Analysis Project Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division Miami, Florida mdy but older HURDAT and Chenoweth's study kept it inland near or east of Punta Gorda.ChenowethHo 126 After passing inland north of Tampa Bay, its center tracked northeastward across North Florida to enter the western Atlantic Ocean on September 11. Having weakened to a strong tropical storm, the cyclone soon became a hurricane again while curving sharply north-northeastward, and attained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). At 12:00 UTC the next day, it made its last landfall on an island in Saint Helena Sound, just west of present-day Edisto Beach, South Carolina, at the same intensity, and steadily lost strength as it accelerated inland, becoming extratropical over eastern West Virginia in the forenoon on September 13. Its remnants reached southernmost Ontario late that day, at which point they lost identity. Precautions and impact Caribbean and Bahamas +Deaths and damage by region Region Totaldeaths Damage(USD) Source(s) Canada 1868 10 >78000 $ View expanded list of sources September 14, 1878 Pointe-au-Père, Quebec Montreal Noon telegrams https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montreal-star/179450614/ Montreal Star 10 207 2 Newspapers.com September 20, 1878 Heavy rain storm in Ontario https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-transcript/179450749/ The Times-Transcript Moncton 2 32 2 Newspapers.com Part 2 The Great Rainstorm September 14, 1878 Toronto https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail/186971587/ The Globe 35 222 8 Newspapers.com Part 2 Hamilton News September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Hamilton, Ontario Toronto https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail/186971610/ The Globe 35 222 8 Newspapers.com September 14, 1878 The gale https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-news/179450644/ Kingston Daily News Kingston, Ontario 23 278 3 Newspapers.com Port Dalhousie St. Catharines September 13, 1878 Latest Dispatches https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/179450700/ Daily News 6 176 3 Newspapers.com September 24, 1878 Terrific storm https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076588/00333/zoom/1 The Royal Gazette Hamilton, Bermuda 51 40 2 University of Florida Digital Collections Work of the Great Storm September 14, 1878 September 15, 1878 Cincinnati New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93744760 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93744760 Captaincy General of Cuba Cuba 1878 View expanded list of sources Fernández-Partagás Díaz 28 Havana New York City September 15, 1878 September 16, 1878 Havana steamers in a gale https://www.proquest.com/docview/93742277 registration New York Times 27 8428 1 93742277 USASC 1878a 3 Carolinas 2 View expanded list of sources September 17, 1878 Macon, Georgia Storm in Charleston https://www.newspapers.com/article/georgia-weekly-telegraph-journal-and-me/179448375/ Georgia Weekly Telegraph, Journal and Messenger 53 2 Newspapers.com Grazulis 1993 596 Hudgins 14 USASC 1878b 10–1 Dominican Republic 1878 Tannehill 257 Florida 1868 2 View expanded list of sources https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00073/zoom/5 September 14, 1878 The Blow 3 27 6 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections September 21, 1878 [No title] https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00074/zoom/2 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 3 28 2 20 August 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections Kyle S. Van Landingham William LaMartin 2021 1976 Pioneer Families of the Kissimmee River Valley http://www.lamartin.com/history/pioneer_families_kissimmee_river_valley.htm LaMartin.com 10 September 2021 OL4916266M Okeechobee, Florida Tampa November 29, 1884 The Caloosahatchee https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-weekly-press/179527595/ The Weekly Press Fort Myers, Florida 1 2 2 Newspapers.com Part 2 Pfost Russell Santos Pablo Garcia Robert History of National Weather Service Forecast Office Miami, Florida https://www.weather.gov/mfl/floridahistorypage NWS WFO/NHC Miami, FL History Page National Weather Service 27 May 2025 Miami 3 February 2024 September 21, 1878 The storm throughout the state https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00074/zoom/1 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 3 28 2 20 August 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections Webb John G. William LaMartin 1878 Flood in Florida 10 September 2021 Sunland Tribune LaMartin.com October 12, 1878 Tampa Letter to the Editor http://www.lamartin.com/history/flood.htm Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 1878 5 ≥300000 $ USASC 1878a 3–4 Republic of Haiti (1859–1957) Haiti 1878 ≥16 Barnes 70 New York (state) New York 1878 1 Ohio 1878 2 ≥340000 $ View expanded list of sources A Victim of the Freshet September 19, 1878 September 20, 1878 Dennison, Ohio Cincinnati https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer/187037441/ The Cincinnati Enquirer 36 262 1 Newspapers.com Cincinnati DeLand, Florida September 14, 1878 September 18, 1878 Home news https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-florida-agriculturist/179448320/ Florida Agriculturalist 152 1 19 Newspapers.com Work of the Great Storm September 14, 1878 September 15, 1878 Cincinnati New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93744760 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93744760 A Severe Autumn Storm September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Cleveland, Ohio New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93769072 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93769072 The Storm in the West September 16, 1878 September 17, 1878 Cincinnati New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93740843 registration New York Times 27 8429 5 93740843 Pennsylvania 1878 11 ≥200000 $ View expanded list of sources The Flood September 19, 1878 Conneautville, Pennsylvania https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-conneautville-courier/27870220/ Conneautville Courier 31 44 2 