1888 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1888 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1888. In the 1888 Atlantic season there were two tropical storms, four hurricanes, and two major 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 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.

Hurricane One
The first tropical storm and first hurricane of the season formed by 00:00 UTC on June 16 in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, centered about 200 mi southeast of Galveston Island, Texas. (Due to sparse observations, the system may have developed prior to this time, but was not detected.) The cyclone moved west-northwestward and quickly strengthened, becoming a hurricane late on June 16. It reached its peak intensity of 80 mi/h early on June 17. Around 06:00 UTC on June 17, the hurricane made landfall southwest of Bay City, Texas, over the eastern end of East Matagorda Bay. Turning to the northwest after landfall, it quickly degenerated into a tropical storm, gradually turning northward over time. By 06:00 UTC on June 18, it weakened into a tropical depression, and just 12 hours later it lost its identity near Waco, Texas.

In Texas, the cyclone produced heavy rain, peaking at 6.4 in over a 16-hour period at Galveston. The highest measured winds reached 54 mi/h in the city. Along the coast of Texas, the lowest measured pressure was 29.69 inHg at Corpus Christi, about 120 mi southwest of the landfall location. The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project estimated that the minimum central pressure in the storm was likely close to 985 mb at the time of landfall. Operationally, the U.S. Signal Corps—predecessor to the U.S. Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service)—did not classify the system as an area of low pressure, and as such, it did not appear in the June 1888 track map of cyclones in the Monthly Weather Review, the official publication of the Signal Corps. However, as early as June 17 the New York Times noted that a moderate storm was apparently approaching Texas.

Tropical Storm Two
The second tropical storm of the season originated about 200 mi east of the mouth of the Rio Grande, on the Texas–Mexico border. It moved north-northwest, attaining its peak intensity of 60 mi/h by 00:00 UTC on July 5. About 16 hours later, the moderate tropical storm made landfall at that intensity just east of Bay City—impacting the same region as the previous storm. The cyclone turned north and north-northeast after striking land, slowly weakening as it did so. By 12:00 UTC on July 6, the cyclone was last positioned over northwestern Cherokee County, Texas. Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth proposed the removal of this storm from HURDAT, finding "No evidence in land-based reports or from ships".

In Texas, the storm produced peak winds of 42 mi/h in Galveston, and the lowest measured pressure was 29.78 inHg in the city. Like the preceding storm, the cyclone produced heavy rain over parts of Texas, especially in the Palestine area in Anderson County. In this area, a shower of pebbles, each ranging from 1/8 – in diameter and irregularly shaped, was reported to have occurred, possibly due to a tornado or waterspout that touched down at an unknown distance from Palestine.

Hurricane Three
This system was first detected by 12:00 UTC on August 14, while centered about 100 mi north-northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Moving west-northwestward, the storm intensified into a hurricane about 24 hours later. It made landfall on Cat Island in The Bahamas on August 16 and then Andros Island on August 16. As it approached southeast Florida, the storm strengthened into the equivalence of a major hurricane—Category 3 on the Saffir–Simpson scale—and peaked with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) by 12:00 UTC on August 16. Around 19:00 UTC, it made landfall just north of present-day Miami Beach at peak intensity. The cyclone weakened over land and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico near Cayo Costa on August 17 as a Category 1 hurricane. However, the hurricane soon re-intensified as it turned westward and attained a second peak intensity of 110 mph (175 km/h) early on August 18. While nearing the Gulf Coast, the storm curved northwestward and then north-northwestward. Around 16:00 UTC on August 19, the cyclone made landfall south of Cocodrie, as a strong Category 2 hurricane. Turning northward after moving inland, the hurricane weakened to a strong tropical storm by 18:00 UTC on August 20, near Greenville, Mississippi, before curving to the northeast. Little more than a day later, it passed over southern New England, becoming extratropical by 12:00 UTC on August 22. The extratropical remnants crossed Atlantic Canada before dissipating over the Labrador Sea on August 24.

In the Bahamas, the hurricane damaged fruit trees, crops, and fences, especially on the Abaco Islands, Harbour Island, and New Providence. Despite South Florida at the time being sparsely-populated, widespread damage occurred as far north as Sebastian. The highest wind reported in South Florida was 60 mi/h at Jupiter, and the heaviest rainfall was 2.02 in at that location. Farther north, winds at Sebastian Inlet were estimated at 75 mi/h, downing trees and telegraph poles, beaching many small boats, and causing local fruit groves "several thousand dollars" in damage. Additionally, the hurricane reportedly produced a storm surge of 14 ft "on the beaches near Miami." In the Big Bend region of Florida, several yachts to capsized at Cedar Key. Winds in Pensacola peaked at 60 mi/h, badly damaging local property. Slightly lesser winds in Mobile, Alabama, prostrated trees and fences, and deroofed a few homes. Flooding from the storm surge inundated the waterfront to a depth of 3 ft and areas as far as two to three blocks inland from the Mobile River. Along the Mississippi River Delta, the storm produced severe flooding. Rainfall in New Orleans totaled 7.9 in over a 12-hour period, and winds in the city reached an estimated 90 mi/h, unroofing many buildings, felling numerous trees, and blowing down fences. In many areas, strong winds downed at least one-third of the timber, and damage to rice, sugarcane, corn, and cotton crops was significant. The storm produced heavy rainfall and high winds along much of its path across the Mississippi Valley, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Northeastern United States.

