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1920 Atlantic hurricane season
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Atl
1920
1920 Atlantic hurricane season summary map.png
September 7, 1920
October 27, 1920
One 985
95 Two 85 975
1
5
4
1 direct, 2 indirect
1.45
≥
1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922
1920–24 Pacific hurricane seasons
1920–1937 Pacific typhoon seasons
1920s North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
The 1920 Atlantic hurricane season featured tropical storms and hurricanes only in the month of September. (The present-day delineation of the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30.)Neal Dorst National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1993 March 9, 2009 When is hurricane season ? http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/G1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20090308083302/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/G1.html 8 March 2009 live The first system, a hurricane, developed on September 7 while the last, a tropical depression, transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 27. Of note, four of the six cyclones co-existed with another tropical cyclone during the season.
Of the season's six tropical cyclones, five became tropical storms and four strengthened into hurricanes. Furthermore, none of these strengthened into a major hurricane—Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale—marking the seventh such occurrence since 1900. The strongest hurricane of the season peaked as only as a strong Category 2 with winds of 110 mph km/h on. The second hurricane caused one death and $1.45 million (1920 USD) in damage in Louisiana, the third left one fatality in North Carolina, and the fifth storm indirectly killed one person in Florida.
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 30, below the 1911–1920 average of 58.7.Christopher W. Landsea May 15, 2008 A Reanalysis of the 1911–20 Atlantic Hurricane Database 21 10 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/21/10/2007jcli1119.1.xml?tab_body=pdf National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2146 etal September 6, 2021 10.1175/2007JCLI1119.1 PDF Journal of Climate Miami, Florida 2008JCli...21.2138L 1785238 free ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph km/h on, which is the threshold for tropical storm status.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
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Timeline
Systems
Hurricane One
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Hurricane One weather map, September 16, 1920.jpg
AL01 1920 path.png
September 7
September 14
95
<985
The first known storm of the season was initially identified on September 7 as a 40 mph km/h on tropical storm over Atlantic Ocean. Traveling towards the northwest, the storm gradually intensified, attaining hurricane-status late on September 9. The following day, a ship in the vicinity of the storm recorded a pressure of 985 mbar (hPa), the lowest pressure recorded in relation to the storm.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2009 March 24, 2009 Raw Observations for Hurricane One http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/excelfiles_centerfix/192001.xls Around 1200 UTC, the hurricane turned towards the north and intensified into a modern-day Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale early on September 11. The storm continued to intensify through September 12 when it reached its peak intensity with winds of 110 mph km/h on. After maintaining this intensity for 18 hours, the hurricane began to weaken as it turned towards the northwest. By 0000 UTC on September 14, the storm weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. The system began to undergo an extratropical transition, completing the process early the next day. The system tracked nearly due east before dissipating on September 16 to the north of the Azores islands.
Hurricane Two
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1920 Louisiana hurricane analysis 25 Sep 1920.jpg
AL02 1920 path.png
September 16
September 23
85
975
The Louisiana Hurricane of 1920
1920 Louisiana hurricane
An area of disturbed weather developed into a tropical depression northwest of Colombia on September 16. The system remained a weak tropical depression as it made landfall on Nicaragua, but later intensified to tropical storm strength as it moved across the Gulf of Honduras, prior to making a second landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula. Once in the Gulf of Mexico, the storm quickly intensified as it moved towards the north-northwest, reaching its peak intensity as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph km/h on prior to making landfall near Houma, Louisiana with no change in intensity. Afterwards, it quickly weakened over land, before dissipating on September 23 over eastern Kansas.
As it approached the United States Gulf Coast, the hurricane forced an estimated 4,500 people to evacuate off of Galveston Island,4,500 Move Out of Galveston https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/09/22/107002526.pdf November 15, 2015 The New York Times September 21, 1920 Galveston, Texas and numerous other evacuations and precautionary measures to occur.Ready to Move Inhabitants https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=30RiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0XUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5475,5006064&dq=hurricane&hl=en November 15, 2015 The Washington Reporter September 21, 1920 Galveston, Texas 10 At landfall, the hurricane generated strong winds along a wide swath of the coast, uprooting trees and causing damage to homes and other infrastructure.http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_dec12.html Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT Christopher W. Landsea December 2012 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 15, 2015 Miami, Florida etal Heavy rainfall associated with the storm peaked at 11.9 in mm on 5 in Robertsdale, Alabama.Rainfall Associated With Hurricanes (And Other Tropical Disturbances) http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/1956NHRPreportNo3.pdf United States Weather Bureau's National Hurricane Research Project November 15, 2015 R.W. Schoner S. Molansky amp 63 The heavy rains also washed out railroads, leading to several rail accidents.Great Hurricane is Sweeping the Atlantic Coast https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DjdUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TjoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2737,633684&dq=hurricane&hl=en November 15, 2015 Greensburg Daily Tribune September 22, 1920 Galveston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana 1 Across the Gulf Coast, one death was associated with the hurricane and damage from the storm totaled to $1.45 million (1920 USD).