Newspapers.com September 24, 1878 Terrific storm https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076588/00333/zoom/1 The Royal Gazette Hamilton, Bermuda 51 40 2 University of Florida Digital Collections A Severe Autumn Storm September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Cleveland, Ohio New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93769072 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93769072 The Great Storm September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Erie, Pennsylvania Philadelphia https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-times/4946556/ Philadelphia Times Special 1098 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 Terrific Gales and Flooding Rains September 13, 1878 September 19, 1878 Richmond, Virginia Harrisonburg, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/rockingham-register/187028469/ Rockingham Register 56 45 2 Newspapers.com The Bahamas 1869 British Windward Islands Trinidad and Tobago 1878 2 View expanded list of sources Mazurie Roland Borel François Huc Jean-Claude French Cyclone tropical n° 5 1878 Passage sur les Petites Antilles le 2 septembre https://atlas.amicale-des-ouragans.org/1851_1949/dossiers/AL051878/1878_AL05_CR_ado.pdf Amicale des Ouragans 21 August 2025 September 22, 1878 September 23, 1878 A West India Hurricane https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-commercial/166735479/ The Buffalo Commercial 47 15702 New York City Buffalo, New York 2 Newspapers.com September 22, 1878 September 23, 1878 Swept by a Tornado https://www.newspapers.com/article/reading-times/166735219/ Reading Times 41 148 New York City Reading, Pennsylvania 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079373/00853/zoom/2 September 28, 1878 Tobago 3 San Fernando Gazette San Fernando, Trinidad 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections USASC 1878a 3 Virginia 1878 1 ≥1000 $ View expanded list of sources Grazulis 1993 596 Schwartz 72 USASC 1878b 11 In the Vicinity of Richmond September 14, 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187028097/ Richmond Dispatch 54 67 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 West Virginia 1878 5 View expanded list of sources The Storm in West Virginia–Damage to Railroad Trains September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Cannelton, West Virginia Richmond, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187028061/ Richmond Dispatch Special 54 67 1 Newspapers.com September 24, 1878 Terrific storm https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076588/00333/zoom/1 The Royal Gazette Hamilton, Bermuda 51 40 2 University of Florida Digital Collections The Dead September 17, 1878 September 19, 1878 Cannelton, West Virginia Richmond, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187095942/ Daily Dispatch West Virginia Letter 54 71 1 Newspapers.com Elsewhere (in U.S.) 3 Cincinnati DeLand, Florida September 14, 1878 September 18, 1878 Home news https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-florida-agriculturist/179448320/ Florida Agriculturalist 152 1 19 Newspapers.com September 24, 1878 Terrific storm https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076588/00333/zoom/1 The Royal Gazette Hamilton, Bermuda 51 40 2 University of Florida Digital Collections Totals: 60+ >919000 $ Because of differing sources, totals may not match. As the storm passed near Trinidad, Port of Spain registered its lowest pressure to date, 29.05 inHg mb on,Center fix data: 1871-1880 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/centerdata1871-1880.htm Miami Hurricane Research Division 27 February 2025 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological LaboratorySeptember 22, 1878 September 23, 1878 A West India Hurricane https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-commercial/166735479/ The Buffalo Commercial 47 15702 New York City Buffalo, New York 2 Newspapers.com along with an hour-long lull and a 90° wind shift.USASC 1878a 3 A "trustworthy authority" cited by The Port of Spain Gazette stated that no similar storm had hit there since 1810,Mazurie Roland Borel François Huc Jean-Claude French Cyclone tropical n° 5 1878 Passage sur les Petites Antilles le 2 septembre https://atlas.amicale-des-ouragans.org/1851_1949/dossiers/AL051878/1878_AL05_CR_ado.pdf Amicale des Ouragans 21 August 2025 while the Monthly Weather Review considered the storm's impacts to be the worst in 40 years.USASC 1878a 3 Residents rode out the hurricane in the ground floor of buildings, although few structures survived unscathed. High winds flung shutters, tiles, tree branches, and roofs as debris. In Port of Spain, the hurricane wrecked or sank the boats in the harbor, including the harbormaster's launch. The storm also washed ashore seven lighters and one schooner, strewing debris along 2 mi km on of coast; it also tore cordage and sails off three larger boats.September 22, 1878 September 23, 1878 Swept by a Tornado https://www.newspapers.com/article/reading-times/166735219/ Reading Times 41 148 New York City Reading, Pennsylvania 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 Winds toppled large trees islandwide, which fell onto buildings and together with washouts halted traffic. The storm destroyed the island's largest coconut plantations, one of which belonged to chief justice Joseph Needham, with downed palms numbering in the tens of thousands. Rainfall of up to 7 in mm on on culminated in flash floods that annihilated bridges, causeways, wharves, and warehouses, during which several sites noted "earthquake shocks", according to a summary by the Monthly Weather Review.USASC 1878a 3 Two people drowned offshore. On neighboring Tobago the storm leveled homes "all over the island", the San Fernando Gazette reported.https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079373/00853/zoom/2 September 28, 1878 Tobago 5 203 3 San Fernando Gazette San Fernando, Trinidad 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections Elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles the storm's edges yielded heavy rains, rough seas, and squally weather, with Fort-de-France, Martinique, measuring 146 mm in on of rainfall on