1857 Atlantic hurricane season
| 1857 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
Season summary map
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| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | June 30, 1857 |
| Last system dissipated | September 30, 1857 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Two and Four |
| • Maximum winds | 105 mph (165 km/h) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 4 |
| Total fatalities | 424 |
| Total damage | Unknown |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
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| Duration | June 30 – July 1 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min) |
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 |
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| Duration | September 6 – September 17 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min) 961 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
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|
| Duration | September 22 – September 26 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min) |
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
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| Duration | September 24 – September 30 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min) |
The 1857 Atlantic hurricane season was the earliest season documented by HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – to feature no major hurricane. A total of four tropical cyclones were observed during the season, three of which strengthened into hurricanes. 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 known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 has been estimated. Additionally, documentation by Jose Fernandez-Partagas and Henry Diaz included a fifth tropical cyclone near Port Isabel, Texas; this storm has since been removed from HURDAT as it was likely the same system as the fourth tropical cyclone.
The first storm was tracked beginning on June 30 offshore North Carolina. It moved eastward and was last noted on the following day. However, no tropical cyclones were reported in the remainder of July or August. Activity resume when another tropical storm was located southeast of the Bahamas on September 6. It intensified into a hurricane before making landfall in North Carolina and was last noted over the north Atlantic Ocean on September 17. The SS Central America sank offshore, drowning 424 passengers and crew members. Another hurricane may have existed east of South Carolina between September 22 and October 26, though little information is available. The final documented tropical cyclone was initially observed east of Lesser Antilles on September 24. It traversed the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, striking the Yucatán Peninsula and later Port Isabel, Texas. The storm dissipated on September 30. In Texas, damage was reported in several towns near the mouth of the Rio Grande River.
The season's activity was reflected with a low accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 43. 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. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
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Wikipedia