1926 Atlantic hurricane season

none September 2012 Atl 1926 1926 Atlantic hurricane season summary map.png July 22, 1926 November 16, 1926 Seven Ten 130 Seven 930 11 8 6 ≈230 (fourth highest) ≥1752 1 250.1 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928 1926 Pacific hurricane season 1920-1937 Pacific typhoon seasons 1920s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons The 1926 Atlantic hurricane season featured the highest number of major hurricanes at the time. At least eleven tropical cyclones developed during the season, all of which intensified into a tropical storm and eight further strengthened into hurricanes. Six hurricanes deepened into a major hurricane, which is Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. It was a fairly active and deadly season. The first system, the Nassau hurricane, developed near the Lesser Antilles on July 22. Moving west-northwest for much of its duration, the storm struck or brush several islands of the Lesser and Greater Antilles. However, the Bahamas later received greater impact. At least 466 deaths and $19.1 million (1926 USD) in damage was attributed to this hurricane. The next cyclone primarily affected mariners in and around the Maritimes of Canada, with boating accidents and drownings resulting in between 55 and 58 fatalities. In late August, the third hurricane brought widespread impact to the Gulf Coast of the United States, especially Louisiana. Crops and buildings suffered $6 million in damage and there were 25 people killed. The strongest and most damaging storm of the season was Hurricane Seven, nicknamed the Miami hurricane. Peaking as a Category 4 hurricane, the hurricane struck the Bahamas and Florida at or near maximum intensity. Much of the Miami metropolitan area was devastated by the storm. Inland, a storm surge on Lake Okeechobee flooded towns such as Clewiston and Moore Haven. The storm was a factor in ending the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Overall, the Miami hurricane resulted in at least 497 deaths and $125 million in damage. However, adjusted for wealth normalization in 2010, the damage toll would be $164.8 billion – far higher than Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The eight, ninth, and eleventh tropical storms left only minor or no impact on land. However, a powerful hurricane in October devastated Cuba, the Bahamas, and ships in the vicinity of Bermuda. At least 709 deaths were linked to the system, with 600 in Cuba alone. Damage to towns on the island exceeded $100 million. Collectively, the storms of this season left over $250.1 million in damage and at least 1,752 fatalities. Season summary left|thumb|Surface weather analysis showing four active Atlantic tropical cyclones simultaneously on September 13, with the Miami hurricane seen on the bottom right The season featured twelve named storms and eight of which strengthened into hurricanes. With six of those storms reaching major hurricane intensity, this was the highest number in a season on record, until being tied in 1933 and 1950 and then being surpassed in 1961. There were several cyclones that brought devastating effects, including the Nassau hurricane, the Louisiana hurricane, the Miami hurricane, and the Havana–Bermuda hurricane. Collectively, the storms of this season left over $250.1 million in damage and at least 1,752 fatalities.View expanded list of sources The Hartford Courant September 20, 1926 October 2, 2021 1,000 Killed in Florida Hurricane; $125,000,000 Loss; Many Homeless; Food, Water And Medicines Needed https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86344051/hartford-courant/ 1 Hartford, Connecticut Newspapers.com Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 http://www.geocities.ws/gpvillain/news3novpg1.html The Royal Gazette November 3, 1926 Wind and Weather Swept Valerian to Doom 1–2 December 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222171028/http://www.geocities.ws/gpvillain/news3novpg1.html December 22, 2015 dead Associated Press The Sarasota Herald-Tribune October 23, 1926 January 19, 2011 600 Dead in Cuban Storm https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ct8cAAAAIBAJ&dq=cuba%20storm&pg=2897%2C6073104 1 USWB 1926a Tropical cyclogenesis began on July 22 with Nassau hurricane, followed by the second storm on July 29. Only one system, the Louisiana hurricane, developed in the month of August. September was much more active, featuring the forth, fifth, six, seventh, and eighth storms of the season. On September 17, four tropical cyclones existed simultaneously in the Atlantic Ocean,Young 1926 391 three of which, in an uncommon occurrence, were then hurricanes. The Miami hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a 150 mph km/h on Category 4 hurricane with a minimum barometric pressure of 930 mbar inHg on on. In October, the ninth and tenth storms formed. One final tropical cyclone formed in November and existed until November 16. The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 230, the fourth highest value on record, behind only the 1893, 2005, and 1933 seasons,Hurricane Research Division; Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 2019 Atlantic basin Comparison of Original and Revised HURDAT August 23, 2021 http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/comparison_table.html Miami, Florida and far above the 1921–1930 average of 76.6.Landsea Feuer Hagen Glenn 2012 869 ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of 39 mph km/h on, which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here. Systems Hurricane One The Great Nassau hurricane of 1926 or Second San Liborio hurricane Atl Nassau Hurricane (Hurricane One) weather analysis, July 26, 1926.jpg AL01 1926 path.png July 22 July 31 120 955 ≤ 1926 Nassau hurricane The first storm of the season formed early on July 22 about 200 mi km on 5 east of the island of Barbados and gradually strengthened into a hurricane a day later. At 00:00 UTC on July 24, the hurricane made landfall at Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, with winds of 105 mph km/h on. Weakening as it crossed Puerto Rico, the cyclone quickly regained strength on July 25 as it moved through