September 1–2. The forces of the storm destroyed jetties, flooded roads, and impacted fruit crops. On Hispaniola the storm caused unspecified damage at Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.Tannehill 257 In Haiti the storm ravaged plantations, some of which it swept bare, destroying three-fourths of the coffee crop and crippling cocoa yields. Wind and sea severely damaged numerous communities,September 23, 1878 Woeful Winds https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/166735671/ St. Louis Evening Post 1 218 New York City St. Louis, Missouri 1 Newspapers.com including Jacmel, where the storm mostly destroyed waterfront construction. High seas virtually erased Jérémie, Saint-Louis-du-Sud, and parts of Grand'Anse, tearing apart all 55 beachfront homes at Bainet. Rivers such as the Jacmel overflowed, effacing gardens and homes; severe flooding afflicted Port-Salut, Torbeck, and Côteaux.View expanded list of sources https://www.newspapers.com/article/boston-post/157411811/ Foreign News 95 71 New York City Boston 2 September 22, 1878 September 23, 1878 Boston Post February 27, 2025 Newspapers.com September 14, 1878 October 12, 1878 The Hayti Hurricane https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-western-sun/166736265/ The Western Sun 74 13 Port-au-Prince, Haiti Vincennes, Indiana 2 Newspapers.com USASC 1878a 3 Powerful winds blew down hundreds of homes and other structures, and wholly or partly unroofed those that survived, resulting in numerous casualties, especially in Les Cayes Arrondissement. There the storm wrecked 434 homes, 120 of them at Les Cayes alone, along with several of the largest rum distilleries (French: guildives), a schoolhouse, an arsenal, a prison, a military headquarters, a courthouse, a bridge, and a church. At Aquin the storm rendered irreparable 131 houses—all but 40 of the total—and left the town itself partly underwater. At Cavaillon, where only a few homes survived, the storm killed 11 children and women in a collapsed church; elsewhere first responders retrieved five deceased bodies. At Corail the storm shattered 40 homes and the American schooner Warden, but rescuers salvaged the latter's crew. Across Haiti the storm mangled more ships and warehouses, ruining goods such as over 1,500,000 lb kg on of wool. Debris and trees clogged streets, hindering transportation. The storm depopulated entire settlements, hampering efforts to monitor the dead and injured; officials assessed an unknown but large number of victims, with "hundreds" of deaths rumored.Barnes 70 left We learn by an arrival from Andros Island that the fall of rain there recently has been immense, so much indeed that in the neighbourhood of Fresh Creek (which is really a small Fresh Water river) the fresh water extends out into the sea as far as the edge of soundings, and can clearly be distinguished from the sea water. Nassau Times https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079430/00589/zoom/1 September 11, 1878 [No title] 10 29 2 Nassau Times Nassau, Bahamas 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections During landfall the storm lashed Cuba with hurricane-force winds of "remarkable velocity", as claimed by the Monthly Weather Review, but its effects on the island mainly consisted of freshwater flooding. The worst floods on record hit western Cuba, deluging 60 plantations between Colón and Cárdenas.Fernández-Partagás Díaz 28USASC 1878a 3 The New York Times stated that Havana suffered "tempestuous and very rainy" conditions for a week, but with little impact on sugarcane fields. In the Straits of Florida turbulent seas forced the crew of the Sally Brown to abandon ship and be picked up by the steamer Carondelet. The Rebecca Carnana endured hurricane-force winds in the Straits for three days, losing its mainsail and a pair of topsails.Havana New York City September 15, 1878 September 16, 1878 Havana steamers in a gale https://www.proquest.com/docview/93742277 registration New York Times 27 8428 1 93742277September 22, 1878 Two stormy passages https://www.proquest.com/docview/93673213 registration New York Times New York City 27 8433 2 93673213 In the Bahamas the storm blew down crops and several homes on Bimini, where locals deemed the cyclone "very severe", as reported by the Nassau Times.https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079430/00592/zoom/1 September 21, 1878 [No title] 10 32 2 Nassau Times Nassau, Bahamas 3 May 2024 University of Florida Digital Collections The storm dumped vast quantities of rainfall, dousing horticulture, including several hundred banana batches.Hurricanes at the Biminis September 28, 1878 34 3580 2 https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00076890/02139/zoom/1 The Nassau Guardian and Bahama Islands Advocate and Intelligencer February 27, 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections At Nassau air pressures dipped to 29.60 inHg mb on, at a time the storm was centered about 400 mi (645 km) away. At the height of the storm gales pounded New Providence, and the Nassau Times noted a "heavy hurricane" to the southwest. On Andros heavy rainfall fell for days, swelling waterways due to surface runoff and leading to freshwater discharges that killed thousands of saltwater fish. The outflow ruined crops, disrupted conch harvests, and impeded normal tides for four days. Turkey vultures feasted on fish carcasses.https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079430/00593/zoom/1 September 25, 1878 Heavy Rains at Andros Island 10 33 2 Nassau Times Nassau, Bahamas 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections Eastern North America thumb|right|Map showing the track of the storm over Cuba and the Southeastern United States On September 6 the United States Army Signal Corps—the agency responsible for weather forecasts and notices in the U.S. until 1891—first warned American interests of the storm, issuing what were labeled "cautionary signals" at cities such as Key West starting that day.USASC 1878a 3 As it meandered over or near Florida, the cyclone brought prolonged gales and torrential rains. Wind gusts to 60 mi/h km/h on and elevated tides battered coastal sites such as Key West, Biscayne Bay, and