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Hurricane Four

Surface weather analysis of the storm near the Bahamas on September 4
Meteorological history
Formed	August 30, 1932 (1932-08-30)
Extratropical	September 9
Dissipated	September 17, 1932 (1932-09-18)
Category 5 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	160 mph (260 km/h)
Highest gusts	200 mph (320 km/h)
Lowest pressure	≤921 mbar (hPa); ≤27.20 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	30–31 direct
Areas affected	British Bahamas East Coast of the United States Atlantic Canada Iceland Jan Mayen
IBTrACS
Part of the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season

In late August and early September, 1932, a potent Atlantic hurricane—retroactively rated Category 5 on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale—impacted portions of the Lucayan Archipelago and the East Coast of the United States, inflicting locally severe damage. It was known as the Great Abaco hurricane or the 1932 Bahamas hurricane, after the site of its worst effects, which it hit at peak intensity. Though large and powerful, it impacted few areas other than islands. The fourth tropical storm and third hurricane of the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season, it belonged to a pair of Category 5 storms in the Atlantic Ocean that year, the other happening in November.

The cyclone formed north of the Virgin Islands on August 30, over the next three days gradually strengthening. Heading west-northwest, it became a hurricane on September 2 and a strong hurricane a day later. On September 4 it became a major hurricane—Category 3 or stronger—and on September 5 peaked with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h), passing over the northern Bahamas on the latter date. Its eye traversed the Abaco Islands, attended by catastrophic winds and storm surge that killed 16 people. One of four Category 5 storms to hit the Bahamas on record, it was also the first of two such to strike the Abaco Islands, the other being 2019's Dorian.

Within a day it turned northward and then northeastward, heading seaward while a powerful hurricane. By September 8 the storm weakened to below Category 3 status, never making landfall on the contiguous United States. Nevertheless, its effects were felt on the East Coast of the United States, primarily in the northeastern part of the country, including 56-mile-per-hour (90 km/h) winds offshore of New England, doing mostly minor—but occasionally significant—damage. On September 9 it lost tropical features and continued a week, brushing the Maritimes. In Atlantic Canada it claimed 14–15 lives, widely dispersing impacts. It gradually turned eastward near Iceland, and eventually it passed north of the Scandinavian Peninsula, ending near the Russian SFSR of the Soviet Union on September 17.

Meteorological history

At 18:00 UTC on August 30, the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) initiated a tropical depression 50 miles (80 km) east of Anegada. Around that time the United States Weather Bureau operationally first detected the storm, which it deemed minor. Once noted, the storm tracked generally west-northwest. The next day a ship logged 52-mile-per-hour (84 km/h) winds, at which time the depression was already a tropical storm. Late on September 2, while centered 100 miles (160 km) east-northeast of Grand Turk Island, the storm became a minimal hurricane, but contemporary meteorologists believed it still weaker. The storm bypassed the Greater Antilles to the north on the night of September 2–3. A day later a ship saw winds of 75 mph (121 km/h), first verifying hurricane status; meanwhile the storm had strengthened 35 mph (55 km/h) in 24 hours, showing rapid intensification. At 00:00 UTC on September 4 the cyclone reached winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), equal to Category 3 status, and attained Category 4 just 18 hours later. (Winds no more than 60 mph (97 km/h) were reported by mariners to the Weather Bureau as late as the evening of September 4, however.) Late the next day it peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h) and crossed the Abaco Islands, making a pressure of less than 27.50 inHg (931 mb) on land during its passage. As it did so it turned north, missing the most populous Bahamian islands—and the capital Nassau—well to the east, and generated extreme winds on the Abaco Islands.

On September 6 the storm largely retained force, heading north-northeast off the northern Bahamas, away from the mainland United States. Multiple ships this day caught hurricane-force winds and pressures down to 961 mb (28.4 inHg). At 18:00 UTC the storm lost Category 5 winds but remained intense, and the next day it curved northeastward, roughly paralleling the East Coast of the United States. At 11:00 UTC the ship Deer Lodge clocked 75-mile-per-hour (121 km/h) winds—Beaufort Force 12—and a barometric low of 27.58 inHg (934 mb), implying maximum sustained winds of 138 mph (222 km/h) or greater. Another ship that day also recorded hurricane winds nearby and a pressure of 27.65 inHg (936 mb), evidencing high-end Category 4 winds—145 mph (230 km/h) or higher—all day. On September 8, however, a more rapid downtrend started as the storm continued northeast, losing intensity. By 18:00 UTC it was no longer a major hurricane, but being of great extent, still brought swells and high winds to coastal New England. Overnight the storm angled toward the coast, heading north, and passed about 200 miles offshore with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). At 18:00 UTC on September 9 it became extratropical and lurched east-northeast, keeping hurricane-force winds about a day longer. At 12:00 UTC on September 11 it shed hurricane intensity and resumed a northeast course. Shortly afterward it crossed just south of the Avalon Peninsula, packing winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Its remnants soon traveled near the Snæfellsnes and Jan Mayen, bypassing those areas on the night of September 14–15. Early on September 16 the system veered eastward, and the following day finally ended over the Barents Sea.