the Bahamas; rapidly organzing, it attained the equivalence of Category 4 intensity—one of only four Atlantic hurricanes to have done so in or before the month of July. After peaking at 140 mph km/h on, the cyclone struck the island of New Providence, the seat of the Bahamian capital Nassau, on the morning of July 26 near peak intensity. Weakening thereafter, the storm moved northwestward, paralleling the east coast of Florida, but came ashore near New Smyrna Beach early on July 28 with winds of 105 mph km/h on. Thereafter, the cyclone quickly diminished in intensity, becoming a tropical depression on July 29, as it curved west-northwestward over Georgia; three days later, it became an extratropical cyclone and dissipated over Ontario, Canada, on August 2.Landsea Feuer Hagen Glenn 2012 882 In Puerto Rico, the storm produced hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall that flooded all the rivers in the southern half of the island; crops in the western portion of the island were greatly damaged, and the entire island was affected by strong winds. At least 25 people were reported to have died as a result.Pérez Colón 1970 26USWB 1926a 313 In the Bahamas, the cyclone killed at least 268 people and produced severe damage to the capital Nassau; it was called the worst storm to affect Nassau since 1866.Neely 2009 106, 165–6 More than a week after the storm, 400 people were reported to be missing.Bahama Death Toll from Storm Now 146: Four Hundred Persons Are Still Missing – Seven Dead in Porto Rico https://www.proquest.com/docview/103660852 20 February 2022 New York Times Associated Press 75 25028 August 2, 1926 August 3, 1926 Nassau, Bahamas New York City 21 103660852 registration400 Persons Missing in the Bahama Storm; Known Deaths 126; Damage $8,000,000 https://www.proquest.com/docview/103821035 20 February 2022 New York Times Associated Press 75 25027 August 1, 1926 August 2, 1926 Nassau, Bahamas New York City 3 103821035 registration On the east coast of Florida, the hurricane produced a large storm tide that damaged waterfront property. Damaging winds extended well inland, flattening crops, trees, and outbuildings;Barnes 1998 110 severe damage to buildings and wires was reported near the point of landfall. The storm also produced heavy rainfall, peaking at 10.02 in mm 2 on Merritt Island. One person died from the effects of the storm in Florida.USWB 1926a 313–4 In all, the cyclone caused over 466 deaths—the fourth deadliest July hurricane since 1492—and about $19.1 million (1926 USD) in losses, at least $8 million of which were in the Bahamas.View expanded list of sources 54 bodies found after storm in Santo Domingo https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95903025/ 21 February 2022 Miami Herald 16 247 July 29, 1926 July 30, 1926 Morning Santo Domingo Miami, Florida Newspapers.com 7 400 Persons Missing in the Bahama Storm; Known Deaths 126; Damage $8,000,000 https://www.proquest.com/docview/103821035 20 February 2022 New York Times Associated Press 75 25027 August 1, 1926 August 2, 1926 Nassau, Bahamas New York City 3 103821035 registration Bahama Death Toll 75; Crews Not Included https://www.proquest.com/docview/1324816241 20 February 2022 China Press Reuters August 5, 1926 August 7, 1926 Nassau, Bahamas Shanghai 1 1324816241 registration Bahama Death Toll From Storm Now 146: Four Hundred Persons Are Still Missing – Seven Dead in Porto Rico https://www.proquest.com/docview/103660852 20 February 2022 New York Times Associated Press 75 25028 August 2, 1926 August 3, 1926 Nassau, Bahamas New York City 21 103660852 registration 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 1. Cyclones with 25+ Deaths https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadlyapp1.shtml? 10 December 2024 USWB 1926a 313 Pérez Colón 1970 26 Hurricane Two Atl Nova Scotia hurricane (Hurricane Two) weather analysis August 5, 1926.jpg AL02 1926 path.png July 29 August 8 105 968 ≤ 1926 Nova Scotia hurricane Early on July 29, a tropical depression formed more than 1200 mi km 3 on 5 east of the Leeward Islands. Over the next few days, it moved west-northwest, becoming a tropical storm by 00:00 UTC on July 31. On August 1, the cyclone turned northwestward and began strengthening rapidly, reaching hurricane intensity by the early afternoon. The next day, it attained major hurricane intensity—winds of at least 115 mph km/h on, equivalent to the modern-day classification of Category 3 intensity—and over the next few days its track varied between north-northwest and northwest. Early on August 5, it reached a peak intensity of 120 mph km/h on, based on the pressure–wind relationship. It curved to the north and weakened, then passed about 80 mi km on 5 west of Bermuda on August 6. A few days later, it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and then struck near Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, with winds of 75 mph km/h on and a central pressure at or below 29.54 inHg mb on.The Weather August 8, 1926 August 9, 1926 Washington, D.C New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/103807117 registration 28 November 2025 The New York Times 75 25034 31 103807117 Several ships recorded hurricane-force winds and pressures as low as 968 mb inHg 2 on, though none entered the eye of the hurricane and sampled the lowest pressure in the storm. The system produced winds of 54 mph km/h on on Bermuda as it passed very close to that island.National Hurricane Center Hurricane Research Division Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT) Meta Data, 1926–1930 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research April 2012 2012-09-01 http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_1926-30.html About this time, five ocean liners near each other encountered the storm; some portholes on the Orca were damaged and 15 passengers were treated for cuts, bruises, and contusions.Five Liners Fight Through Hurricane August 10, 1926 https://www.proquest.com/docview/103801856 registration October 2, 2021 The New York Times 75 25035 1 103801856 Off Nova Scotia, the cyclone sank a pair of schooners, the Sylvia Mosherhttp://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4446 "Sylvia