Sarasota for almost a week,View expanded list of sources Pfost Russell Santos Pablo Garcia Robert History of National Weather Service Forecast Office Miami, Florida https://www.weather.gov/mfl/floridahistorypage NWS WFO/NHC Miami, FL History Page National Weather Service 27 May 2025 Miami 3 February 2024 September 21, 1878 The storm throughout the state https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00074/zoom/1 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 3 28 2 20 August 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections Webb John G. William LaMartin 1878 Flood in Florida 10 September 2021 Sunland Tribune LaMartin.com October 12, 1878 Tampa Letter to the Editor http://www.lamartin.com/history/flood.htm enhanced in part by the sprawling storm and ambient pressures from the ridge. The storm generated "extreme rainfalls" and a "thorough soaking" at many points, according to hurricane historian Jay Barnes. A series of factors amplified the storm, including its erratic trek, a pair of wetter-than-average years, wind-driven tides, and copious precipitation in its outer rainbands. These led to widespread flooding, pushing Lake Okeechobee over its rim.November 29, 1884 The Caloosahatchee https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-weekly-press/179527595/ The Weekly Press Fort Myers, Florida 1 2 2 Newspapers.com Part 2Barnes 70 The rains accompanying the storm were such that new ponds formed in normally dry spots.September 21, 1878 [No title] https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00074/zoom/2 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 3 28 2 20 August 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections In Central Florida the Kissimmee River spilled over its banks several miles in Okeechobee County, near Fort Basinger,Kyle S. Van Landingham William LaMartin 2021 1976 Pioneer Families of the Kissimmee River Valley http://www.lamartin.com/history/pioneer_families_kissimmee_river_valley.htm LaMartin.com 10 September 2021 OL4916266M Okeechobee, Florida Tampa forcing boat travel for 30 mi km on between there and Fort Myers.Webb John G. William LaMartin 1878 Flood in Florida 10 September 2021 Sunland Tribune LaMartin.com October 12, 1878 Tampa Letter to the Editor http://www.lamartin.com/history/flood.htm A chronicler of the area's history a century later wrote that locals dubbed the cyclone "the great hurricane" for its aftermath. A sheet of water covered all but the highest land to a depth of 5 ft m on or more, obscuring markers such as Fisheating Creek and partly submerging cattle. Watercourses in south-central Florida rose rapidly to hitherto-unknown levels, with the Peace and Calooshatchee rivers reaching or exceeding the 14 ft m on mark. Riparian flooding affected communities such as Fort Meade, immersing farms and severing bridges. Water levels reached the peaks of homes and "insulators on some of the telegraph poles", as detailed in an account published by the Sunland Tribune in Tampa. High tides also engulfed waterfronts, with over 1 ft m on of water filling streets in Key West and snarling shipping.https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00073/zoom/5 September 14, 1878 The Blow 3 27 6 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 26 February 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections In Jacksonville tides seeped onto roads,Al Sandrik Chris Landsea amp 2003 Chronological Listing of Tropical Cyclones affecting North Florida and Coastal Georgia 1565-1899 Hurricane Research Division 2007-01-02 http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/history/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20061206073407/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/history/index.html December 6, 2006 live flooding stores and turning streets into canals. At St. Augustine water lapped at the foot of houses, and at Mayport floods swallowed the countryside. At the former citizens esteemed the storm "the worst that has ever been there", as stated by the Sunland Tribune.September 21, 1878 The storm throughout the state https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00048571/00074/zoom/1 Sunland Tribune Tampa, Florida 3 28 2 20 August 2025 University of Florida Digital Collections thumb|left|Surface weather map showing the storm along the Georgia coastline on September 12, just south of Savannah Strong winds statewide downed telegraph lines,Barnes 70 trees, and old or weak structures. In the Tampa Bay area winds dismantled a commissary, some shacks, a few churches, and an unfinished Masonic Hall, with Brandon among the spots affected. The storm felled various trees—particularly pines and chinaberries—throughout the area, including on the Pinellas peninsula, snarling wires and almost barring streets. Wind damage extended inland across the state, consisting of shattered signs, storefront windows, and fences. A tree fatally crushed a woman at Lake City. Fallen vegetation, including large trees, cluttered streets, city plazas, and other public places across the First Coast. Winds toppled, blew apart, or shifted diverse structures in multiple communities, including Franklintown and Mayport; among the razed edifices was a lighthouse at the St. Johns River outlet. Hurricane-force winds lasted 40 hours in some areas, compounding the damage,Ho 131 though wind estimates may have had a high bias.Landsea Christopher Best Track Committee https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/comments_jan2003.htm Comments of and replies to the National Hurricane Center Best-Track Change Committee January 2003 12 April 2002 HURDAT Re-analysis Miami Hurricane Research Division 17 December 2025 Northeasterly gales wrecked several ships along the coastline from Cape Canaveral to Amelia Island, including three near Mosquito Inlet,Ho 131 as well as small craft near Jacksonville; other vessels foundered or were dismasted up and down the seaboard, with one death.USASC 1878a 4 Several Central Florida counties, including Hillsborough, tallied considerable rice and sugarcane losses, with the heaviest damage to the former along the Alafia River. Downpours also inflicted vast losses to cotton in the Gainesville area. The storm