1896 Atlantic hurricane season

none Atl 1896 File:1896 Atlantic hurricane season summary map.png July 4, 1896 November 29, 1896 Two 956 100 7 6 2 10 286 Four 960 110 1 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898 1890s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons The 1896 Atlantic hurricane season was fairly inactive but produced one of the costliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States until that point, along with several other destructive tropical cyclones. The season began in early July with a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and ended in late November with a slow-moving tropical storm over the Lesser Antilles. Of the season's seven documented systems, six are believed to have become hurricanes, and two intensified into major hurricanes—the equivalence of Category 3 or greater on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. All but one of the systems directly affected land to some degree; Hurricane "Six" remained over open water and only posed a threat to shipping lanes. In addition, a possible storm was identified off the coast of North Carolina on August 28–29, but modern reanalysis efforts have found insufficient evidence to classify it as a tropical cyclone. Tropical systems in the 1896 season killed at least 286 people and inflicted more than $10 million (1896 USD) in damage. The first hurricane made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on July 7, causing wind damage and coastal flooding in Pensacola, and destroying boats at port. No activity was observed until late August when a hurricane triggered widespread river flooding in Puerto Rico. After moving north, this storm struck eastern New England. Hurricane "Three" avoided land, but its outer periphery generated gusty winds in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. On September 29, fast-moving Hurricane "Four" became one of the costliest United States hurricanes on record at the time after swamping Florida's Cedar Keys with a large storm surge and subsequently causing extensive devastation in the eastern United States. The hurricane caused 202 deaths and more than $9 million in damage across eight states, plus Washington, D.C., and the Great Lakes. About two weeks later, Hurricane "Five" roughly paralleled the U.S. East Coast, causing substantial coastal flooding and destruction of beachfront property. Little is known about the season's sixth hurricane which never affected land. Torrential rainfall associated with the final tropical storm of the season triggered deadly flooding on Montserrat, where nearly 50 people drowned and many more lost their homes. __TOC__ Timeline Systems Hurricane One Atl July 8, 1896 hurricane 1 weather map.jpg 1896 Atlantic hurricane 1 track.png July 4 July 9 85 The first documented tropical cyclone of the 1896 season has unclear origins. Although its official track in the National Hurricane Center's Atlantic hurricane database shows a northwestward path over Cuba, contemporary United States Weather Bureau maps indicated formation in the western Gulf of Mexico,Moore, Willis L. Tracks of centers of low areas July 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 7 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)247[c1:CITOCO]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-07-c1.pdf February 16, 2017 1896MWRv...24Z...1. free and news reports discussed an eastward motion of the storm. Additionally, no severe weather was observed in Cuba during the month of July. In any event, the storm likely intensified into a hurricane on July 5, and around midday on July 7, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle east of Pensacola, at Category 2 intensity. Upon moving ashore, the hurricane produced powerful winds as high as 100 mph km/h on. The storm rapidly weakened as it moved inland, and after tracking north for five days, its remnants dissipated near Baffin Bay on July 12. Widespread damage was reported in Pensacola and along the coast, with watercraft suffering the greatest losses. In the city's harbor, the storm sank nine fishing boats, damaged two barques and a brig, and wrecked numerous smaller vessels. The winds damaged chimneys, signs, awnings, overhead wires, and some buildings throughout the city. About 35 house were unroofed, along with several stores, a hotel, and a church. Fallen trees rendered streets impassable,Big storm at Pensacola July 10, 1896 8 The Tennessean February 16, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8990816/the_tennessean/ Newspapers.com and railroads near the shore were washed out.Storm at Pensacola July 17, 1896 3 The Coosa River News February 16, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8990855/the_coosa_river_news/ Newspapers.com Total damage in the city was estimated at $100,000.Henry, A. J. Local storms July 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 