Mosher-1926", On the Rocks Shipwreck Database, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic December 18, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20120927162316/http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4446 September 27, 2012 dead mdy-all and Sadie Knickle.http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4093 "Sadie Knickle-1926", On the Rocks Shipwreck Database, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic December 18, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20120927162304/http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4093 September 27, 2012 dead mdy-all Between 55 and 58 deaths occurred, including 49 from two ships crashing ashore Sable Island. In Nova Scotia, the storm downed trees and electrical poles, damaging some homes and leaving telephone service outages. Crops and fruit trees were also damaged. High winds also interrupted telegraph communications in Newfoundland.http://www.ec.gc.ca/Hurricane/default.asp?lang=en&n=5E8672C5-1 1926-2 November 19, 2009 Environment Canada November 11, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20130703025113/http://www.ec.gc.ca/Hurricane/default.asp?lang=en&n=5E8672C5-1 July 3, 2013 Hurricane Three Atl Louisiana hurricane weather map, August 25, 1926.jpg AL03 1926 path.png August 20 August 27 100 955 1926 Louisiana hurricane On August 20, a low-pressure area producing unsettled weather in the western Caribbean Sea,USWB 1926b 356 and centered about 400 mi km on 5 west-northwest of Maracaibo, Venezuela, was determined to have become a tropical depression. However, prior to scientific reanalysis in April 2012 based upon a 1975 report, it was not believed to have done so until two days later. Moving west-northwest, the depression strengthened to a tropical storm on August 21, and then turned northwestward while strengthening steadily. After brushing Cape San Antonio at the western tip of Cuba on August 22, the cyclone then veered to the west-northwest. Early on August 23, the storm became a hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico. Later that day, the cyclone continued to intensify and began curving northwestward. By August 24, with winds of 100 mph km/h on, it turned north. Early on August 25, the cyclone peaked as a modern-day 115 mph km/h on Category 3, based on the pressure–wind relationship. In the afternoon, it struck west of Houma, Louisiana, at that intensity. Less than 24 hours later, the storm rapidly weakened to a moderate tropical storm and curved west-northwestward, weakening to a tropical depression on August 27 and dissipating over Texas. No known effects were reported from the Caribbean due to the cyclone. On the morning of August 24, the United States Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C., advised that the storm was likely to make landfall between Galveston, Texas, and Burrwood, Louisiana. Late that day, hurricane warnings were issued from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Mobile, Alabama. Although small in size at landfall, the storm caused a storm surge of 15 ft m south of Houma and hurricane-force winds in a small area near the center. The lowest recorded pressure was 959 mb inHg 2 on at Houma,USWB 1926d though this was taken inland and is not believed to have been in the exact center, as recent estimates place the central pressure slightly lower at 955 mb inHg 2 on. Along the Gulf Coast of the United States, the storm caused $6 million (1926 USD) in damage to crops and buildings, with substantial damage to vegetation. In all, 25 deaths were reported,Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 although extensive ship reports and timely warnings by mail, telephone, radio, and telegraph reduced the number of casualties.USWB 1926d August tropical depression A low-pressure area previously associated with an occluded frontal system gradually organized into a tropical system, becoming a tropical depression about halfway between Bermuda and North Carolina on August 23. The depression moved northeastward and dissipated on the following day. Hurricane Four Atl Hurricane Four weather analysis, September 12, 1926.jpg AL04 1926 path.png September 1 September 21 115 957 ≤ At 00:00 UTC on September 1, an area of low pressure about 1000 mi km 3 on 5 west of the Cape Verde islands organized into a tropical depression, though prior to hurricane reanalysis it was estimated to have formed a day later as a tropical storm. Moving generally west-northwest over the next three days, the cyclone gradually intensified, first into a tropical storm on September 2 and later, based upon a report from the ship Stornest,USWB 1926e a minimal hurricane by 00:00 UTC on September 5. Late on September 7, the cyclone strengthened to a major hurricane with winds of 115 mph km/h on and turned northwest; early the next day, the steamship Narenta passed through the eye of the storm and recorded a central pressure of 957 mb inHg 2 on, the lowest associated with the cyclone. Thereafter, the storm for two days maintained its intensity while resuming a west-northwest track. Late on September 10, the storm abruptly turned north-northwest. On September 12, while centered about 400 mi km on 5 southwest of Bermuda, the cyclone briefly peaked at 130 mph km/h on—equivalent to Category 4 intensity—though the cyclone was rather small and observations near the center were scarce. Over the next two days, the cyclone headed north-northwest again and slowly weakened to Category 2 strength with winds of 110 mph km/h on, then afterward curved west-northwest for about a day. As the storm passed west of Bermuda on September 13, the island recorded a pressure of 1006 mb inHg 2 on. The hurricane suddenly turned northeast late on September 16, and over the next three days, while located about 500 mi km on 5 south-southeast of Halifax in Nova Scotia, it executed a counterclockwise, S-shaped curve. It then weakened to a tropical storm, recurved northeast, and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 22, whence it reacquired hurricane-force winds. The next day, the system weakened and hit Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland, with winds of 65 mph km/h