destroyed tropical and other fruits—notably oranges, avocados, and bananas—all over the state, with especially severe losses to the former on Key West and at Chokoloskee in the Everglades. thumb|right|Surface weather map showing the storm near the eastern Great Lakes region on September 13 Brushing Georgia and the Carolinas, the storm caused the highest tides locally since a major hurricane 24 years earlier. The tides harmed rice fields on Butler Island and in the Savannah area, plaguing planters with "great" losses—estimated at over $300,000—along the Savannah, Ogeechee, and Black rivers, where 2 – 3 ft m on of water covered plantations.September 17, 1878 Macon, Georgia The Georgia press https://www.newspapers.com/article/georgia-weekly-telegraph-journal-and-me/179448436/ Georgia Weekly Telegraph, Journal and Messenger 53 6 Newspapers.com In the South Carolina Lowcountry some rice plantations resembled "a sheet of water", notably on the Combahee and Ashepoo rivers, as per the Georgia Weekly Telegraph, Journal and Messenger.September 24, 1878 Disaster to the rice crop https://www.newspapers.com/article/georgia-weekly-telegraph-journal-and-me/179448483/ Georgia Weekly Telegraph, Journal and Messenger Macon, Georgia 53 8 Newspapers.com Persistent gales antedating the storm rocked the littoral Southeast for days, ushering in tidal surges over the Sea Islands and their vicinity. The crew of the barque Tuiske, five in all, drowned while departing Tybee Island in a longboat.USASC 1878a 3–4 The highest winds in the coastal Southeast beyond Florida raked Cape Lookout, North Carolina, which measured 61 mi/h km/h on, with little wind damage resulting there and in nearby towns,September 17, 1878 Macon, Georgia Storm in Charleston https://www.newspapers.com/article/georgia-weekly-telegraph-journal-and-me/179448375/ Georgia Weekly Telegraph, Journal and Messenger 53 2 Newspapers.com apart from prostrate barriers and trees. Rainwater gushed through local alleyways, bearing away various goods in places such as Wilmington,The Storm King and his fury September 12, 1878 Wilmington, North Carolina https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-review/187028564/ The Daily Review 3 191 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 while overflowing streams and tides overran even raised locales,The Storm September 16, 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/article/goldsboro-messenger/187028605/ Goldsboro Messenger 14 102 2 Newspapers.com with crop losses up to 50% near the Cape Fear River.USASC 1878c 9 Offshore hurricane winds rolled the ship City of New York for 40 hours, and many vessels went aground on the North Carolina shore.Hudgins 14 Vigorous winds extended far from the center, reaching as far inland as the Great Lakes region and north along the Atlantic coast. Gales extended into the neighboring Mid-Atlantic, where Richmond, Virginia, observed some of its strongest winds on record,Schwartz 72 along with broken tree limbs, chimneys,In the Vicinity of Richmond September 14, 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187028097/ Richmond Dispatch 54 67 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 and power lines.A Severe Autumn Storm September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Cleveland, Ohio New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93769072 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93769072 Widespread winds over 40 mi/h km/h on swept the seafront up to New York City,The Wind at Forty Miles an Hour September 14, 1878 https://www.proquest.com/docview/93769245 registration New York Times 27 8427 2 93769245 with a peak of 46 mi/h km/h on at Cape May, New Jersey.USASC 1878a 4 Windstorms spread desolation along the Hudson Valley, leveling a half-done icehouse in Coxsackie, killing its owner and injuring his sons. The Hudson River brimmed over, flooding piers and docks. Strong winds uprooted many apple and peachtrees, with great losses to buckwheat, corn, and grapes in the bordering countryside. At Coney Island, New York, the storm generated 15 ft m on surf, surpassing a storm the previous April. The sea crumpled bathhouses, and a pavilion near Atlantic Garden was isolated by high water. The storm acted as a spectacle, drawing 1,000 sightseers from nearby Manhattan Beach, a few hundred of whom waded offshore.Heavy Gale at Coney Island September 14, 1878 https://www.proquest.com/docview/93730852 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93730852 In Virginia many boats washed ashore or were impaired, but the worst storm damage was sustained from a tornado outbreak that stretched into the Carolinas, spawning nine or more twisters—at least five of which were seriousRoth, David M. Cobb, Hugh Virginia Hurricane History July 16, 2001 Late Nineteenth Century Virginia Hurricanes Hydrometeorological Prediction Center Silver Spring, Maryland February 5, 2025 http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080108155833/http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm January 8, 2008 live—killing three people and injuring at least 18 others.Grazulis 1993 596Schwartz 72An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with at most a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/schneider/otbrkseq.pdf Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875–2003) Schneider Russell S. Brooks Harold E. Schaefer Joseph T. Harold E. Brooks 2004 American Meteorological Society Hyannis, Massachusetts 22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms https://ams.confex.com/ams/11aram22sls/techprogram/programexpanded_230.htm September 17, 2019 +Railway deaths by area Name Country Status Source(s) Charles B. McCormick United States stoker A Victim of the Freshet September 19, 1878 September 20, 1878 Dennison, Ohio Cincinnati https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer/187037441/ The Cincinnati Enquirer 36 262 1 Newspapers.com George Brown United States driver The Great Storm September 15, 1878 September 16, 1878 Cincinnati Pittsburgh https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-post/157382136/ Pittsburgh Post 4 Newspapers.com George Hoffman United States stoker Isaac Gensheimer United States brakeman The Flood