1898 Georgia hurricane
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Track of the hurricane
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| Formed | September 25, 1898 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | October 6, 1898 |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 135 mph (215 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 938 mbar (hPa); 27.7 inHg |
| Fatalities | At least 179 |
| Damage | $1.5 million (1898 USD) |
| Areas affected | Florida, Georgia (landfall), Midwestern United States Atlantic Canada |
| Part of the 1898 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1898 Georgia hurricane was a major hurricane that hit the U.S. state of Georgia, as well as the strongest on record in the state. It was first known to exist on September 29, although modern researchers estimated that it developed four days earlier to the east of the Lesser Antilles. The hurricane maintained a general northwest track throughout its duration, and it reached peak winds of 135 mph (215 km/h) on October 2. That day, it made landfall on Cumberland Island in Camden County, Georgia, causing record storm surge flooding. The hurricane caused heavy damage throughout the region, and killed at least 179 people. Impact was most severe in Brunswick, where a 16 ft (4.9 m) storm surge was recorded. Overall damage was estimated at $1.5 million (1898 USD), most of which occurred in Georgia. In extreme northeastern Florida, strong winds nearly destroyed the city of Fernandina, while light crop damage was reported in southern South Carolina. After moving ashore, the hurricane quickly weakened and traversed much of North America; it continued northwestward until reaching the Ohio Valley and turning northeastward, and it was last observed on October 6 near Newfoundland.
On September 28, 1898, island stations in the Lesser Antilles indicated the presence of a tropical cyclone, which was confirmed by the next day. Modern researchers determined that the system developed on September 25 about 220 miles (350 km) east of Guadeloupe. For most of its duration, the system maintained a northwest track, reaching hurricane status on September 27. Later that day, a barometric pressure of 977 mbar, suggesting winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). Its intensification rate slowed on September 28, before strengthening continued on October 1. The winds reached 115 mph (185 km/h), which is the equivalent of a major hurricane, or Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Around that time, the hurricane turned toward more to the west-northwest, due to a large ridge across the western Atlantic.
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