1859 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1859 Atlantic hurricane season featured seven hurricanes, the most recorded during an Atlantic hurricane season until 1870. 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 has been estimated. Of the eight known 1859 cyclones, five were first documented in 1995 by Jose Fernandez-Partagás and Henry Diaz, which was largely adopted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic hurricane reanalysis in their updates to the Atlantic hurricane database, with some adjustments. HURDAT is the official source for hurricane data such as track and intensity, although due to sparse records, listings on some storms are incomplete.
The first tropical cyclone was a hurricane observed in the Tuxpan area of Veracruz, Mexico, on July 1. Hurricane conditions were observed along the coast and several vessels were lost. On September 2, another hurricane struck Saint Kitts and Saint Croix, damaging ships on the former. The fifth storm of the season, possibly the most devastating of the season, brought storm surge and hurricane-force winds to the Florida Panhandle and Mobile, Alabama, as well as flooding and wind damage to some areas of the Mid-Atlantic. In early October, the sixth cyclone brought damage to Inagua in the Bahamas. At least 25 boats sunk, with several people drowning after one vessel capsized. Two ships capsized in the Bahamas due to the seventh storm. A ship in the Gulf of Mexico capsized during the eighth and final cyclone, drowning an unknown number of people. The storm became extratropical offshore the Southeastern United States on October 29.
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy rating of 56. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph, which is tropical storm strength.
Timeline
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Systems
Hurricane One
Little is known about the first observed tropical cyclone of the 1859 season, which was first analyzed in 1995. During late June or early July, cities along the coastal Mexican state of Veracruz experienced a formidable hurricane, and several ships in the Gulf of Mexico were lost. Due to a lack of reports, the storm's listing in the Atlantic hurricane database is limited to a single point near Tuxpan, Veracruz, on July 1, although this date was chiefly chosen as a placeholder in lieu of definitive data. It is estimated that sustained winds reached 105 mph, which is equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the modern day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.Hurricane Two
The second known storm of the season was discovered in contemporary reanalysis. It existed in the northwestern Atlantic in the middle of August with the only evidence of the storm being reports from two vessels in the vicinity of bad weather. One vessel, the Tornado, encountered severe winds, starting on August 17, which forced her to abandon her easterly course and sail into New York City. The Caure also experienced strong winds on August 18 and August 19 with a barometric pressure as low as. A standard wind–pressure relationship model for that value yields winds of. The wind patterns reported by each ship indicate that neither vessel reached the storm's core, where winds are typically at their strongest. As a result, the system is estimated to have attained at least Category 2 intensity. Its approximate track follows an east-northeasterly trajectory.Hurricane Three
The first of three hurricanes in September was also the first of the season to be identified prior to 1995. It was described by W. H. Alexander in a 1902 publication as a "mild" system which passed over St. Kitts and later St. Croix on September 2. A short track formulated for the storm in 1995 indicated a path across the northern Lesser Antilles on September 2; the track was shifted slightly toward the south for its inclusion within HURDAT. The highest sustained winds are estimated to have been 80 mph. Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth proposed the removal of this storm from HURDAT, noting "No evidence in newspapers and logbook in the northern Lesser Antilles".Hurricane Four
Based on reports of strong winds from a ship near 40°N, 50°W, Partagás documented another new storm near that point on September 12. As with the previous hurricane, no track existed for this storm until the 1995 HURDAT, when more extensive observations from several additional vessels were utilized. At least four ships sustained structural damage or took on water, and the Bell Flower lost her captain and a crew member to the sea. The severity of the weather encountered by the ships suggested a cyclone of modest hurricane intensity.Hurricane Five
The fifth storm was first mentioned by David M. Ludlum in 1963 as having affected Mobile, Alabama, on September 15, but with no description of its genesis or impacts. Partagás also acknowledged the storm without attempting to reconstruct its track. As a result, the cyclone was initially added to the hurricane database with only a single data point, placing it near Mobile as a Category 1 hurricane. However, in 2003, the reanalysis project expanded the track from September 15 through September 18, using newspaper accounts and reports from both land and sea. With winds of minimal hurricane strength, the storm moved north-northeastward toward the central Gulf Coast. The cyclone made landfall early on September 16 over Alabama with winds estimated at 80 mph and a barometric pressure of. It likely weakened into a tropical storm as it pushed inland, and traversed the Southeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic region. The storm re-emerged into the Atlantic as it continued towards the northeast, and based on ship reports, it is believed to have reattained hurricane intensity prior to passing south of New England and the Canadian Maritimes, before being last noted on September 18.Hurricane-force winds were reported in the Florida Panhandle. In Alabama, the storm brought strong winds and large waves to the Mobile area. After a wharf was flooded, authorities warned residents to seek higher ground. Businesses also moved their merchandise to the second floors of their buildings. Wharves, bathhouses, bales, barrels, and boxes washed away. The train system was also interrupted for a few days. A few ships, such as the schooner W W. Harkness and the steamboat Crescent suffered damage. Two oyster boats capsized and two people drowned. Winds downed fences, trees, and telegraph lines. Damage reached at least US$10,000. Later, flooding was reported in Virginia and Washington, D.C. The Potomac River rose considerably in some areas of Virginia and Washington, D.C., especially at Georgetown, where water reached the wharves. Two bridges nearly swept away. With the storm causing over of rain, crops, mill dams, and fences were damaged. In New York, strong winds destroyed a five-story warehouse and another adjoining building.