September 19, 1878 Conneautville, Pennsylvania https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-conneautville-courier/27870220/ Conneautville Courier 31 44 2 Newspapers.com The Great Storm September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Erie, Pennsylvania Philadelphia https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-times/4946556/ Philadelphia Times Special 1098 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 John Bauer United States stoker Mike Cahill United States brakeman J. Mulcahy United States driver The Storm in West Virginia–Damage to Railroad Trains September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Cannelton, West Virginia Richmond, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187028061/ Richmond Dispatch Special 54 67 1 Newspapers.com Richards Canada driver The Great Rainstorm September 14, 1878 Toronto https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail/186971587/ The Globe 35 222 8 Newspapers.com Part 2 Roberts United States stoker S. McCabe United States driver U. B. McDowell United States brakeman Wheeler United States stoker Sources cited in text. Farther north, the storm spread prolific rains over middle Appalachia, attended by record-breaking floods—and the worst weather in years—over parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Daily rainfall peaked at 8 in mm on in Steubenville, Ohio, and 7 in mm on in Youngstown. Rivers across the region quickly attained flood stage, with a 24-hour rise of 16 ft m on in the Ohio near Steubenville.Schwartz 72–3 Floods also ravaged the Virginia Piedmont, causing an unclear number of deaths. Homes, trees, dams, and crops were swept away.USASC 1878c 10 Water levels in the James River near Lynchburg, Virginia, rose 10 in mm on an hour, dismaying local residents, including merchants in low areas who secured their wares.https://www.newspapers.com/article/keowee-courier/157413006/ The Equinoctial Storm September 14, 1878 September 19, 1878 The Keowee Courier 13 44 2 Cincinnati Walhalla, South Carolina Newspapers.com Localized freshwater flooding occurred along the James River in Henrico County.Sep 12, 1878 https://www.weather.gov/media/marfc/Flood_Events_2016/1878/Sep12%2C1878.pdf National Weather Service 18 December 2025 15 May 2016 The Kanawha River climaxed the highest in 17 years, with its tributary, the New, breaking previous benchmarks by 5 ft m on.Schwartz 73 Not since 1837 had some areas in Ohio seen similar flooding.USASC 1878c 9–10 Floods in the Mahoning River and other water bodies inundated numerous communities, sweeping away riverfront homes, bridgeworks, mills, a furnace, dams, tents, and other structures, along with sundry waterborne objects. Bridge losses—30 in all—in Mahoning County, Ohio, alone totaled $100,000, with 100 families homeless in Youngstown.The Storm in the West September 16, 1878 September 17, 1878 Cincinnati New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93740843 registration New York Times 27 8429 5 93740843 Similar monetary losses were reported from other individual locations, such as Geneva and Meadville, Pennsylvania.Terrific Gales and Flooding Rains September 13, 1878 September 19, 1878 Richmond, Virginia Harrisonburg, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/rockingham-register/187028469/ Rockingham Register 56 45 2 Newspapers.com In Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland, floodwater swept over docks and streets to a depth of several feet.USASC 1878c 10 Onrushing waters overswept regional transportation links, swamping a 20 mi km on railroad embankment segment, along with 50 mi km on of railroads.USASC 1878c 10 The torrents scoured cropland, killed several hundred livestock, and gouged out track beds, buckling trains. Washouts or landslides killed three railroad personnel on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway; at least one on the Panhandle Route near Reeds Mill, Ohio;Work of the Great Storm September 14, 1878 September 15, 1878 Cincinnati New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/93744760 registration New York Times 27 8427 1 93744760 four on the Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad near Jamestown, Pennsylvania; two near Barboursville, West Virginia; and three more on the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad near Meadville, along with a train engineer on an unnamed line near Cannelton, West Virginia. Multiple employees underwent injuries including arm and leg fractures. Additional deaths from drowning took place: one near Painesville, Ohio, when a steamer ran aground; two more in Mill Creek near Erie, Pennsylvania; a third near Meadsville; and two along the New River near Cannelton.The Dead September 17, 1878 September 19, 1878 Cannelton, West Virginia Richmond, Virginia https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch/187095942/ Daily Dispatch West Virginia Letter 54 71 1 Newspapers.com Additionally, an indirect death ensued when an alcoholic scanning the floods tottered off a bridge near Geneva. Waters rose to record levels in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and many other places along the Pennsylvania–Ohio border, turning entire areas into a "vast lake", as defined by the Monthly Weather Review. The waters covered low ground, carrying off sheep, haybales, fences, lumber, and other objects. Stormwater removed a 100 ft m on pier segment in Oswego, New York.USASC 1878c 9–10 Due to the floods, the tempest was recalled as the "Hurricane of '78".Schwartz 73 thumb|right|Illustration showing a collapsed bridge in Toronto, Ontario, following the storm As the remnants of the system entered Canada, seafarers on Lakes Ontario and Erie reported the harshest storm in more than three decades.Schwartz 72USASC 1878a 4 Several areas in Quebec and Ontario reported gale-force winds, rainstorms, and inclement weather.September 14, 1878 Pointe-au-Père, Quebec Montreal Noon telegrams https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montreal-star/179450614/ Montreal Star 10 207 2 Newspapers.com Port Dalhousie St. Catharines September 13, 1878 Latest Dispatches https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/179450700/ Daily News 6 176 3 