Hurricane Three
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Hurricane Three weather map, September 23, 1920.jpg
AL03 1920 path.png
September 19
September 24
75
A low-pressure area developed into a tropical depression on September 19, while located about 245 mi km on southeast of Awendaw, South Carolina.http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/mwr_pdf/1921.pdf Summary Of The Hurricanes Of 1919, 1920, and 1921 William P. Day December 1921 Weather Bureau National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 16, 2015 Washington, D.C. The system, which had an "extremely small diameter", moved in a slow cyclonic loop. Around 1200 UTC on September 20, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm. By midday on September 22, it continued the cyclonic loop while moving northwestward. The storm intensified into a Category 1 hurricane around that time. Maximum sustained winds peaked at 85 mph km/h on late on September 22. However, the hurricane then began to weaken and fell to a strong tropical storm early the following day, at which time it made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina. The cyclone quickly weakened after moving inland and dissipated over western Virginia early on September 24.
Offshore Bald Head Island, North Carolina, a lightship was carried several miles from its original location and observed winds of 72 mph km/h on. Inland, a house in Wilmington was blown off its foundation and destroyed in, potentially a small tornado spawned by the cyclone. Many small severe windstorms were reported in Pitt County, where one person was killed, a number of people were injured, and several buildings were demolished.http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rnk/Research/NC_Tropical_Cyclone_History.pdf Tropical cyclones affecting North Carolina since 1586: An historical perspective James E. Hudgins April 2000 National Weather Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 25 November 16, 2015 Blacksburg, Virginia
Tropical Storm Four
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Tropical Storm Four weather map, September 25, 1920.jpg
AL04 1920 path.png
September 23
September 27
40
<1009
A tropical depression developed from a weak low-pressure area along a decaying stationary front about 450 mi km on east of Bermuda around 1200 UTC on September 23. Based on ship observations, the system is estimated to have become a tropical storm early on September 24. The drifted slowly eastward for a few days and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph km/h on later that day. Eventually, the system curved east-southeastward, but later continued its generally eastward motion at a faster forward speed. Around 1200 UTC on September 27, the storm weakened to a tropical depression, hours before being absorbed by a cold front. This storm was not operationally tracked in real time, but was later added to HURDAT based on weather maps and ship reports.
Hurricane Five
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Hurricane Five weather map, September 29, 1920.jpg
AL05 1920 path.png
September 25
September 30
75
<987
A low-pressure area centered the Gulf of Mexico on September 25 and was designated as a tropical depression hours later. Turning west-southwestward, the storm gradually intensified, attaining tropical storm-status on September 27. The next day, the system nearly stalled close to the center of the Gulf of Mexico. On September 28, further development of the storm took place and ships in the vicinity of the storm reported a strong gale. The next day, the storm strengthened into a hurricane. Several hours later, nearby ship reported a pressure of 987 mbar inHg on, the lowest pressure associated with the hurricane.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2009 March 24, 2009 Raw Observations for Hurricane Five http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/excelfiles_centerfix/192005.xls Around this time, the storm reached its peak intensity with winds of 85 mph km/h on; the storm also began to turn northeastward at this time. The hurricane then accelerated and began weakening. Early on September 30, the storm made landfall near Cedar Key, Florida, with winds up to 65 mph km/h on before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone over Florida. Later that day, the remnants dissipated over the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Although the storm weakened significantly before landfall, it caused severe damage along the immediate coastlines of western Florida. Low lands along the coast were inundated by storm surge and heavy rains, peaking at 8 in mm on. Crop lands were flooded, causing substantial damage to the fruit industry. One person was killed after being electrocuted by a downed wire in St. Petersburg. Several ships were also destroyed by the storm while docked along the coast.Weather Bureau Alexander J. Mitchell 1921 March 24, 2009 Tropical Storm, Sept. 29-30, 1920 http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/048/mwr-048-09-0524a.pdf Jacksonville, Florida
Tropical Depression
On October 20, a westward moving tropical wave developed into a tropical depression about 165 mi km on north-northeast of Barbuda. Trekking northwestward over the next three days, before curving northward in advance of an approaching frontal boundary. The depression peaked with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph km/h on and a minimum barometric pressure of 1010 mbar inHg on off. By October 25, it began merging with a cold front, finally being absorbed on October 27 about 590 mi km on east-northeast of Bermuda.
Footnotes
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See also
Tropical cyclones
1900–1940 South Pacific cyclone seasons
1900–1950 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
1920s Australian region cyclone seasons
References
External links
Monthly Weather Review
1920 Atlantic hurricane
1920
Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines
Category:Meteorological events in 1920
Category:1920 natural disasters