7 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[230:LS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-07-0230.pdf 230–231 February 16, 2017 1896MWRv...24..230H free As the storm moved inland, gusty winds and heavy rainfall extended into parts of Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and southern Virginia. Precipitation peaked at 12.0 in mm in Greenwood, South Carolina.SA 3–4 Storm total rainfall in the United States United States Army Corps of Engineers War Department 1945 On the morning of July 8, rainbands on the storm's eastern side spawned a tornado in Halifax County, North Carolina, that killed one person and destroyed several houses. Several more tornadoes developed in Virginia later in the day, causing five injuries and scattered damage.Barnes, p. 77 Hurricane Two Atl September 10, 1896 hurricane 2 weather map.jpg 1896 Atlantic hurricane 2 track.png August 30 September 10 100 956 Hurricane San Ramón of 1896 On August 30, a tropical storm materialized east of the Lesser Antilles, on a northwestward course.Orlando Férez 1970 Notes on the Tropical Cyclones of Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico National Weather Service February 26, 2017 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/perez_11_20.pdf The next night, it made landfall on the southern coast of Puerto Rico as a Category 2 hurricane, accompanied by severe rain and wind. The storm passed just north of Hispaniola and Cuba over the next several days, delivering tropical storm-force winds to the islands. On the evening of September 6, while near the Bahamas, a steamship crossed the center of the hurricane and recorded a barometric pressure of 28.24 inHg mbar on on.Barogram near a hurricane center September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[336a:BNAHC]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0336a.pdf 336 February 16, 2017 1896MWRv...24..336. free This corresponds to maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), or a Category 3 major hurricane, which represents storm's peak intensity. The ship suffered extensive damage and lost one crew member when he fell overboard. Tracking generally northward, the storm weakened to minimal hurricane intensity before making landfall over eastern Massachusetts on September 10, with 80 mph km/h on maximum sustained winds extending to a radius of 35 mi km on on 5 from the center. Sustained hurricane-force winds were observed in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts as the storm moved ashore.Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Continental United States Hurricane Impacts/Landfalls 1851-2015 July 2016 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 26, 2017 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/All_U.S._Hurricanes.html The system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone shortly thereafter. Several rivers in Puerto Rico overflowed, leading to extensive flooding. Five homes were destroyed along the coast of Juana Díaz, and strong winds caused isolated Fujita-scale F1 damage. Later, the storm generated damaging winds along the Northeastern United States coast from New Jersey to eastern New England, wreaking havoc on beachfront property and small craft.Henry, A. J. Local storms September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[316:LS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0316.pdf 316–317 February 16, 2017 1896MWRv...24..316H free High storm tides inundated streets, wharves, and cellars along the coast, while farther inland, high winds damaged crops and stripped orchards of their fruit.New England's storm September 11, 1896 Star Tribune February 16, 2017 2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8980446/star_tribune/ Newspapers.com Wind gusts reached 80 mph km/h on at Point Judith, Rhode Island, where five vessels were destroyed, and 75 mph km/h on on Block Island. In Providence, the storm brought down communications wires and lodged numerous yachts against the coast.Blowing a hurricane September 10, 1896 The Evening Review 2 February 16, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8980556/the_evening_review/ Newspapers.com To the north, four sloops sank in Dorchester Bay. In Boston, the storm caused minor wind damage, mostly limited to chimneys, fences, and signs.Historical Report Database http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/sites/harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/files/data/p01/hf011/hf011-05-reports.txt 2001 Harvard Forest Harvard University February 16, 2017 October 26, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161026184054/http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/sites/harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/files/data/p01/hf011/hf011-05-reports.txt dead On September 14, a stricken Italian barque