on. As an extratropical storm it continued north-northeastward until dissipating near Greenland on September 24. The storm produced a pressure of 29.36 inHg mb 2 on at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, on September 23,Young 1926 391 along with gale-force winds along the coast of Newfoundland that affected an Arctic expedition led by George P. Putnam of the American Museum of Natural History.Putnam George Palmer Putnam Expedition at Cape Breton September 22, 1926 September 23, 1926 North Sydney, Nova Scotia New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/103685921 registration October 2, 2021 The New York Times 75 25079 26 103685921 Strong winds in the province downed telegraph lines and demolished a post office in the town of Lamaline.http://www.ec.gc.ca/Hurricane/default.asp?lang=en&n=A016442E-1 1926-4 November 19, 2009 Environment Canada November 11, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20130703050634/http://www.ec.gc.ca/hurricane/default.asp?lang=En&n=A016442E-1 July 3, 2013 Hurricane Five Atl Hurricane Five weather map, September 12, 1926.jpg AL05 1926 path.png September 10 September 14 90 1000 ≤ By 06:00 UTC on September 10, a strong tropical storm with winds of 70 mph km/h on was first observed over the open Atlantic Ocean about 1000 mi km 3 on 5 southeast of Bermuda, but likely formed earlier and remained undetected due to a lack of ship observations. Over the next two days it headed north-northwestward and strengthened, remaining approximately 730 mi km 3 on 5 east of Hurricane Four. Based upon a ship report of hurricane conditions—80 mph km/h on from the east-southeast along with a pressure of 1000 mb inHg 2 on—the cyclone was ascertained to have peaked at 105 mph km/h on, equivalent to Category 2 intensity, early on September 12, although no meteorological data were available near the eye. Shortly thereafter, the system began turning north and then north-northeast on September 13, followed by steady weakening. At 00:00 UTC on September 14, the cyclone diminished in intensity to a tropical storm and moved southeast, dissipating less than 24 hours later. Tropical Storm Six Atl Tropical Storm Six weather analysis, September 15, 1926.jpg AL06 1926 path.png September 11 September 17 35 1004 ≤ Early on September 11, a weak tropical depression formed in the western Caribbean Sea about 200 mi km on 5 east-southeast of the Swan Islands, Honduras. Without strengthening substantially, the depression moved west-northwest for the next day and a half, passing north of the Swan Islands based upon weather reports,Young 1926 391 and then curved northward. On September 13, the depression gradually curved to the northeast, and on the afternoon of September 14 it made landfall southeast of Cienfuegos, Cuba. The cyclone then crossed the central region of Cuba, entering the Bahamian islands in the evening. Shortly thereafter, by 00:00 UTC on September 15 the depression became a tropical storm and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph km/h on. The cyclone then turned north, passing about 15 mi km on west of Nassau in the afternoon. The weak storm then turned abruptly to the northwest, and early the next day, while centered north of Andros Island, it assumed a gradual curve to the southwest. Late that day, it degenerated into a tropical depression and dissipated over the Straits of Florida on September 17, as the Miami hurricane approached from just 550 mi km on 5 to the east-southeast. In Cuba, impacts were minimal. The cyclone produced sustained winds up to 43 mph km/h on and pressures as low as 1004 mb inHg 2 on in the Bahamas.Young 1926 391 In South Florida, the fringes of the cyclone generated squalls, dropping 1.58 in mm on of rain on Miami.Hurricane reported September 17, 1926 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-hurricane-reported-not/52195058/ Miami Herald 16 296 1 Newspapers.com P. 18 Hurricane Seven Great Miami hurricane of 1926 Atl Miami hurricane weather map (enlarged), September 18, 1926 (5109773).jpg AL07 1926 path.png September 11 September 22 130 930 1926 Miami hurricane By 12:00 UTC on September 11—just twelve hours after the formation of the preceding cyclone—a new tropical storm formed in the Atlantic about 1100 mi km 3 on 5 east of the island of Martinique, though it probably originated earlier and was undetected, being of Cape Verde origin;Dunn Miller 1960 54, 270 operationally, the storm was not tracked until September 14.Mitchell 1926 409 Steadily moving north of due west, the cyclone quickly became a hurricane the next day, and over the next three days, while bypassing the Greater Antilles to the north, it continued to intensify to a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph km/h on, yet few ships were near the eye with which to determine its path.Mitchell 1926 409 On the afternoon of September 16, the cyclone peaked at 150 mph km/h on, near the upper threshold of the modern-day classification of Category 4, and shortly thereafter brushed Grand Turk Island, striking Mayaguana at peak intensity early the next day. Continuing over the south-central Bahamas on September 17–18, the cyclone then struck South Florida near Perrine shortly before 12:00 UTC on September 18, with its large eye passing over Downtown Miami; at the time peak winds in the broad circulation were near 145 mi/h km/h on.Mitchell 1926 410 The lowest pressure was estimated at 930 mb inHg 2 on, the seventh most intense in a storm to strike the United States. Swiftly crossing southernmost Florida, the potent hurricane weakened slightly before entering the Gulf of Mexico near Punta Rassa in the afternoon, and its path gradually curved northwest on September 19. Late on September 20, its path slowed drastically and curved west, making landfall near Perdido Beach, Alabama, with winds of 115 mph km/h on and a measured pressure of 28.20 inHg mb 2 on in the calm eye. Quickly weakening thereafter, the cyclone paralleled the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi, dissipating over Louisiana on September 22. left|thumb|Devastation at Miami Beach after the hurricane Throughout the Bahamas, reports of damage were relatively scarce despite the intensity with