1916 Atlantic hurricane season
| 1916 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
Season summary map
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| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | May 13, 1916 |
| Last system dissipated | November 16, 1916 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | "Texas" |
| • Maximum winds | 130 mph (215 km/h) |
| • Lowest pressure | 932 mbar (hPa; 27.52 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 18 |
| Total storms | 15 |
| Hurricanes | 10 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) |
5 |
| Total fatalities | 107 total |
| Total damage | $33.3 million (1916 USD) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
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|
| Duration | May 13 – May 16 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min) 1004 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
  |
|
| Duration | June 28 – July 10 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 120 mph (195 km/h) (1-min) 950 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
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|
| Duration | July 10 – July 22 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min) 980 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
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|
| Duration | July 11 – July 15 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min) 960 mbar (hPa) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 |
|
| Duration | August 4 – August 6 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min) <996 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
  |
|
| Duration | August 12 – August 20 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 135 mph (215 km/h) (1-min) 932 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 |
|
| Duration | August 21 – August 26 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 110 mph (175 km/h) (1-min) <997 mbar (hPa) |
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 |
|
| Duration | August 27 – September 2 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min) 986 mbar (hPa) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 |
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| Duration | September 4 – September 7 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min) <1010 mbar (hPa) |
The 1916 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1916. The season is one of only two in which two major hurricanes were reported before the month of August, the other being the 2005 season.
1916 was a fairly active season, especially for the time. Fifteen tropical cyclones formed during the course of the year. Ten hurricanes formed, and five of those were major hurricanes.
On May 13, a tropical depression formed south of the Cuban coast. It quickly crossed the island and moved over the Straits of Florida. On May 14, it slowly strengthened to a minimal tropical storm, and it made landfall near Key Vaca, Florida with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). It entered the Florida peninsula near Cape Sable, moving northward across the state. Gale-force winds were reported east of the center. It transitioned to an extratropical cyclone on May 16. Initially, the cyclone was not included in the Atlantic hurricane database.
A tropical disturbance organized into a tropical storm on June 29 in the southwest Caribbean Sea. It moved to the north-northwest, brushing the coast of Honduras before strengthening into a hurricane on July 2. The hurricane continued to intensify, reaching major hurricane strength in the northern Gulf of Mexico on July 4. It made landfall near Gulfport, Mississippi with 120 mph (195 km/h) sustained winds on July 5. The damage was around $3 million with four deaths occurring. At the time, it was the earliest known major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in any season, but that record has since been broken by Hurricane Audrey.
In Florida, winds of 104 mph (167 km/h) was observed in Pensacola. People venturing outside were knocked down, while a few cars flipped over. Additionally, homes were unroofed, while chimneys and trees were toppled. At the aeronautic station, several hangars collapsed. Storm surge at Pensacola flooded an engine room at the municipal power plant, causing electrical outages. Further inland, heavy rainfall left severe crop damage in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The storm left 34 deaths, 4 of which occurred in Florida, and #3 million in damage, including $1 million in Florida.
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Wikipedia