1856 Atlantic hurricane season
| 1856 Atlantic hurricane season |
| Seasonal boundaries |
| First system formed |
August 9, 1856 |
| Last system dissipated |
September 22, 1856 |
| Strongest storm |
|
| Name |
One |
| • Maximum winds |
150 mph (240 km/h) |
| • Lowest pressure |
934 mbar (hPa; 27.58 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics |
| Total storms |
6 |
| Total fatalities |
200+ |
| Total damage |
Unknown |
|
|
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858
|
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
August 9 – August 12 |
| Peak intensity |
150 mph (240 km/h) (1-min) 934 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
August 13 – August 14 |
| Peak intensity |
80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
August 19 – August 21 |
| Peak intensity |
60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
August 21 – August 21 |
| Peak intensity |
60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min) |
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
August 25 – September 3 |
| Peak intensity |
115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min) 969 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
September 18 – September 22 |
| Peak intensity |
80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min) |
The 1856 Atlantic hurricane season featured six tropical cyclones, five of which made landfall. The first system, Hurricane One, was first observed in the Gulf of Mexico on August 9. The final storm, Hurricane Six, was last observed on September 22. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. One of the cyclones has only a single known point in its track due to a sparsity of data. Operationally, another tropical cyclone was believed to have existed in the Wilmington, North Carolina area in September, but HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – excludes this system. Another tropical cyclone that existed over the Northeastern United States in mid-August was later added to HURDAT.
Four tropical cyclones reached hurricane status, including two which became major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea are currently known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to four cyclones per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated. The strongest cyclone of the season, the first hurricane, peaked at Category 4 strength with 150 mph (240 km/h) winds. Known as the 1856 Last Island hurricane, it brought devastation to southern Louisiana. More than 200 people were killed after a storm surge submerged Last Island, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in Louisiana history. Hurricane Two brought heavy rains and squalls to Barbados and Grenada, causing "considerable" damage. Tropical Storms Three and Four had a minor impact on the Northeastern United States and Cuba, respectively. Additionally, Hurricane Five caused four deaths in Inagua, Bahamas and had a minor impact on Cuba and the United States.
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Wikipedia
