Great Hurricane of 1780

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Great Hurricane of 1780

Unknown strength hurricane (SSHS)

Areas affected by the hurricane (excluding Bermuda)

Formed

October 9, 1780

Dissipated

October 20, 1780

Highest
winds

Unknown (1-minute sustained)

Lowest pressure

Unknown

Damage

Not available

Fatalities

22,000+ direct
(Deadliest Atlantic hurricane of all time)

Areas
affected

Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bermuda, possibly Florida

Part of the
1780 Atlantic hurricane season

The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto II,^[1] is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 22,000 people people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16.^[2]

The hurricane struck Barbados with winds possibly exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h), before moving past Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Sint Eustatius; thousands of deaths were reported on each island. Coming in the midst of the American Revolution, the storm caused heavy losses to British and French fleets contesting for control of the area. The hurricane later passed near Puerto Rico and over the eastern portion of the Dominican Republic, causing heavy damage near the coastlines, and ultimately turned to the northeast before being last observed on October 20 southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

The death toll from the Great Hurricane alone exceeds that for any other entire decade of Atlantic hurricanes, and is substantially higher than that of the second-deadliest Atlantic storm, Hurricane Mitch. The hurricane was part of the disastrous 1780 Atlantic hurricane season, with three exceptionally deadly storms occurring in the month of October.^[2]

1 Storm history
2 Impact
3 See also
4 External links and sources
5 References

[edit] Storm history

It is believed the impetus of the hurricane was a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in early October. It moved slowly westward, and is estimated to have developed into a tropical cyclone near the Cape Verde Islands. The system strengthened and increased in size as it continued westward, and first began affecting Barbados late on October 9. Late on October 10, the worst of the hurricane passed over the island, with modern meteorologists estimating winds in the hurricane reached over 200 mph. Early on October 11 the hurricane turned to the north-northwest about 55 miles east of Saint Lucia, and later that night it neared the island of Martinique. The cyclone gradually weakened as it passed to the southwest of Dominica early on October 12, and subsequently struck the island of Guadeloupe.^[1]

After hitting Guadeloupe, the hurricane turned to the west-northwest, passing about 90 miles southwest of Saint Kitts. The hurricane steadily neared Puerto Rico as it paralleled the southern coastline, and made its closest point of approach on October 14 to the southwest portion of the island. Subsequently it turned to the northwest, hitting the island of Mona in the Mona Passage before making landfall near the Dominican Republic province of Samaná. Late on October 15 it reached the Atlantic Ocean, and after passing about 160 miles east of Grand Turk it is estimated to have recurved to the northeast. The hurricane passed 150 miles southeast of Bermuda on October 18,^[1] and was last observed two days later about 300 miles (475 km) southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.^[3]

On October 19, strong winds and high tides were reported in northeastern Florida. One modern historian suggested the hurricane passed much closer to the state than previously thought. Another possibility considered was an extension to a hurricane in the western Caribbean Sea. Due to lack of data, the exact track of the Great Hurricane is unknown.^[4]

[edit] Impact

The Great Hurricane persisted near Barbados for about two days, producing winds of over 200 mph which were described as "so deafening that people could not hear their own voices." The winds stripped the bark off of trees before the hurricane downed every tree on the island.^[1] It is unknown how the winds stripped the trees; such an event never occurred again in history. However, one hurricane researcher believed the rainfall traveling at the wind speeds over 200 mph were responsible.^[5] The winds also destroyed every house on Barbados. Most ships at the bay broke free of their moorings from the hurricane's rough surf,^[1] and all forts on the island were destroyed. The winds and seas moved heavy cannons about 100 feet. About 4,500 people died on the island.^[5]

In Saint Vincent, the hurricane destroyed 584 of the 600 houses in Kingstown. At Grenada, 19 Dutch ships were wrecked. On Saint Lucia, rough waves and a strong storm tide destroyed the fleet of British Admiral Rodney at Port Castries, with one ship destroying the city hospital by being lifted on top of it. The hurricane destroyed all but two houses at Port Castries, and throughout the island, about 6,000 perished.^[1]

Deadliest Atlantic hurricanes
Rank	Hurricane	Season	Fatalities
1	"Great Hurricane"	1780	22,000
2	Mitch	1998	11,000 – 18,000
3	"Galveston"	1900	8,000 – 12,000
4	Fifi	1974	8,000 – 10,000
5	"Dominican Republic"	1930	2,000 – 8,000
6	Flora	1963	7,186 – 8,000
7	"Pointe-a-Pitre"	1776	6,000+
8	"Newfoundland	1775	4,000 – 4,163
9	"Okeechobee"	1928	4,075+
10	"San Ciriaco"	1899	3,433+
Main article: List of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes

A fleet of 40 French ships involved in the American Revolutionary War capsized as a result of the hurricane off of Martinique; about 4,000 soldiers drowned. The hurricane produced a 25 foot storm surge on Martinique, destroying all houses in Saint-Pierre. 9,000 died on the island. Severe damage was reported on Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua, and Saint Kitts - many ships were washed ashore in Saint Kitts - though it is unknown if any died on those islands. A powerful storm surge affected the island of Sint Eustatius, causing 4,000 to 5,000 fatalities.^[1]

Heavy damage was reported in southern Puerto Rico, primarily in Cabo Rojo and Lajas. Severe damage also occurred in the eastern region of the Dominican Republic. The hurricane later grounded 50 ships near Bermuda. Throughout its path, the hurricane killed over 22,000 people, the deadliest hurricane in Atlantic hurricane history.^[1]