called the Monte Tabor grounded out on a sandbar off Cape Cod after encountering the hurricane several days earlier. Seven of the ship's crew members made it safely to shore, but inexplicably, three others—including the captain—committed suicide upon running aground.Snow, pp. 237–238 Hurricane Three Atl 1896 Atlantic hurricane 3 track.png September 18 September 28 85 An unusually large storm formed east of the Lesser Antilles by September 18. It tracked northwestward, and on September 22, falling air pressure was observed at Havana, Cuba, some 500 mi km on southwest of the storm's center. Several ships encountered the hurricane in the Gulf Stream on September 23, with one of them suffering damage to her sails. The hurricane recurved to the northeast far from the East Coast of the United States, but still produced northeasterly wind gusts as high as 58 mph km/h on at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and 51 mph km/h on at Cape Hatteras, roughly 300 mi km on northwest of the hurricane. Although its intensity and path are not certain, the Atlantic hurricane database tracks the storm until dissipation south of Iceland on September 28. Hurricane Four Atl September 29, 1896 hurricane weather map.jpg 1896 Atlantic hurricane 4 track.png September 22 September 30 110 960 The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane The most destructive tropical cyclone of the season, and one of the costliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States at the time,Schwartz, p. 101 passed through the Leeward Islands as a tropical storm on September 22, and moved westward Through Caribbean Sea south of Hisponiola and Jamaica. Intensifying into a Category 3 major hurricane, the storm moved through the Yucatán Channel on September 28, then accelerated toward the north-northeast. In the early morning on September 29, the hurricane struck Florida's Cedar Keys and moved inland across Levy County. The small but intense hurricane sped northward through northern Florida and southern Georgia; its rapid movement allowed it to maintain much of its severity over land.Barnes, p. 78 Extremely high winds accompanied the hurricane to the east of its track through the Mid-Atlantic states, and a band of heavy rain fell to its west from northern North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania. While becoming extratropical, the storm struck Washington, D.C., late on September 29, and after crossing central Pennsylvania, it dissipated near the Southern Tier of New York. Its remnants merged with another low pressure area over the Great Lakes.The storm in Florida October 1, 1896 1 Democrat and Chronicle February 1, 2017 Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8703408/democrat_and_chronicle/ The Cedar Keys were struck by a devastating 10.5 ft m on storm surge that undermined buildings, washed out the connecting railroad to the mainland, and fully submerged the smaller, outlying islands where 31 people were killed.National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area Hurricane of 1896 Strikes with a Fury: Fact Sheet National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 29, 2017 https://www.weather.gov/media/tbw/paig/PresAmHurricane1896.pdfOickle, pp. 59–61 Strong winds destroyed many of the red cedar trees that played an important role in the economy of the region,Oickle, p. 97 and several cedar mills were severely damaged or destroyed.Oickle, p. 53 In interior Florida, the hurricane devastated many communities, leaving thousands of people homeless.Oickle, p. 65The cyclone October 5, 1896 1 Marietta Daily Letter February 11, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8891742/marietta_daily_leader/ Newspapers.com Few homes or businesses were left standing in the hardest-hit areas.Worse than dead by far October 6, 1896 The Semi-Weekly Times-Democrat 9 February 2, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8709406/the_semiweekly_timesdemocrat/ Newspapers.com In northern Florida and southern Georgia, the hurricane razed millions of acres of pine forests, which crippled the local turpentine industry.Oickle, p. 66 In Savannah, Georgia, a 45-minute onslaught of fierce winds unroofed thousands of structures and left parks in a state of disarray.Henry, A. J. Notes Concerning the West India Hurricane of September 29–30, 1896 October 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 10 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[368b:NCTWIH]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-10-0368b.pdf 322–323 January 29, 2017 1896MWRv...24..368H freeEleven fatalities: summing up the results of the great tornado at Savannah October 1, 1896 The Salt Lake Herald January 29, 2017 1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8650521/the_salt_lake_herald/ Newspapers.com Damage to shipping and shoreline settlements in the Sea Islands was