Hurricane Four
Hurricane San Gil of 1888

The steamship Jamaica first encountered this system on August 31 about 150 mi northeast of Sombrero, an outlying island of Anguilla. Initially a tropical storm, the system strengthened to a hurricane later that day. The storm intensified further, reaching Category 2 intensity prior to striking the Turks and Caicos Islands around 18:00 UTC on September 2. About 24 hours later, the cyclone peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h). On September 4, the storm made landfall along the coast of modern-day Villa Clara Province. Weakening to a Category 1 hurricane by early on the following day, the system turned southwestward over Cuba and remained over land until emerging into the Yucatán Channel several hours later. The hurricane then crossed the channel and made landfall near the northeastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula on September 6. After weakening to a tropical storm, it briefly re-strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane while moving southwestward in the Bay of Campeche. Thereafter, the storm weakened back to a Category 1 prior to its landfall near Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, early on September 8 and soon dissipated.

Although the storm remained well north of Puerto Rico, heavy rainfall caused flooding that killed more than 100 people, 30 of them in Ponce after the Portugués River overflowed. The main bridge in Ponce collapsed, while crops and cattle suffered major impacts. Due to the effects in Puerto Rico, the storm was compared to Hurricane Donna in 1960. On the Turks and Caicos Islands, almost every dwelling experienced some degree of damage, while the hurricane flattened over 250 homes owned by peasants. More than 400,000 bushels of salt were ruined. A total of 21 people died on the Turks and Caicos Islands. Meteorologist Ivan Ray Tannehill stated in 1938 that "Whole towns along coast of Cuba swept out of existence by gigantic waves." generated by this storm. Extreme damage to tobacco plantations, farms, homes, and buildings occurred in the four westernmost provinces, including in major cities. The Vuelta Abajo region alone reported the destruction of virtually all tobacco crops and more than 3,000 homes, leaving about 10,000 people homeless. In Havana, few public buildings escaped damage and massive trees felled, with some being blown several blocks away, while downed street lamps left most of the city dark. Waves capsized many barges and left the northern sections of Havana inundated and only accessible via boats. Damage in Cuba exceeded $1 million, while approximately 800 people died on the island. In Mexico, the storm produced heavy rainfall in the vicinity of Veracruz. Three vessels were beached, while a bark and schooner collided. Overall, the hurricane caused 921 fatalities.

Tropical Storm Five
A tropical storm formed north of the Turks & Caicos Islands on September 6. It travelled north through the Florida Panhandle and continued northward along the east coast of the US. The storm reached Maryland before becoming extratropical on September 11. The system dissipated near Ottawa on September 13. Across the United States, the storm deposited heavy rainfall from Florida through eastern Georgia through the Carolinas into southern Virginia. The heaviest total reported was 11.70 in at Greenwood, South Carolina.

Hurricane Six
A tropical storm formed south of Key West on September 23 and began moving northeast. It travelled parallel to the coast of Georgia, where it produced winds of 65 mph before becoming a Category 1 hurricane on September 26. It continued heading northeastward before it became extratropical on September 27 near the Gulf of St Lawrence.

Hurricane Seven
A tropical storm formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on October 8. By the following day, the system strengthened into a hurricane and then reached Category 2 status on October 10. The hurricane then reached peak intensity early on October 11 with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mbar around the time it struck just north of Cedar Key, Florida. In less than six hours after landfall, the cyclone traversed the Florida peninsula and emerged into the Atlantic near Jacksonville, albeit as a much weaker storm. Continuing to weaken after reaching the Atlantic, the system fell to tropical storm intensity prior to making another landfall near present-day Oak Island, North Carolina. The storm re-emerged into the Atlantic east of Elizabeth City early on October 12 and continued northeastward until curving east-northeastward near the eastern tip of Long Island, New York. Several hours later, the system was last noted near the Gulf of Maine.

Cedar Key, Florida, observed sustained wind speeds as high as 75 mph. Tides there reportedly rose by 9 ft in 30 minutes, flooding low-lying streets and forcing many people to evacuate their homes. Damage on Cedar Key was estimated at $5,000, while nine people drowned. Although downtown Jacksonville only reported sustained winds of 38 mph, the storm destroyed the Beach House Hotel on nearby Fort George Island. Several locations in North Florida and South Georgia reported rainfall amounts up to 2 in. Sustained winds up to 50 mph in Savannah, Georgia, caused the streets to be littered with tree branches and downed some electrical wires. In North Carolina, the storm produced 5-minute sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) at Wilmington. Farther north, at least one location in New England reported tropical storm-force winds – 52 mph on Block Island, Rhode Island.

Tropical Storm Eight
Tropical storm eight formed close to the Windward Islands on November 1 and moved northward into the north Atlantic, while strengthening to 50 knots.

Hurricane Nine
The steamships Ascania and Mozart first encountered a tropical storm on November 17 to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. Moving generally west-northwestward for about a week, the cyclone intensified into a hurricane by late on November 20, before reaching Category 2 status on November 23. The storm then curved northeastward on the next day and remained just offshore North Carolina. A schooner known as the Morancy recorded a barometric pressure of 982 mbar on November 25, the lowest associated with the storm when it as a tropical cyclone. However, several hours later, the system became extratropical about 115 mi east of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The extratropical cyclone continued northeastward, striking Nova Scotia at hurricane-equivalent intensity on November 28 and then turning east-northeastward, crossing Newfoundland on November 30. By December 2, the extratropical storm was last noted well north of the Azores.