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The 1887 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1887, and lasted until November 30, 1887. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
The 1887 season is the third most-active hurricane season on record, with 19 recorded tropical cyclones forming during the season (tied with the 1995 season). However, most of the cyclones were weak or went out to sea.
The 1887 season lasted 212 days (May 15 - December 12, 1887), making it the fourth longest season recorded behind the 1952, 1908 and 2003 seasons. When Tropical Storm Nineteen formed on December 7, it made the 1887 season the year with the most off-season storms (five). This final storm was also the only recorded storm to make landfall in Costa Rica.
1887 is the earliest known season to produce 13 or more tropical storms. 1887 held the record for the most active Atlantic season for 46 years until the 1933 season broke the record with 21 storms (2005 broke the record later 72 years later with 28 storms).
It is important to note, however, that prior to the 1960s, inaccuracies were inevitable since storms or depressions that did not approach populated land or shipping lanes, especially those of relatively short duration, were likely to remain undetected without today's technology (such as satellite monitoring). As a result, there may have been several more storms in the eastern and central Atlantic.
[edit] Storms
[edit] Tropical Storm One
The first storm of the season formed south of Bermuda on May 15, outside of the season boundaries and moved to the northwest, staying out to sea. After peaking at 70 mph (110 km/h) late the next day, it turned northward, and became extratropical on the 18th over Newfoundland.
[edit] Tropical Storm Two
Another May storm formed south of Jamaica on May 17, way outside of the season and moved generally northward. It crossed Cuba on the 19th as a 60 mph (97 km/h) tropical storm, and moved out to sea. Two peaked at 60 mph (97 km/h) twice, once on May 18 and May 20. Two dissipated on the 21st in the Atlantic Ocean. When this storm and the first storm were active simultaneously from the 17th to the 18th, it became the earliest for two storms to be active at one time.
[edit] Tropical Storm Three
A weak tropical storm, which began its life in the northwest Caribbean Sea on June 11. Three peaked at 40 mph and moved northward through the Gulf of Mexico, and dissipated on the 14th after making landfall in Mississippi.
[edit] Hurricane Four
The 4th storm of the season moved through the Lesser Antilles on July 20, and traversed the Caribbean Sea, reaching winds of 105 mph (169 km/h), as a strong Category 2 hurricane on July 22nd before turning northward. It weakened after crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, and made landfall in Florida before dissipating on the 28th of July.
[edit] Tropical Storm Five
Tropical Depression Five formed east of the Windward Islands on the 30th of July and moved northwestward across the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a storm and reaching peak winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) on August 2nd near St. Vincent before dissipating near Cuba the same day.
[edit] Hurricane Six
The season's first of two major hurricanes, both following a very similar Cape Verde-type hurricane path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Six formed on August 14 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Six started moving toward the Carolina coast and moved far north and peaked at 120 mph (190 km/h) & 967 mbar major hurricane on the 20th and rapid weakening began. Six was declared extratropical two days later.
[edit] Hurricane Seven
The season's second of two major hurricanes, both following a very similar Cape Verde-type hurricane path in mid-August, but remained offshore. Seven formed from a depression on August 18 into Tropical Storm 7 and followed the same track as Six. Seven peaked at 125 mph (201 km/h) winds for three straight days as a major hurricane and rapid weakening began. Seven was declared extratropical on August 27.
[edit] Hurricane Eight
On September 1, a tropical storm formed in the central Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, becoming a hurricane on the 2nd. The hurricane turned to the northeast, and peaked at 105 mph (169 km/h) as a category 2 hurricane before becoming extratropical on the 4th. The extratropical storm remained until the 6th, when it dissipated off the coast of Ireland. Eight was the strongest storm of the season with a minimum pressure of 963 mbar.
[edit] Hurricane Nine
A hurricane, which was first observed on September 11 to the east of the Lesser Antilles, traversed the Caribbean Sea, remaining away from land until hitting extreme northeast Yucatán Peninsula on the 17th. It moved across the Gulf of Mexico, and hit near Brownsville, Texas on the 21st as a 100 mph (160 km/h) hurricane. The storm rapidly weakened over Texas and northeast Mexico, and dissipated on the 22nd.
Rainfall was reported at 8 inches at Brownsville, Texas and on September 21 and 2.26 inches (57 mm) on September 22.[7]
[edit] Hurricane Ten
On September 14, the tenth storm formed in the central Atlantic Ocean and moved northward. The storm peaked at 80 mph (130 km/h) with pressure of 983 mbar on the 16th and started losing its tropical characteristics while northeast of Newfoundland on September 18 and was soon declared as an extratropical storm.
[edit] Tropical Storm Eleven
The eleventh tropical storm of the season developed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 6. The storm peaked at 55 mph (89 km/h), then started moving westward through the Yucatán Peninsula and Bay of Campeche. Eleven dissipated on October 9 after making its second landfall in Mexico.