which the storm struck the region. However, numerous structures were completely destroyed,Reuters The Glasgow Herald September 24, 1926 January 19, 2011 Cyclone in the Bahamas https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I51AAAAAIBAJ&dq=bahamas%20storm&pg=6265%2C3145367 12 Glasgow, Scotland with a death toll of up to 125.38,000 Homeless In Florida Hurricane; Hundreds Are Dead; Huge Property Loss September 19, 1926 September 21, 1926 West Palm Beach, Florida https://www.proquest.com/docview/1324849988 registration 29 November 2025 The China Press Reuters 3899 1 1324849988 The storm was attributed to 372 deaths in the Southeastern United States,Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 114 of which took place in Miami and at least 150 at Moore Haven,Pfost 2003 1368Landsea, Christopher W. National Hurricane Center June 1, 2007 January 19, 2011 What have been the deadliest hurricanes for the USA? http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E12.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110103190836/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E12.html January 3, 2011 live where a surge estimated as high as 15 ft m 2 on overtopped portions of a levee on Lake Okeechobee.Barnes 1998 119–20 Many people in Miami, transients who knew little of hurricanes, perished after examining damage during the passage of the eye, unaware that the back end of the storm was approaching. Flimsy structures built to house workers during the Florida land boom of the 1920s were completely leveled.Douglas 1997 339–40 The hurricane partially contributed to the end of the land boom, which was in decline by early 1926.Stronge 2008 100–2 In terms of monetary losses, damage from the hurricane was estimated to be as high as $125 million (1926 USD).The Hartford Courant September 20, 1926 October 2, 2021 1,000 Killed in Florida Hurricane; $125,000,000 Loss; Many Homeless; Food, Water And Medicines Needed https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86344051/hartford-courant/ 1 Hartford, Connecticut Newspapers.com Up to 4,725 structures throughout southern Florida were destroyed and 9,100 damaged,Mitchell 1926 412 leaving at least 38,000 people displaced.500 Reported Killed In The City Of Miami https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1482571/1926_miami_hurricane/ January 1, 2015 Portsmouth Daily Times Associated Press EXTRA September 20, 1926 Portsmouth, Ohio 1 Newspapers.com A storm surge of 14 ft m 2 on occurred south of Miami,Barnes 1998 113 and winds on Miami Beach were recorded at 130 mph km/h on before the anemometer blew away. The storm also produced significant damage from the Florida Panhandle westward, notably between Mobile and Pensacola; its slow motion compounded the impact of wind, rain, and storm surge. Hurricane-force winds swept Pensacola Bay for over 20 hours, topping 100 mph km/h on for five hours. High tides wrecked nearly all waterfront structures, reaching 14 ft m 2 on near Bagdad. Rainfall maximized at 18 + 1/2 in mm on in Bay Minette, Alabama.Barnes 1998 121USACE 1945 134 The entire state of Florida lost 35% of its grapefruit and orange crops, including nearly 100% losses in the Miami area.Attaway 1999 88–90 In a study of hurricane damage statistics conducted in 2008, it was estimated that if a storm similar to that of the Miami hurricane were to occur in 2005 it would result in over $140–157 billion in damage.Pielke 2008 In all, the storm caused at least 372 deaths along its path accounting for the revised toll in the United States since 2003.Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 Hurricane Eight Atl Hurricane Eight weather map, September 26, 1926.jpg AL08 1926 path.png September 21 October 1 90 978 ≤ Twelve hours after the Great Miami hurricane struck Alabama, the eighth tropical storm of the season formed in the east-central Atlantic about 2000 mi km 3 on 5 southwest of Horta in the Azores on September 21. Over the next three days, it moved north of due east and rapidly strengthened, becoming a minimal hurricane by 12:00 UTC on September 22 and later peaking at 105 mph km/h on—equivalent to a moderately strong Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale—on the morning of September 24. For about 24 hours thereafter, the cyclone briefly curved to the northeast before turning sharply to the east early on September 26. Late that day, the cyclone swerved precipitously to the north, making landfall on the island of São Miguel near Ponta Delgada at peak intensity. Curving northwest and then south of due west, the cyclone weakened after striking São Miguel and reverted to a minimal hurricane late on September 27. It gradually completed a counter-clockwise loop through the western Azores, curving due south as a tropical storm, though its cool surface temperatures and enlarged size suggest it might have been a subtropical cyclone then. Just afterward, late on September 28, it hit Faial Island near Horta with sustained winds near 70 mph km/h on. Over the next two days, it moved generally south-southeast and slowly weakened, curving suddenly east-southeast beginning on September 30. Turning south of due east, it dissipated by 18:00 UTC on October 1. September tropical depression Another tropical depression formed north of the Virgin Islands on September 26. The depression tracked west-northwestward, until curving sharply east-northeastward on September 29. The depression transitioned into an extratropical cyclone early on October 1 and merged with a frontal system while situated near Bermuda. A ship recorded sustained winds of 40 mph km/h on on September 28. However, with no other reports of gale-force winds, the system was not reclassified as a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Nine Atl Tropical Storm Nine weather analysis, October 4, 1926.jpg AL09 1926 path.png October 3 October 5 35 1005 ≤ Early on October 3, a tropical depression developed in the South-Central Caribbean about 100 mi km on/h) east of Serrana Bank and the Miskito Cays. It quickly intensified into a minimal tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph km/h on, the strongest in its life span. Curving west-northwest without further