1926 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1926 Atlantic hurricane season featured the highest number of major hurricanes at the time. At least eleven tropical cyclones developed during the season, all of which intensified into a tropical storm and eight further strengthened into hurricanes. Six hurricanes deepened into a major hurricane, which is Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. It was a fairly active and deadly season. The first system, the Nassau hurricane, developed near the Lesser Antilles on July 22. Moving west-northwest for much of its duration, the storm struck or brush several islands of the Lesser and Greater Antilles. However, the Bahamas later received greater impact. At least 466 deaths and $19.1 million (1926 USD) in damage was attributed to this hurricane. The next cyclone primarily affected mariners in and around the Maritimes of Canada, with boating accidents and drownings resulting in between 55 and 58 fatalities. In late August, the third hurricane brought widespread impact to the Gulf Coast of the United States, especially Louisiana. Crops and buildings suffered $6 million in damage and there were 25 people killed.

The strongest and most damaging storm of the season was Hurricane Seven, nicknamed the Miami hurricane. Peaking as a Category 4 hurricane, the hurricane struck the Bahamas and Florida at or near maximum intensity. Much of the Miami metropolitan area was devastated by the storm. Inland, a storm surge on Lake Okeechobee flooded towns such as Clewiston and Moore Haven. The storm was a factor in ending the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Overall, the Miami hurricane resulted in at least 497 deaths and $125 million in damage. However, adjusted for wealth normalization in 2010, the damage toll would be $164.8 billion – far higher than Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The eight, ninth, and eleventh tropical storms left only minor or no impact on land. However, a powerful hurricane in October devastated Cuba, the Bahamas, and ships in the vicinity of Bermuda. At least 709 deaths were linked to the system, with 600 in Cuba alone. Damage to towns on the island exceeded $100 million. Collectively, the storms of this season left over $250.1 million in damage and at least 1,752 fatalities.

Season summary

ImageSize = width:800 height:200

PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20

Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270

AlignBars = early

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/07/1926 till:01/12/1926

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/07/1926

Colors =

id:canvas value:gray(0.88)

id:GP value:red

id:TD value:rgb(0.43,0.76,0.92) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤38_mph_(≤62_km/h)

id:TS value:rgb(0.3,1,1) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117_km/h)

id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.85) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h)

id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.85,0.55) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h)

id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.62,0.35) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h)

id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.45,0.54) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h)

id:C5 value:rgb(0.55,0.46,0.90) legend:Category_5_=_≥157_mph_(≥252_km/h)

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =

barset:Hurricane

bar:Month

PlotData=

barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till

from:22/07/1926 till:02/08/1926 color:C4 text:"One (C4)"

from:29/07/1926 till:08/08/1926 color:C3 text:"Two (C3)"

from:20/08/1926 till:27/08/1926 color:C3 text:"Three (C3)"

from:23/08/1926 till:24/08/1926 color:TD text:"TD"

from:01/09/1926 till:24/09/1926 color:C4 text:"Four (C4)"

from:10/09/1926 till:14/09/1926 color:C2 text:"Five (C2)"

from:11/09/1926 till:17/09/1926 color:TS text:"Six (TS)"

barset:break

from:11/09/1926 till:22/09/1926 color:C4 text:"Seven (C4)"

from:21/09/1926 till:01/10/1926 color:C2 text:"Eight (C2)"

from:26/09/1926 till:01/10/1926 color:TD text:"TD"

from:03/10/1926 till:05/10/1926 color:TS text:"Nine (TS)"

from:14/10/1926 till:28/10/1926 color:C4 text:"Ten (C4)"

from:17/10/1926 till:18/10/1926 color:TD text:"TD"

from:12/11/1926 till:16/11/1926 color:TS text:"Eleven (TS)"

bar:Month width:15 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas

from:01/07/1926 till:01/08/1926 text:July

from:01/08/1926 till:01/09/1926 text:August

from:01/09/1926 till:01/10/1926 text:September

from:01/10/1926 till:01/11/1926 text:October

from:01/11/1926 till:01/12/1926 text:November

TextData =

pos:(570,30)

text:"(From the"

pos:(617,30)

text:"Saffir–Simpson scale)"

</timeline>

</div>

left|thumb|[[Surface weather analysis showing four active Atlantic tropical cyclones simultaneously on September 13, with the Miami hurricane seen on the bottom right]]

The season featured twelve named storms and eight of which strengthened into hurricanes. With six of those storms reaching major hurricane intensity, this was the highest number in a season on record, until being tied in 1933 and 1950 and then being surpassed in 1961.

Tropical cyclogenesis began on July 22 with Nassau hurricane, followed by the second storm on July 29. Only one system, the Louisiana hurricane, developed in the month of August. September was much more active, featuring the forth, fifth, six, seventh, and eighth storms of the season. On September 17, four tropical cyclones existed simultaneously in the Atlantic Ocean, three of which, in an uncommon occurrence, were then hurricanes. The Miami hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with a minimum barometric pressure of . In October, the ninth and tenth storms formed. One final tropical cyclone formed in November and existed until November 16.

