Preview warning: The article title was redundantly supplied in
|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. 1827 map of Louisiana, where the hurricane made landfall | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 15, 1812 |
| Dissipated | August 20, 1812 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | ≤995 mbar (hPa); ≤29.38 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | c. 100 |
| Damage | $6 million (1812 USD) |
| Areas affected | Jamaica, Spanish Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi Territory |
Part of the 1812 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1812 Louisiana Hurricane was a major hurricane that struck New Orleans, Louisiana, during the War of 1812. It was the worst storm of the early history of New Orleans and was very likely the hurricane which made the closest landfall known to affect the city.[1]
It was first observed in the eastern Caribbean Sea on August 12 as a tropical disturbance, which later affected Jamaica as a tropical storm. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, it intensified into a hurricane, with winds estimated at over 115 mph (185 km/h). The circulation affected areas from the Florida Panhandle to Natchez in the Mississippi Territory, but the worst effects were in the New Orleans area. There were around 100 deaths, many of them due to drowning.
- ^ Mock, Cary J. (2008). "Tropical cyclone variations in Louisiana, U.S.A., since the late eighteenth century". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 9 (5): Q05V02. Bibcode:2008GGG.....905V02M. doi:10.1029/2007GC001846.