Newspapers.com At Kingston blustery winds downed trees and fences.September 14, 1878 The gale https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-news/179450644/ Kingston Daily News Kingston, Ontario 23 278 3 Newspapers.com The storm dropped heavy rainfall over southern Ontario, with totals nearing 5 in mm on while rains were ongoing. In Toronto 5.01 in mm on fell in less than a day, the most in 36 years. The Don River ascended 8 ft m on higher than usual, afflicting Toronto with up to $50,000 in flood damage, the heaviest in its history. The river overspread its banks, removing a few bridges and much of a third, the debris of which massed 20 ft m on deep in a pile by the Grand Trunk Railway. The deluge uplifted sidewalks, soaked personal belongings, and formed potholes in roads, while badly damaging The Esplanade. Trains suspended service due to washouts as well. Four individuals drowned in Toronto itself, and four others were extricated from an adrift bridge. One more flood-related death occurred at Galt, one at Markham, three at Brampton,September 20, 1878 Heavy rain storm in Ontario https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-transcript/179450749/ The Times-Transcript Moncton 2 32 2 Newspapers.com Part 2 and one at Lindsay. Floods in and near these areas, such as at Meadowville (now Meadowvale), ruptured dams, damaging businesses, factories, and homes; several families had to be evacuated by boat. Brampton alone reported losses of at least $10,000, with most of its business district submerged.The Deluge September 14, 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator/166734864/ The Hamilton Spectator 31 221 1 Newspapers.com Part 2 Floodwaters also effaced roads, killed cattle, and swelled streams to unprecedented levels, which The Globe compared to "a miniature Niagara".Hamilton News September 13, 1878 September 14, 1878 Hamilton, Ontario Toronto https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail/186971610/ The Globe 35 222 8 Newspapers.com Not a single bridge remained in or around Scarborough, where farmers were unable to sell their crops due to the closure of markets and gardeners overcharged customers. Rising water raised fears of a dike breach and shipping casualties at Port Dalhousie. At Picton gales capsized a schooner, but without deaths. Rough weather unmoored, beached, or otherwise damaged a number of other vessels, mostly slightly. Tornado outbreak ≥ 9 4 ? 1 4 ? ? ? no Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991.Agee Childs 1496Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.Grazulis 2001a 251–4 Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or fatalities.Edwards Roger The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes Storm Prediction Center February 25, 2016 March 5, 2015 Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.Cook Schaefer 3135 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.Agee Childs 1497, 1503The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.Grazulis 1993 141Grazulis 2001a 131 Tornado ratings were retroactively applied to events prior to the formal adoption of the F-scale by the National Weather Service.Edwards LaDue Ferree 641–642 While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,Edwards Roger Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) Storm Prediction Center February 25, 2016 March 5, 2015 Canada used the old scale until April 1, 2013;Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale) https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 Environment and Climate Change Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada February 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220706/http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 March 3, 2016 June 6, 2013 dead nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.The International Tornado Intensity Scale http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php Tornado and Storm Research Organisation Tornado and Storm Research Organisation February 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305120332/http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php March 5, 2016 2016 dead Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from Grazulis. + Confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, September 12, 1878fn1 All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.F#LocationCounty / ParishStateTime (UTC)Path lengthWidthfn3 The listed width values are primarily the average/mean width of the tornadoes, with those having known maximum widths denoted by ♯. From 1952 to 1994, reports largely list mean width whereas contemporary years list maximum width.Agee Childs 1494 Values provided by Grazulis are the average width, with estimates being rounded down (i.e. 0.5 mi km on is rounded down from 880 yards to 800 yards.Brooks 310Grazulis 1990 ixDamage F2Between Clover Hill and SummitChesterfieldVA8 mi km on on100 yd m on on≥1,000 $Many homes were wrecked, with eight injuries. All articles in the path were ruined, and wooded swaths were left barren, with trees up to 2 ft m on wide hurled several hundred yards. An orchard with hundreds of trees was leveled, along with fences, an icehouse, a carriage house, barns, stables, and up to 50 beehives.Grazulis 1993 596USASC 1878b 11 F1Short PumpHanoverVA15 mi km on on125 yd m on onThis tornado "mowed down" trees "as though they had been cut down with some powerful scythe", some of which it threw 1/2 mi km on, local media stated. Personal items were found miles away, and no debris remained in the path. The tornado also destroyed homes, including a sturdy log dwelling.Grazulis 1993 596USASC 1878b 11 F2ENE of GoldsboroWayneNC11:45–?5 mi km on on100 yd m on on2 deaths – A few farms and much timber were leveled. About 1,200 chickens were shorn of feathers. A man perished instantly, and a member of his family was fatally injured, dying days afterward. One of the dead was carried far, debris was strewn countywide, and farm animals and dogs were killed. There were three—possibly four—injured.Grazulis 1993 596USASC 1878b 10–1 FUSE of PetersburgDinwiddieVA18:00–?Details are unknown.Grazulis 1993 596 F2E of Ford's DepotDinwiddieVA18:20–?70 yd m on onDwellings and a barn