intensification, the weak cyclone made landfall near Barra Patuca in Gracias a Dios Department, Honduras, shortly before 12:00 UTC on October 4. Shortly thereafter, the storm gradually turned just north of due west, and early on October 5, after degenerating into a tropical depression, it made a second landfall over Belize just south of Alabama Wharf in Toledo District. Less than 12 hours later, the cyclone dissipated over eastern Guatemala. Hurricane Ten Atl Havana–Bermuda hurricane (Hurricane Ten) weather analysis, October 20, 1926.jpg AL10 1926 path.png October 14 October 28 130 934 1926 Havana–Bermuda hurricane On October 14 a tropical depression developed in the southern Caribbean Sea about 350 mi km on 5 north-northwest of Colón, Panama. Strengthening into a minimal tropical storm the next day, it gradually curved to the north-northwest over the next four days, becoming a hurricane on October 18. It then quickly intensified to a major hurricane early on October 19 as it turned northward toward western Cuba. Shortly before striking the Isla de la Juventud south of Nueva Gerona, it attained maximum sustained winds of 145 mph km/h on on October 20. The cyclone then continued strengthening, peaking at 150 mph km/h on before making landfall on the Cuban mainland south of Güira de Melena. The center passed just 10 mi km on east of the capital Havana before entering the Straits of Florida about 80 mi km on 5 south of Key West, Florida. The cyclone then weakened and turned to the northeast on October 21, passing within 20 mi km on 5 of the Florida Keys while remaining east of Florida. Nearly two days later, about 48 hours after turning east-northeast, the cyclone passed over Bermuda late on October 22 with sustained winds up to 120 mph km/h on; Hamilton recorded calm winds and 28.45 inHg mb 2 on in the eye.USWB 1926c 442 Anemometers on the island clocked sustained winds up to 102 mph km/h on, with gusts to 138 mph km/h on afterward. The highest winds at Prospect Camp followed the destruction of the wind instrument.Stranack 1977 November 2025Tucker 1996 November 2025 Three days thereafter, on October 25 the storm executed a clockwise, semicircular loop to the south-southwest, and a day later it lost hurricane intensity. Gradually curving to the west, the cyclone dissipated early on October 28, though it was once believed to have been an extratropical cyclone as early as October 23. left|thumb|125x125px|Illustration of HMS Valerian in the hurricane The hurricane inflicted devastation along its path, causing at least 709 deaths in Cuba and Bermuda.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 1. Cyclones with 25+ Deaths https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadlyapp1.shtml? 10 December 2024 Upon striking Cuba, the hurricane caused catastrophic damage and as many as 600 deaths.Landsea Feuer Hagen Glenn 2012 883 Several small towns in the storm's path were completely destroyed and damage estimates exceeded $100 million (1926 USD).Associated Press The Sarasota Herald-Tribune October 23, 1926 January 19, 2011 600 Dead in Cuban Storm https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ct8cAAAAIBAJ&dq=cuba%20storm&pg=2897%2C6073104 1 In the upper Florida Keys and on Key Biscayne, minimal hurricane conditions occurred, causing minor damage in South Florida. In Bermuda, 40% of the structures were damaged and two homes destroyed, but otherwise damage was light in the harbor.USWB 1926f While weather forecasters knew of the storm's approach on Bermuda, it covered the thousand miles from the Bahamas to Bermuda so rapidly it apparently struck with few warning signs aside from heavy swells. On October 21, with the eye of the storm still 700 mi km 3 on 5 from Bermuda, weather forecasts from the United States called for the hurricane to strike the island on the following morning with gale force. The Arabis sloop 1 Valerian 1916 6, based at the HMD Bermuda, was returning from providing hurricane relief in the Bahamas and was overtaken by the storm shortly before she could make harbor. Unable to enter through Bermuda's reefline, she fought the storm for more than five hours before she was sunk with the loss of 85 men.http://www.geocities.ws/gpvillain/news3novpg1.html The Royal Gazette November 3, 1926 Wind and Weather Swept Valerian to Doom 1–2 December 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222171028/http://www.geocities.ws/gpvillain/news3novpg1.html December 22, 2015 dead The British merchant ship Eastway was also sunk near Bermuda.Stranack 1977 November 2025Tucker 1996 November 2025 October tropical depression A trough organized into a tropical depression just east-northeast of Bermuda on October 17. Atmospheric pressures as low as 1000 mbar inHg on were observed as the system moved eastward. However, by October 18, the depression degenerated back into an open trough. Tropical Storm Eleven Atl Tropical Storm Eleven weather analysis, November 13, 1926.jpg AL11 1926 path.png November 12 November 16 35 1007 ≤ Around 06:00 UTC on November 12, a tropical depression developed about 115 mi km 3 on 5 north of El Porvenir, Panama. Moving northwest, the cyclone rapidly attained peak winds of 40 mph km/h on early on November 13 but failed to intensify further over the next three days. Passing less than 50 mi km 2 on 5 west of the Swan Islands, Honduras, early on November 14, the cyclone gradually turned north by the afternoon. Curving parabolically to the northeast on November 15, it weakened to a tropical depression early the next day before hitting the Isla de la Juventud in Cuba. 12 hours later, after striking mainland Cuba, it dissipated over the southern Straits of Florida. Other systems Reports from the government of the Mexican state of Veracruz indicate that in late September 1926 a tropical disturbance formed in the northwest Caribbean Sea, then moved across the Yucatán Peninsula and the Bay of Campeche to strike Veracruz as a hurricane on September 28. The storm began suddenly and produced winds as high as 200 km/h mi/h on—if sustained, equal to those of a strong Category 3 hurricane—causing boats to be stranded, roofs to be torn off, and trees and electric cables to be blown down, though the worst conditions reportedly lasted only two hours. The reported storm ruined most of the seashore as a storm tide destroyed the local breakwater, including at the historic Hotel Villa del Mar in the city of Veracruz, demolishing most of the hotel as well as the yacht club there, and forced train service to be suspended. The city was flooded to a depth of 5 ft m 2, but well-constructed buildings in the city center survived the wind. Several ships were sunk in the harbor, and several sailors were feared drowned.http://www.uv.mx/eventos/inundaciones2005/PDF/20_%20RIESGO.