Florida Keys Hurricane (1919)
| Category 4 hurricane ( SSHWS ) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Emergence | September 2, 1919 | |
| resolution | September 14, 1919 | |
|
Peak wind speed |
|
|
| Lowest air pressure | 927 mbar ( hPa ; 27.4 inHg ) | |
| dead | 600-900 | |
| Property damage | $ 22 million (1919) | |
|
Affected areas |
Lesser Antilles , Bahamas , Dominican Republic , South Florida , Southeast Texas |
|
| Season overview: Atlantic hurricane season 1919 |
||
The 1919 Florida Keys hurricane was one of the most powerful hurricanes , killing between 600 and 900 people on its way through Florida and Texas .
Storm course
The storm was first spotted near the Lesser Antilles on September 2, 1919 . From there it moved in a west-northwest direction and hit the Dominican Republic first , then the Bahamas , where it reached its greatest strength. The storm center struck the Florida Keys on September 9 as a Category 4 storm . He sank the Spanish passenger ship Valbanera off Havana , killing all 488 people on board. It then crossed the Gulf of Mexico and hit land again on September 14 as a Category 4 storm near Corpus Christi . Although equipment for accurately measuring wind speeds was not yet developed, it is known that the storm caused a 4 m high storm surge near Corpus Christi. The air pressure was determined from a ship near Dry Tortugas to be 927 mbar. This makes the hurricane not only one of the strongest in the US, but the strongest to hit Key West in the 20th century.
| rank | hurricane | season | Air pressure (in mbar ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Labor day | 1935 | 892 |
| 2 | Camille | 1969 | 900 |
| 3 | Irma | 2017 | 914 |
| 4th | Katrina | 2005 | 920 |
| 5 | Andrew | 1992 | 922 |
| 6th | Indianola | 1886 | 925 |
| 7th | Florida Keys | 1919 | 927 |
| 8th | Okeechobee | 1928 | 929 |
| 9 | Miami | 1926 | 930 |
| 10 | donna | 1960 | 932 |
| Source: HURDAT, Hurricane Research Division | |||
Effects
Of the approximately 600 to 900 people killed by the storm, around 500 were on ten sunk ships. On September 9, 1919, all 488 people on board were killed on the Spanish passenger ship Valbanera alone .
Trivia
One of the evacuees from Corpus Christi was Bob Simpson , who later became director of the National Hurricane Center and helped develop the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale .
Web links
- Hurricane info on about.com
- History of the hurricane at the National Weather Service , includes many photos
- ^ National Hurricane Center: Atlantic hurricane best track (Hurdat) ( English ) Hurricane Research Division. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research. April 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ↑ National Hurricane Center: Continental United States Hurricanes (Detailed Description) ( English ) United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research. February 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2016.