The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 230, the fourth highest value on record, behind only the 1893, 2005, and 1933 seasons, and far above the 1921–1930 average of 76.6. ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of , which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here. On the east coast of Florida, the hurricane produced a large storm tide that damaged waterfront property. Damaging winds extended well inland, flattening crops, trees, and outbuildings; severe damage to buildings and wires was reported near the point of landfall. The storm also produced heavy rainfall, peaking at on Merritt Island. One person died from the effects of the storm in Florida. In all, the cyclone caused over 466 deaths—the fourth deadliest July hurricane since 1492—and about $19.1 million (1926 USD) in losses, at least $8 million of which were in the Bahamas.

Hurricane Two

Early on July 29, a tropical depression formed more than east of the Leeward Islands. Over the next few days, it moved west-northwest, becoming a tropical storm by 00:00 UTC on July 31. On August 1, the cyclone turned northwestward and began strengthening rapidly, reaching hurricane intensity by the early afternoon. The next day, it attained major hurricane intensity—winds of at least , equivalent to the modern-day classification of Category 3 intensity—and over the next few days its track varied between north-northwest and northwest. Early on August 5, it reached a peak intensity of , based on the pressure–wind relationship. It curved to the north and weakened, then passed about west of Bermuda on August 6. A few days later, it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and then struck near Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, with winds of and a central pressure at or below .

Several ships recorded hurricane-force winds and pressures as low as , though none entered the eye of the hurricane and sampled the lowest pressure in the storm. The system produced winds of on Bermuda as it passed very close to that island. About this time, five ocean liners near each other encountered the storm; some portholes on the Orca were damaged and 15 passengers were treated for cuts, bruises, and contusions. Off Nova Scotia, the cyclone sank a pair of schooners, the Sylvia Mosher and Sadie Knickle. Between 55 and 58 deaths occurred, including 49 from two ships crashing ashore Sable Island. In Nova Scotia, the storm downed trees and electrical poles, damaging some homes and leaving telephone service outages. Crops and fruit trees were also damaged. High winds also interrupted telegraph communications in Newfoundland.

Hurricane Three

On August 20, a low-pressure area producing unsettled weather in the western Caribbean Sea, and centered about west-northwest of Maracaibo, Venezuela, was determined to have become a tropical depression. However, prior to scientific reanalysis in April 2012 based upon a 1975 report, it was not believed to have done so until two days later. Strong winds in the province downed telegraph lines and demolished a post office in the town of Lamaline.

Hurricane Five

By 06:00 UTC on September 10, a strong tropical storm with winds of was first observed over the open Atlantic Ocean about southeast of Bermuda, but likely formed earlier and remained undetected due to a lack of ship observations.

Hurricane Seven

Great Miami hurricane of 1926

By 12:00 UTC on September 11—just twelve hours after the formation of the preceding cyclone—a new tropical storm formed in the Atlantic about east of the island of Martinique, though it probably originated earlier and was undetected, with a death toll of up to 125. The storm was attributed to 372 deaths in the Southeastern United States, 114 of which took place in Miami and at least 150 at Moore Haven, where a surge estimated as high as overtopped portions of a levee on Lake Okeechobee. Many people in Miami, transients who knew little of hurricanes, perished after examining damage during the passage of the eye, unaware that the back end of the storm was approaching. Flimsy structures built to house workers during the Florida land boom of the 1920s were completely leveled. The hurricane partially contributed to the end of the land boom, which was in decline by early 1926. In terms of monetary losses, damage from the hurricane was estimated to be as high as $125 million (1926 USD). Up to 4,725 structures throughout southern Florida were destroyed and 9,100 damaged, leaving at least 38,000 people displaced. A storm surge of occurred south of Miami, and winds on Miami Beach were recorded at before the anemometer blew away. -->

Hurricane Eight

Twelve hours after the Great Miami hurricane struck Alabama, the eighth tropical storm of the season formed in the east-central Atlantic about southwest of Horta in the Azores on September 21. Over the next three days, it moved north of due east and rapidly strengthened, becoming a minimal hurricane by 12:00 UTC on September 22 and later peaking at —equivalent to a moderately strong Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale—on the morning of September 24. For about 24 hours thereafter, the cyclone briefly curved to the northeast before turning sharply to the east early on September 26. Late that day, the cyclone swerved precipitously to the north, making landfall on the island of São Miguel near Ponta Delgada at peak intensity. Curving northwest and then south of due west, the cyclone weakened after striking São Miguel and reverted to a minimal hurricane late on September 27. It gradually completed a counter-clockwise loop through the western Azores, curving due south as a tropical storm, though its cool surface temperatures and enlarged size suggest it might have been a subtropical cyclone then. Upon striking Cuba, the hurricane caused catastrophic damage and as many as 600 deaths. Several small towns in the storm's path were completely destroyed and damage estimates exceeded $100 million (1926 USD). In the upper Florida Keys and on Key Biscayne, minimal hurricane conditions occurred, The British merchant ship Eastway was also sunk near Bermuda.

October tropical depression

A trough organized into a tropical depression just east-northeast of Bermuda on October 17. Atmospheric pressures as low as were observed as the system moved eastward. However, by October 18, the depression degenerated back into an open trough. However, a peer-reviewed publication in 2012, which reanalyzed the 1926 season, did not confirm its supposed existence.

Seasonal effects

| One || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, Northern Florida || || > ||

| Eight || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Azores || Unknown || Unknown ||

| Unnumbered || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || Unknown || None ||

| Nine || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Spanish Honduras, British Honduras || Unknown || Unknown ||

| Ten || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Cuba, Southern Florida, The Bahamas, Bermuda || > || ||