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20101218162529/https://www.uv.mx/eventos/inundaciones2005/PDF/20_%20RIESGO.pdf 18 December 2010 Inundaciones 2005 en el Estado de Veracruz Álavarez, Humberto Bravo Sosa Echeverría, Rodolfo Sánchez Álavarez, Pablo Butron Silva, Arturo 317 June 22, 2006 Universidad Veracruzana es October 2, 2021Hurricane Hits Vera Cruz, Smashing Breakwater and Flooding the City September 28, 1926 September 29, 1926 Mexico City New York City https://www.proquest.com/docview/103746248 registration October 2, 2021 The New York Times 76 25085 1 103746248 However, a peer-reviewed publication in 2012, which reanalyzed the 1926 season, did not confirm its supposed existence.Landsea Feuer Hagen Glenn 2012 Seasonal effects 1926 North Atlantic tropical cyclone |- | One || 0722 July 22 – August 2 || bgcolor=#4|4 Category 4 hurricane || bgcolor=#4|140 140 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#4|0955 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) || Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, Northern Florida || 19100000 $ || >466 || |- | Two || 0729 July 29 – August 8 || bgcolor=#3|3 Category 3 hurricane || bgcolor=#3|120 120 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#3|0968 968 hPa (28.58 inHg) || Bermuda, Nova Scotia || 1 Unknown || 1 ~55 || |- | Three || 0820 August 20 — 27 || bgcolor=#3|3 Category 3 hurricane || bgcolor=#3|115 115 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#3|0955 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) || Louisiana || 6000000 $ || 25 ||Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 |- | Unnumbered || 0823 August 23 – 24 || bgcolor=#TD|0 Tropical depression || bgcolor=#TD|TD Not specified || bgcolor=#TD|Unknown Not specified || None || 0 Unknown || 0 None || |- | Four || 0901 September 1 — 24 || bgcolor=#4|4 Category 4 hurricane || bgcolor=#4|130 130 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#4|0957 957 hPa (28.26 inHg) || Bermuda, Nova Scotia || 1 Unknown || 1 Unknown || |- | Five || 0910 September 10 — 14 || bgcolor=#2|2 Category 2 hurricane || bgcolor=#2|150 105 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#2|1000 1000 hPa (29.53 inHg) || None || 0 None || 0 None || |- | Six || 0911 September 11 — 17 || bgcolor=#TS|0 Tropical storm || bgcolor=#TS|040 40 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#TS|1004 1004 hPa (29.71 inHg) || Cuba, The Bahamas || 1 Unknown || 1 Unknown || |- | Seven || 0911 September 11 — 22 || bgcolor=#4|4 Category 4 hurricane || bgcolor=#4|150 150 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#4|0930 930 hPa (27.46 inHg) || Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, Florida, United States Gulf Coast || 125000000 $ || >497 ||View expanded list of sources The Hartford Courant September 20, 1926 October 2, 2021 1,000 Killed in Florida Hurricane; $125,000,000 Loss; Many Homeless; Food, Water And Medicines Needed https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86344051/hartford-courant/ 1 Hartford, Connecticut Newspapers.com 38,000 Homeless In Florida Hurricane; Hundreds Are Dead; Huge Property Loss September 19, 1926 September 21, 1926 West Palm Beach, Florida https://www.proquest.com/docview/1324849988 registration 29 November 2025 The China Press Reuters 3899 1 1324849988 Blake Landsea Gibney 2011 7 |- | Eight || 0921 September 21 — October 1 || bgcolor=#2|2 Category 2 hurricane || bgcolor=#2|105 105 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#2|0978 978 hPa (28.88 inHg) || Azores || 1 Unknown || 1 Unknown || |- | Unnumbered || 0926 September 26 – October 1 || bgcolor=#TD|0 Tropical depression || bgcolor=#TD|TD Not specified || bgcolor=#TD|1005 1005 hPa (29.68 inHg) || None || 0 Unknown || 0 None || |- | Nine || 1003 October 3 — 5 || bgcolor=#TS|0 Tropical storm || bgcolor=#TS|040 40 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#TS|1005 1005 hPa (29.74 inHg) || Spanish Honduras, British Honduras || 1 Unknown || 1 Unknown || |- | Ten || 1014 October 14 — 28 || bgcolor=#4|4 Category 4 hurricane || bgcolor=#4|150 150 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#4|0934 934 hPa (27.58 inHg) || Cuba, Southern Florida, The Bahamas, Bermuda || >100000000 $ || 709 || |- | Unnumbered || 1017 October 17 – 18 || bgcolor=#TD|0 Tropical depression || bgcolor=#TD|TD Not specified || bgcolor=#TD|1000 1000 hPa (29.53 inHg) || None || 0 Unknown || 0 None || |- | Eleven || 1112 November 12 — 16 || bgcolor=#TS|0 Tropical storm || bgcolor=#TS|040 40 mph km/h on || bgcolor=#TS|1007 1007 hPa (29.74 inHg) || Cuba || 1 Unknown || 1 Unknown || |- 14 systems July 22 – November 16 150 mph km/h on 930 hPa (27.46 inHg) 250100000 $ 1,752 See also Tropical cyclones 1900–1940 South Pacific cyclone seasons 1900–1950 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons 1920s Australian region cyclone seasons References 2 Bibliography Attaway John A. 1999 Hurricanes and Florida Agriculture Lakeland Florida Science Source https://archive.org/details/hurricanesflorid0000atta registration 978-0-944961-05-6 Internet Archive Barnes Jay 1998 Florida's Hurricane History Chapel Hill UNC Press 1st https://archive.org/details/floridashurrican0000barn_g4v2/ registration 0-8078-2443-7 Internet Archive Blake Eric Rappaport Edward N. Landsea Christopher Edward Rappaport Christopher Landsea amp 2006 The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones (1851 to 2006) National Hurricane Center January 19, 2008 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20080216105628/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf NWS TPC-5 NOAA Technical Memorandum Miami February 16, 2008 live 15 April 2007 Blake Eric Landsea Christopher W. Gibney Ethan J. