|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. Track map of the hurricane | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 8, 1909 |
| Dissipated | November 14, 1909 |
| Category 2 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 105 mph (165 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | At least 198 direct |
| Damage | $10 million (1909 USD) |
| Areas affected | Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1909 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1909 Greater Antilles hurricane was a rare, late-season tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage and loss of life in Jamaica and Haiti, and the wettest Atlantic hurricane on record. Forming out of a large disturbance in early November, the hurricane began as a minimal tropical storm over the southwestern Caribbean on November 8. Slowly tracking northeastward, the system gradually intensified. Late on November 11, the storm brushed the eastern tip of Jamaica before attaining hurricane status. The following afternoon, the storm made landfall in northwest Haiti with winds of 85 mph (135 km/h). After moving over the Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane further intensified and attained its peak winds of 105 mph (170 km/h) on November 13. The system rapidly transitioned into an extratropical cyclone the following day before being absorbed by a frontal system northeast of the Lesser Antilles.
Including rainfall from the precursor to the hurricane, rainfall in Jamaica peaked at 114.50 in (2,908 mm) Silver Hill Plantation, making it the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic Basin. These extreme rains led to widespread flooding that killed 30 people and left $7 million in damage throughout the country. The worst damage in Haiti was caused by rains exceeding 24 in (610 mm) that led to catastrophic flooding. At least 166 people are known to have been killed in the country; however, reports indicate that hundreds likely died during the storm.