extensive.Many lives lost October 7, 1896 The Algona Republican 3 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8732308/the_algona_republican/ February 3, 2017 Newspapers.com As the hurricane continued northward, cities and agricultural districts alike suffered extensive damage in Virginia. Flash flooding in the Shenandoah Valley culminated in the failure of an earthen dam upstream from Staunton, unleashing a torrent of water that swept homes from their foundations and ravaged the town's business district.Schwartz, p. 103 In Washington, D.C., thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped, communications were severed, and localized streaks of violent gusts damaged many public and private buildings.Hazen, H. A. The Wind-rush of September 29, 1896 September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[322:TWOS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0322.pdf 368–369 February 3, 2017 1896MWRv...24..322H free Many trees, some of historical significance, were blown down on the White House grounds. In Pennsylvania, flooding rains and powerful wind gusts produced widespread destruction, washing out railroads in western areas while demolishing hundreds of barns in and around Lancaster County.Terrible sweep of the hurricane October 1, 1896 The Wilkes-Barre Record February 7, 2017 1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8811128/the_wilkesbarre_record/ Newspapers.com The storm demolished a 5390 ft m on bridge over the Susquehanna River,Schwartz, p. 105 while the Gettysburg Battlefield lost hundreds of trees, a few of which landed on historical monuments.National Park Service Discovers Bullets in Downed Witness Tree on Culp's Hill August 10, 2011 February 11, 2017 Gettysburg Daily https://www.gettysburgdaily.com/national-park-service-discovers-bullets-in-downed-witness-tree-on-culps-hill/ Damaging winds brought down trees and powerlines throughout the Northeastern United States, and the hurricane's extratropical remnants wrought havoc on shipping in the Great Lakes.Ruin in its path October 1, 1896 The Chicago Daily Tribune January 31, 2017 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8734911/chicago_daily_tribune/ Newspapers.com Along the storm's path, it caused at least 202 deaths,View expanded list of sources 115 in Florida: 31 in the Cedar Keys; 21 in Nassau County; 5 in Bradford County: Oickle, pp. 74, 76–77, 109; Death list growing October 2, 1896 1 The Semi-Weekly Times-Democrat February 1, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8704498/the_semiweekly_timesdemocrat/ Newspapers.com; The storm in Florida October 1, 1896 1 Democrat and Chronicle February 1, 2017 Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8703408/democrat_and_chronicle/ 8 on a wrecked sailboat north of Tampa: Eight more victims found on the Florida coast October 17, 1896 The Times-Democrat February 4, 2017 Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8757113/the_timesdemocrat/ 7 in Baker County; 8 in Suwannee County; 9 in Columbia County; 12 in Alachua County; 13 in interior Levy County: Worse than dead by far October 6, 1896 The Semi-Weekly Times-Democrat 9 February 2, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8709406/the_semiweekly_timesdemocrat/ Newspapers.com 1 in Grady: Cyclone killed scores October 2, 1896 The Sun February 2, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8712174/the_sun/ 1 Newspapers.com 37 in Georgia: At least 17 in and around Savannah; 5 in Brunswick; 1 in Folkston: Fraser, pp. 188–189 6 in Camden County: Oickle, p. 77 8 in Darien: Work of the gale at Darien October 2, 1896 The Atlanta Constitution January 31, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8680584/the_atlanta_constitution/ 1 Newspapers.com 7 in South Carolina: Oickle, p. 80 1 in North Carolina: Great damage to property caused by Tuesday's storm October 2, 1896 The Weekly Star 2 February 2, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8715781/the_weekly_star/ Newspapers.com 13 in Virginia: Schwartz, p. 102; 4 Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission CSPDC Flooding Hazard History https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-utilities/Documents/12.Virginia_Floods.pdf City of Virginia Beach February 2, 2017 June 24, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160624141055/https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-utilities/Documents/12.Virginia_Floods.pdf dead 1 in Washington, D.C.: Roth, David M. Virginia Hurricane History: Late Nineteenth Century Weather Prediction Center February 2, 2017 https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm 8 in Maryland: Henry, A. J. Local Storms September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[316:LS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0316.pdf 316–317 January 29, 2017 1896MWRv...24..316H free 16 in Pennsylvania: 