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones from 1851 to 2010 (and Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts) August 2011 September 2, 2012 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf NWS NHC-6 NOAA Technical Memorandum National Hurricane Center Miami 1 Dunn Gordon Miller Banner I. 1960 Atlantic hurricanes https://archive.org/details/atlantichurrican0000unse registration 60-10630 Louisiana State University Press Internet Archive Douglas Marjory Stoneman Marjory Stoneman Douglas The Everglades: River of Grass 1997 1947 Pineapple Press Sarasota, Florida 50th anniversary https://archive.org/details/evergladesrivero00doug registration 1-56164-135-9 Douglas Marjory Stoneman Marjory Stoneman Douglas 1976 1958 Hurricane Mockingbird Books Covington, Georgia https://archive.org/details/bwb_T2-EIH-896/ 89176-015-6 registration Internet Archive 1 Hurricane at Bermuda, October 22, 1926 Monthly Weather Review October 1926 54 10 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<428a:HABO>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/10/1520-0493_1926_54_428a_habo_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf October 2, 2021 428 1926MWRv...54Q.428. free subscription USWB 1926f Landsea Christopher W. Feuer Steve Hagen Andrew Glenn David A. Sims Jamese Pérez Ramón Chenoweth Michael Anderson Nicholas amp A reanalysis of the 1921–1930 Atlantic hurricane database Journal of Climate February 2012 25 3 865–85 10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00026.1 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/landsea-et-al-jclimate2012.pdf September 2, 2012 2012JCli...25..865L free 3 Alexander J. Mitchell July 1926a Hurricane, July 26–28, 1926 Florida section Climatological Data 30 7 United States Weather Bureau Washington, D.C. Jacksonville, Florida 30 https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/cd/cd.html Mitchell Charles L. The West Indian Hurricane of September 14–22, 1926 Monthly Weather Review October 1926 54 10 409–14 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<409:TWIHOS>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/10/1520-0493_1926_54_409_twihos_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf October 2, 2021 1926MWRv...54..409M free subscription Neely Wayne 2009 The Great Bahamian Hurricanes of 1926: the Story of Three of the Greatest Hurricanes to Ever Affect the Bahamas New York City iUniverse https://books.google.com/books?id=uTfM9Gtei_4C limited 978-1-4401-5174-3 Google Books New Orleans Forecast District Monthly Weather Review August 1926 54 8 357–8 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<357b:NOFD>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/8/1520-0493_1926_54_357b_nofd_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf October 2, 2021 1926MWRv...54R.357. free subscription USWB 1926d Ocean Gales and Storms Monthly Weather Review September 1926 54 9 392–3 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<392:OGASS>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/9/1520-0493_1926_54_392_ogass_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf October 2, 2021 1926MWRv...54..392. free subscription USWB 1926e Orlando Pérez José A. Colón 1970 Notes on the tropical cyclones of Puerto Rico, 1508–1970 Part III http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/perez_21_34.pdf National Weather Service San Juan, Puerto Rico https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/perez_1_10.pdf Hurricane Research Division Pre-printed Part II Pfost Russell L. Reassessing the Impact of Two Historical Florida Hurricanes Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society October 2003 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/84/10/bams-84-10-1367.xml?tab_body=pdf 84 10 1367–72 October 2, 2021 10.1175/BAMS-84-10-1367 2003BAMS...84.1367P free subscription Pielke Roger A. Jr. Roger A. Pielke Jr. 2008 Normalized Hurricane Damage in the United States: 1900–2005 Natural Hazards Review 9 1 29–42 10.1061/(ASCE)1527-6988(2008)9:1(29) etal 2008NHRev...9...29P Stranack Lieutenant-Commander B. Ian D The Andrew and The Onions: The Story of The Royal Navy in Bermuda, 1795–1975 1990 1977 HM Naval Base Bermuda (HMS Malabar), old Royal Naval Dockyard, Ireland Island, Bermuda Royal Naval Dockyard, Ireland Island, Sandys Parish, Bermuda Bermuda Maritime Museum Press 2nd 9780921560036 Stranack 1977 Stronge William B. 2008 The Sunshine Economy: An Economic History of Florida since the Civil War Gainesville University Press of Florida https://archive.org/details/sunshineeconomye0000stro registration 978-0-8130-3201-6 Internet Archive Tucker Terry Beware The Hurricane: The Story of the Cyclonic Tropical Storms That Have Struck Bermuda, 1609–1995 1996 The Island Press Ltd. Hamilton, Bermuda 4th Storm Rainfall in the United States: Depth-Area-Duration Data United States Army Corps of Engineers War Department 2 January 1958 1945 https://archive.org/details/StormRainfallInTheUS/ Internet Archive USACE 1945 Washington Forecast District Monthly Weather Review July 1926 54 7 312–14 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<312:WFD>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/7/1520-0493_1926_54_312_wfd_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf October 2, 2021 1926MWRv...54..312. free subscription USWB 1926a Washington Forecast District Monthly Weather Review August 1926 54 7 356–7 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<356:WFD>2.0.CO;2 1926MWRv...54..356. free USWB 1926b Washington Forecast District Monthly Weather Review October 1926 57 10 442–3 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<442a:WFD>2.0.CO;2 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/54/10/1520-0493_1926_54_442a_wfd_2_0_co_2.xml?tab_body=pdf 1926MWRv...54Q.442. free October 2, 2021 subscription USWB 1926c Young F. A. North Atlantic Ocean Monthly Weather Review September 1926 54 9 391–2 10.1175/1520-0493(1926)54<391:NAO>2.0.CO;2 1926MWRv...54..391Y free External links Monthly Weather Review NHC FAQ E12 1920 Atlantic hurricane 1926 Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines