| 1856 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | August 9, 1856 |
| Last system dissipated | September 22, 1856 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | One |
| • Maximum winds | 150 mph (240 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 934 mbar (hPa; 27.58 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 6 |
| Total fatalities | 200+ |
| Total damage | Unknown |
The 1856 Atlantic hurricane season featured six tropical cyclones, five of which made landfall. The first system, Hurricane One, was first observed in the Gulf of Mexico on August 9. The final storm, Hurricane Six, was last observed on September 22. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. One of the cyclones has only a single known point in its track due to a sparsity of data. Operationally, another tropical cyclone was believed to have existed in the Wilmington, North Carolina area in September,[1] but HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – excludes this system. Another tropical cyclone that existed over the Northeastern United States in mid-August was later added to HURDAT.[2]
Four tropical cyclones reached hurricane status, including two which became major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. 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 currently known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to four cyclones per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.[3] The strongest cyclone of the season, the first hurricane, peaked at Category 4 strength with 150 mph (240 km/h) winds. Known as the 1856 Last Island hurricane, it brought devastation to southern Louisiana. More than 200 people were killed after a storm surge submerged Last Island, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in Louisiana history. Hurricane Two brought heavy rains and squalls to Barbados and Grenada, causing "considerable" damage. Tropical Storms Three and Four had a minor impact on the Northeastern United States and Cuba, respectively. Additionally, Hurricane Five caused four deaths in Inagua, Bahamas and had a minor impact on Cuba and the United States.
The season's activity was reflected with a low accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 49.[4]
- ^ Jose Fernandez-Partagas (1996). Year 1856 (PDF). Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Christopher W. Landsea; R. J. Murname; K. B. Liu (2004). "The Atlantic hurricane database re-analysis project: Documentation for the 1851–1910 alterations and additions to the HURDAT database". Hurricanes and Typhoons: Past, Present and Future. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 177–221. ISBN 0-231-12388-4.
- ^ Atlantic basin Comparison of Original and Revised HURDAT. Hurricane Research Division (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