[edit] Tropical Storm Twelve
A depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Twelve on October 8 and peaked at 70 mph (110 km/h) winds later that day. After passing over Bermuda, Twelve dissipated the next day. Twelve was the shortest lived storm in the 1887 season lasting only two days (October 8th & 9th).
[edit] Hurricane Thirteen
The thirteenth storm was first seen on October 9 to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. It moved westward into Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, and strengthened into a hurricane while south of Cuba.Thirteen peaked at 85 mph for four straight days. In the Gulf of Mexico, 13 turned northeastward, and hit southeastern Louisiana before becoming extratropical over North Carolina early on the 21st over the ocean.
[edit] Hurricane Fourteen
On October 10, a depression strengthened into TS14 and moved across the ocean. Fourteen peaked with 85 mph winds as a Category 1 hurricane on the 11th. On the 12th, Fourteen weakened and was declared extratropical. Around October 14, a storm moved over Belize, causing moderate crop damage and disruption in the southern part of the country. Because the 13th storm of the season existed at the same time to its northeast, this system was not included, though further research is under way to determine if it was a new storm or a variation of the 13th storm of the season.
[edit] Hurricane Fifteen
A tropical storm was discovered on late afternoon of October 15 and was named Tropical Storm Fifteen on that day with 80 mph (130 km/h) winds. From October 15 to 16th, Fifteen peaked at 105 mph (169 km/h) winds making it a Category 2 hurricane. Fifteen stayed out to sea and dissipated on October 19.
[edit] Tropical Storm Sixteen
A tropical storm formed on October 27th and took a long, erratic track across the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Sixteen made landfall and moved across Florida as a tropical storm on the 30th . Sixteen paralleled the Carolina coastline and peaked at an 70 mph storm with a tropical pressure of 993 mbar on October 31. Sixteen was declared extratropical a day later and hit an extratropical peak of 80 mph and a 990 mbar extratropical pressure. The storm was dissipated on the 6th of November. Sixteen caused a ship to capsize, killing 2 sailors, and resulted in the loss of four other ships.
[edit] Hurricane Seventeen
On November 27, a tropical storm formed north of Puerto Rico. It moved to the west-northwest, and looped to the northeast. While looping, it peaked at 80 mph (130 km/h), but rapid weakening began while the storm was moving to the northeast. The storm was last seen on December 4 in the open Atlantic Ocean.
[edit] Hurricane Eighteen
The 18th storm was first seen to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles on December 4. It moved northwestward at first, then turned to the northeast, strengthening into a hurricane on December 7 before rapid weakening began and Eighteen was declared an extratropical storm on the 9th.
[edit] Tropical Storm Nineteen
The 19th and final tropical storm formed on December 7 and moved westward through the Caribbean Sea. Nineteen peaked in intensity on the 10th with 60 mph winds. Nineteen passed by St. Vincent and continued westward until dissipating near the coast of Costa Rica on the 12th. When Tropical Storm Nineteen formed on December 7, it made 1887 the year with the most off-season storms (five). Nineteen is the only tropical cyclone recorded to make landfall in Costa Rica.
[edit] Possible Storms
In addition to the 19 storms named above, during the re-analysis of the hurricane database, the Hurdat research team identified an additional four possible storms.
- The first storm existed from June 10 through the 15th, though lack of data of a warm core led to it being classified an extratropical storm.
- The next storm had two reports of gale force winds from September 1 through the 5th, but it was uncertain if a closed circulation existed.
- In late September, a tropical depression passed near St. Kitts with a pressure of 1008 mb, though not enough information led to it not being included in the archive.
- A system from October 22 to the 23rd had some data, though not enough to determine if it had been a tropical storm or a depression.
[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy Rating (ACE)
The table below shows the ACE for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time (such as #7 and #9) have higher ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph/63 km/h) or tropical storm strength.
| ACE (104 kt²) – Storm |
| 1 |
30.24 |
Seven |
2 |
26.9 |
Nine |
3 |
19.59 |
Thirteen |
| 4 |
19.54 |
Four |
5 |
18.37 |
Six |
6 |
9.36 |
Seventeen |
| 7 |
8.90 |
Fifteen |
8 |
7.43 |
Eight |
9 |
7.32 |
Eighteen |
| 10 |
6.66 |
Five |
11 |
5.34 |
Ten |
12 |
4.52 |
Nineteen |
| 13 |
3.86 |
Fourteen |
14 |
3.76 |
Two |
15 |
3.51 |
One |
| 16 |
2.20 |
Sixteen |
17 |
2.18 |
Twelve |
18 |
2.05 |
Eleven |
|
|
|
19 |
1.10 |
Three |
|
|
|
| Total ACE: 181.73 (182) |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