were flattened, along with trees.Grazulis 1993 596USASC 1878b 11 FUW of BurkevilleNottowayVATrees were sheared off.Grazulis 1993 596USASC 1878b 11 F2Bosher's DamHenricoVA100 yd m on on1 death – Outbuildings and small homes were ripped apart, with heavy porch columns being carried over 1 mi km on. According to an observer, "all manner of vegetation mingled with muddy earth in the awful whirl". A mother was blown down while fleeing with her offspring, fatally crushing an infant. Seven injuries occurred.Grazulis 1993 596Schwartz 72USASC 1878b 11 FUNear Dover MinesGoochlandVA21:00–?28 mi km on on150 yd m on onDetails are unknown.Grazulis 1993 596 FUE of WarsawDuplinNCDubbed a "cyclone" by the Goldsboro Messenger, this tornado prostrated many trees and homes. See also 1933 Trinidad hurricane – Also affected Trinidad with winds of hurricane intensity Hurricane Gordon – Generated severe flooding in Haiti and parts of Florida List of tropical cyclones spawning tornadoes Tropical Storm Fay (2008) – Brought prolific rains to peninsular Florida Notes References Citations 2 Sources Ernest M. Agee Samuel Childs Adjustments in Tornado Counts, F-Scale Intensity, and Path Width for Assessing Significant Tornado Destruction Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology June 1, 2014 53 6 1494–1505 10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0235.1 2014JApMC..53.1494A American Meteorological Society free Agee Childs Barnes Jay 1998 Florida's Hurricane History UNC Press Chapel Hill 1st Nineteenth Century Storms, 1800–1899 https://archive.org/details/floridashurrican0000barn_g4v2/ registration 0-8078-2443-7 70–1 Barnes Internet Archive Barometric pressure Monthly Weather Review September 1878 6 9 1–5 U.S. Army Signal Corps Washington, D.C. 10.1175/1520-0493(1878)69[1b:BP]2.0.CO;2 free 1878MWRv....6RT..1. USASC 1878a Brooks Harold E. Harold E. Brooks On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity Weather and Forecasting April 2004 19 2 310–19 10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2 free 2004WtFor..19..310B Brooks Chenoweth Michael A New Compilation of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1851–98 Journal of Climate December 2014 27 12 8674–8685 10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00771.1 American Meteorological Society 2014JCli...27.8674C free Chenoweth Cook A. R. Schaefer J. T. The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks Monthly Weather Review August 2008 136 8 3121–3137 10.1175/2007MWR2171.1 free 2008MWRv..136.3121C Cook Schaefer Roger Edwards James G. LaDue John T. Ferree Kevin Scharfenberg Chris Maier William L. Coulbourne 3 Tornado Intensity Estimation: Past, Present, and Future Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society May 1, 2013 94 5 641–653 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00006.1 free 2013BAMS...94..641E American Meteorological Society Edwards LaDue Ferree Francis P. Ho Extreme hurricanes in the nineteenth century Appendix – hurricanes affecting northeastern Florida NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS Hydro 43A National Weather Service March 1989 126, 131–4 Silver Spring, Maryland https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/7224 3 May 2024 NOAA Institutional Repository Ho Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989 November 1990 The Tornado Project of Environmental Films St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1-879362-02-3 2 Grazulis Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events July 1993 The Tornado Project of Environmental Films St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1-879362-03-1 1 Grazulis Thomas P. The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz registration 2001a University of Oklahoma Press Norman 978-0-8061-3538-0 1 Hudgins James E. 2000 Tropical Cyclones Affecting North Carolina since 1566 – An Historical Perspective National Weather Service (NWS) Technical Memos ER-92, Tropical Cyclones Affecting North Carolina Blacksburg, Virginia Seattle National Weather Service NOAA Seattle Library 25 April 2023 http://repository.wrclib.noaa.gov/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=nws_tech_memos https://web.archive.org/web/20070311045226/http://repository.wrclib.noaa.gov/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=nws_tech_memos 11 March 2007 Hudgins Fernández-Partagás José Díaz Henry F. 1995 Year 1878 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/Partagas/1877-1880/1878.pdf A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources, Part II: 1871–1880 http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/Partagas/part2.htm Climate Diagnostics Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 3 May 2024 Fernández-Partagás Díaz Hurricanes and Typhoons: Past, Present and Future The Atlantic hurricane database re-analysis project: Documentation for the 1851–1910 alterations and additions to the HURDAT database Landsea Christopher W. Murname, Richard J. Liu, Kam-biu 2004 https://books.google.com/books?id=4jC6ljADbsIC&q=1851%20to%201885%20%22four%22 limited Columbia University Press New York City, New York 0-231-12388-4 March 16, 2024 Google Books Precipitation Monthly Weather Review September 1878 6 9 9–10 U.S. Army Signal Corps Washington, D.C. 10.1175/1520-0493(1878)69[9:P]2.0.CO;2 free 1878MWRv....6RT..9. USASC 1878c American Meteorological Society Schwartz Rick Al Karr Myatt Keven 2007 1st Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Hurricanes: 1800s https://archive.org/details/hurricanesmiddle0000schw/ registration Blue Diamond Books Springfield, Virginia 978-0-9786280-0-0 72–3 Schwartz Internet Archive Tannehill I. R. Ivan Ray Tannehill 1952 1938 Hurricanes: Their Nature and History Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey 8th XV. Chronological List of Hurricanes https://archive.org/details/hurricanes0000ivan/ registration 3024697 257 Internet Archive Tannehill Winds Monthly Weather Review September 1878 6 9 10–11 U.S. Army Signal Corps Washington, D.C. 10.1175/1520-0493(1878)69[10b:W]2.0.CO;2 free 1878MWRv....6RS.10. USASC 1878b 1878 H (1878) 1878 Haiti–Florida hurricane 1878 Haiti–Florida hurricane Category:1878 natural disasters in the United States