| 1873 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | June 1, 1873 |
| Last system dissipated | October 9, 1873 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Five |
| • Maximum winds | 115 mph (185 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 959 mbar (hPa; 28.32 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total storms | 5 |
| Hurricanes | 3 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 2 |
| Total fatalities | 252-630 |
| Total damage | $4.055 million (1873 USD) |
The 1873 Atlantic hurricane season was quiet, featuring only five known tropical cyclones, but all of them made landfall, causing significant impacts in some areas of the basin. Of these five systems, three intensified into a hurricane, while two of those attained major hurricane status.[nb 1] However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.[2]
Of the known cyclones, large alterations were made to the tracks of second and fifth systems in 1995 by José Fernández-Partagás and Henry Diaz, who also proposed smaller changes to the known track of third system.[3] Neither Fernández-Partagás and Diaz nor the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project introduced any previously undocumented tropical cyclones during their reanalyses of the 1873 season. Another reanalysis study, authored by climate researcher Michael Chenoweth and published in 2014, theorizes that six cyclones formed. Chenoweth proposes the removal of the first and fourth storms from the official hurricane database (HURDAT), as well as the addition of three new storms. However, these changes have yet to be incorporated into HURDAT.
The season's first known cyclone was initially observed near Andros island in the Bahamas on June 1. After crossing Grand Bahama, the cyclone moved northwestward and struck Georgia on the next day, leaving minimal damage. More than two months passed before the track for the next storm began on August 13. After nearly two weeks at sea, the hurricane extensively impacted Atlantic Canada, with at least 223 fatalities in the region and about $3.5 million (1873 USD) in damage.[nb 2] Three more storms developed in September, the first of which struck near St. Marks, Florida, on September 19, causing more than $550,000 in damage and at least three deaths, mostly over the eastern Florida Panhandle. The season's final known storm was detected over the eastern Caribbean Sea on September 26 and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 9. The cyclone struck Haiti, Cuba, and Florida at hurricane intensity, killing at least 26 people and leaving a substantial but unknown amount of damage. Overall, the storms of the 1873 season caused at least 252 deaths and more than $4.055 million in damage.
- ^ North Atlantic Hurricane Basin (1851-2022) Comparison of Original and Revised HURDAT. Hurricane Research Division; Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (Report). Miami, Florida: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ Landsea, Christopher W. (2004). "The Atlantic hurricane database re-analysis project: Documentation for the 1851–1910 alterations and additions to the HURDAT database". In Murname, Richard J.; Liu, Kam-biu (eds.). Hurricanes and Typhoons: Past, Present and Future. New York City, New York: Columbia University Press. p. 195. ISBN 0-231-12388-4. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Fernández-Partagás, José; Diaz, Henry F. (1995). A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources: 1851–1880 Part II: 1871–1880 (PDF) (Report). Climate Diagnostics Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
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