| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 9, 1903 |
| Dissipated | September 16, 1903 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 90 mph (150 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 976 mbar (hPa); 28.82 inHg (lowest directly measured) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 14 direct |
| Damage | $500,000 (1903 USD)($17 million in 2024 USD) |
| Areas affected | The Bahamas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1903 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1903 Florida hurricane was a moderate Atlantic hurricane that caused extensive wind and flood damage in peninsular Florida and over the adjourning Southeastern United States in early to mid September 1903. The third tropical cyclone and third hurricane of the season, this storm was first observed near the Turks and Caicos Islands early on September 9. Moving northwestward, it became a hurricane the next day and passed near Nassau, Bahamas. The cyclone then turned to the west-northwest on September 11 and passed just north of Bimini. As it crossed the Bahamas, the cyclone produced hurricane-force winds that caused damage to crops and buildings, but no deaths were reported over the island chain.
Late that day, the cyclone struck near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The steamship Inchulva capsized near Delray Beach, drowning nine of her crew members. The cyclone caused severe wind damage in present-day Broward and Palm Beach counties, although most of the losses were to crops such as sugarcane. The cyclone weakened to a tropical storm while crossing Florida, but re-intensified into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on September 13. Hours later the storm made landfall near present-day Panama City, Florida. In Northwest Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, the cyclone produced widespread rainfall, causing some crop damage. Additionally, a storm surge caused boats to be blown ashore in the Florida panhandle. In all, the storm killed 14 people in Florida and produced $500,000 in damage.[nb 1]
After falling to tropical storm intensity early on September 14, the storm weakened to a tropical depression on September 16, several hours before dissipating over South Carolina.
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