6 in Philson, Pennsylvania: Many lives lost October 7, 1896 The Algona Republican 3 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8732308/the_algona_republican/ February 3, 2017 Newspapers.com 6 in Natalie, Pennsylvania: Ruin in its path October 1, 1896 The Chicago Daily Tribune January 31, 2017 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8734911/chicago_daily_tribune/ Newspapers.com 2 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania; 2 in Reading: Schwartz, p. 107 4 on barge Sumatra in Lake Michigan: Ruin in its path October 1, 1896 The Chicago Daily Tribune January 31, 2017 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8734911/chicago_daily_tribune/ Newspapers.com and wrought more than $9.6 million in damage.View expanded list of sources $3 million in Florida: Barnes, p. 77 $1 million in Virginia: Berry, James Climate and Crop Service September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[320c:CACS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0320c.pdf 320–322 1896MWRv...24..320B free $1 million in Savannah; $500,000 in turpentine losses in Georgia; $150,000 on St. Simons Island: Fraser, pp. 188–189 $400,000 in Washington, D.C.: Hazen, H. A. The Wind-rush of September 29, 1896 September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[322:TWOS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0322.pdf 368–369 February 3, 2017 1896MWRv...24..322H free $2 million in Pennsylvania; $500,000 in Maryland; $50,000 in New York; $45,000 in the Carolinas: Henry, A. J. Local Storms September 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 9 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[316:LS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-09-0316.pdf 316–317 January 29, 2017 1896MWRv...24..316H free $500,000 in the Sea Islands; $75,000 on the Great Lakes: Many lives lost October 7, 1896 The Algona Republican 3 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8732308/the_algona_republican/ February 3, 2017 Newspapers.com $150,000 in Richmond, Virginia: Roth, David M. Virginia Hurricane History: Late Nineteenth Century Weather Prediction Center February 2, 2017 https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm Hurricane Five Atl October 11, 1896 hurricane 5 weather map.jpg 1896 Atlantic hurricane 5 track.png October 7 October 13 85 The East Coast Hurricane of 1896 1896 East Coast hurricane This cyclone was first noted in the southern Gulf of Mexico as a weak tropical storm on October 7. It tracked toward the east-northeast and made landfall in a sparsely populated region of Southwest Florida around 00:02 UTC on October 9. After crossing the Florida Peninsula, it turned more northeastward and gradually intensified. The unusually slow-moving hurricane attained its peak intensity early on October 11, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). Shortly thereafter, it made its closest approach to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, passing roughly 115 mi km on to the southeast. For several days, the hurricane brushed the coast from Virginia to southern New England with hurricane-force wind gusts. The storm became extratropical by 00:00 UTC on October 14, and struck the coast of central Nova Scotia before dissipating on October 16. The storm had generally minor effects in Florida, mostly limited to coastal flooding in northeastern portions of the state.Big storm on the coast October 12, 1896 The Wilkes-Barre Record 1 February 14, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8953064/the_wilkesbarre_record/ Newspapers.com The Mid-Atlantic coastline experienced flooding storm tides that inundated and greatly eroded Cobb's Island, part of the Virginia Barrier Islands. Hotels and cottages there were extensively damaged.Roth, David M. Virginia Hurricane History: Late Nineteenth Century Weather Prediction Center February 2, 2017 https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate19hur.htm The storm claimed about 50 acre ha on on of Cobb's Island, reducing its size by two-thirds; subsequently, the inhabitants abandoned the island and its use as a resort ended.Virginia affairs https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8727164/the_baltimore_sun/ The Baltimore Sun October 20, 1896 February 3, 2017 Newspapers.com 7 Along the Jersey Shore, low-lying railroads were flooded, boardwalks were destroyed, and many beach houses sustained damage.Henry, A. J. Local Storms November 1896 Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society 24 11 10.1175/1520-0493(1896)24[398:LS]2.0.CO;2 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/024/mwr-024-11-0398.pdf 398–399 February 14, 2017 1896MWRv...24..398H free The hurricane did $200,000 in damage to coastal installations on New York's Coney Island.Wrecks on the ocean October 13, 1896 Chicago Daily Tribute 5 February 15, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8963847/chicago_daily_tribune/ Newspapers.com To the north, wind gusts as high as 80 mph km/h on affected eastern New England, where shipping interests were heavily impacted by the storm. Three sailors died when a schooner went aground along the coast of Delaware,Schwartz, p. 108 and another was tossed overboard while battling rough seas offshore. Overall damage amounted to $500,000. Hurricane Six Atl 1896 Atlantic hurricane 6 track.png October 26 November 9 85 Little is known about the sixth storm of the season, which was first observed near 9 -44 on October 17, and intensified into a moderate hurricane as it roamed the open Atlantic for two weeks. It was last noted near 36 -35 on November 9. On October 28, a ship was damaged by a severe squall or possible tornado, accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning, about 800 mi km on to the northwest of the storm's estimated track. This incident may have been related to the hurricane if it were exceptionally large, and represents the only extant observation of the storm that modern reanalysis efforts were able to uncover.Hurricane Research Division Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT May 2015 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 14, 2017 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html Tropical Storm Seven Atl 1896 Atlantic tropical storm 7 track.png November 27 November 29 50 The final documented system of 1896 formed over the far southern Windward Islands on November 27. As the storm slowly tracked northward, torrential rainfall and strong winds overspread Trinidad, Saint Vincent, and Barbados. Several days of rainfall over Montserrat culminated in a "cloud burst" late on November 28,The floods in Montserrat January 13, 1897 The Times February 15, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8970295/the_times/ Newspapers.com with improving conditions reported by the next morning.Partagás, José Fernández National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1995 A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources: Year 1896 February 14, 2017 https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/Partagas/1894-1897/1896.pdf The storm remained below hurricane intensity and was last noted on November 29, just over 100 mi km on northeast of Anguilla.https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/hurdat2-1851-2015-070616.txt Hurricane Research Division Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2) June 16, 2016 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 14, 2017 In the affected islands, heavy precipitation gave rise to flash flooding along mountain streams and in valleys, destroying crops and property. Cotton, coffee, and sugar plantations sustained significant damage. On Montserrat, one plantation recorded at least 21.15 in mm on of rain in 21 hours, though the rain gauge overflowed between each of the three observations, preventing an accurate total from being obtained. It was speculated that several feet of rain may have locally fallen on certain hillsides, as evidenced by landslides that swept away trees, boulders, and large volumes of earth.Disasters in Montserrat December 28, 1896 The Guardian 6 February 15, 2017 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8968481/the_guardian/ Newspapers.com Thirty-one people drowned in Plymouth after their homes were swept into the sea. Roadways were washed out in many places and the torrents reportedly washed out all but one bridge on the island. In total, 46 people drowned in the floods, while many others were left homeless. Secretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain estimated monetary damage at £10,000 ($49,000). The destruction was compounded by a series of earthquakes that began during the storm's passage. A ship called the ship Grecian, bound from Trinidad to London, England, grounded out on a rocky section of Montserrat's coastline. Twenty-nine out of the 30 crew members died in the wreck; the sole survivor was the first mate, who reached solid ground by clutching to a piece of floating debris, and walking inland several miles. See also Tropical cyclones Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project Tropical cyclone observation References Specific 30em Works cited Barnes, Jay Florida's Hurricane History https://archive.org/details/floridashurrican00barn registration 2007 University of North Carolina Press 978-0807858097 Oickle, Alvin F. Disaster at Dawn: The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896 2009 Arcadia Publishing 978-1614234852 Schwartz, Rick Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States 2007 Blue Diamond Books 978-0978628000 Snow, Edward Rowe Edward Rowe Snow Great Storms and Famous Shipwrecks of the New England Coast 1943 Yankee Publishing Company 1890 Atlantic hurricane 1896