Preparations, impact, aftermath, and records

Storm warnings in the United States were placed at 15:00 UTC on September 5 from Daytona Beach to Punta Gorda, Florida. Due in part to the warnings, residents in the affected areas began boarding up windows and completing other preparations, some as early as September 3. A pair of trains were dispatched to evacuate Lake Okeechobee-area residents. Evacuees streamed northward from Miami and West Palm Beach; between the latter place and Jacksonville many filling stations ran out of gas. Melbourne, which was filled up with refugees, converted its high school into a shelter. As the cyclone later appeared to miss South Florida, the first warnings were cancelled and new storm warnings issued between Daytona Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina. By early September 7, warnings were extended up the East Coast to Eastport, Maine. In all 30–31 people were reported killed, along with an additional 300 injured. Half the deaths occurred in the Bahamas, on and around Abaco Island; damage estimates in dollars, however, were not released. Despite the great size and intensity of the hurricane, ample warnings prevented loss of life and commerce at sea. To date, it is one of four Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall in the Bahamas at that intensity—the others having taken place in 1933, 1992, and 2019—and the first of two such storms to hit the Abaco Islands.

The Bahamas

As the storm passed north of Cat Island, it caused a pressure of 29.47 inHg (998 mb) and a north wind of 20 mph (32 km/h), downing power lines. Although the cyclone passed within 65 miles (105 km) of New Providence, it blew at up to 50 mph (80 km/h) and did no significant damage there, other than to tomatoes. At Nassau it produced a pressure of 29.50 inHg (999 mb). Farther west, it left Andros unaffected. On San Salvador, then Watling Island, the storm only destroyed a radio station. The cyclone brought 75-mile-per-hour (121 km/h) winds to Eleuthera, doing much damage to crops and part of a wharf. It also tore up roads on the island. On Grand Bahama the storm was worse, ravaging vessels, unroofing homes, and causing flooding. Some homes were destroyed and many others badly damaged. Floodwaters reached depths of up to 5 ft (1.5 m), pushing houses off their homesites, and Hawksbill Creek rose to a height of 9 ft (2.7 m). The storm heavily damaged citrus crops at West End. A number of minor injuries occurred as well.

The storm was at its most damaging on the Abaco Islands, delivering powerful wind gusts—estimated at over 200 mph (320 km/h)—that shattered strong buildings, leveling 200 homes. The storm damaged half a dozen settlements. At Hope Town, the winds destroyed 83 homes, as well as the radio station and public buildings; the same also badly damaged 63 other homes. 40 more homes received light damage. A few churches were destroyed as well, along with the post office and a jail. Notwithstanding damage, no fatalities occurred in Hope Town. Around 15:00 UTC, at the height of the storm, a barometer there measured a low of 27.20 inHg (921 mb), during which winds shifted from northeast to southeast. In the aftermath food supplies ran low and salt contaminated the drinking supply. On Man-O-War Cay the storm severely damaged or destroyed 24 homes; on Elbow Cay it destroyed three settlements, engendering the creation of Dundas Town. At nearby Marsh Harbour, its eye passed overhead for a very short while around 20:00 UTC, yielding a 15-minute calm and a barometric low of at most 27.60 inHg (935 mb). 12 homes were destroyed and most of the rest severely damaged. Schools, a teacher's home, a pair of wharves, and many boats were wrecked as well, along with orchards and crops, but no one was killed. A storm surge of more than 8 ft (2.4 m) swamped the area.

Hardest hit of all was Green Turtle Cay—whose history was split by the storm; the storm's fiercest winds were reported there, along with its eye. Observers deduced sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) or more from photographs. Out of 80 houses only a dozen were left. Additionally, the storm felled all fruit and coconut trees on the cay. It also ruined four churches, a school, the New Plymouth Hotel, and the Government Wharf. The sea submerged the island, removing all vegetation and boats, as well as a cemetery, gravestones and corpses all. Six people died there and 26 sustained severe injuries. The storm leveled a pair of large brick churches with 3-foot-thick (0.91 m) stone walls, tossing some of the blocks 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km). Virtually all inhabitants were left homeless, including the residents of Bluff Point. At the latter the strongest winds were from the north and northwest; these were attended by a storm surge that inundated the settlement. Water carried a mail boat 7 mi (11 km). Just four homes out of 35 still stood on Great Guana Cay, where the barometric minimum was 28.07 inHg (951 mb). There the storm ravaged many boats, and one person died. At nearby Coopers Town, which was "wiped out", but six homes survived the storm. At Spanish Cay the storm destroyed a home, and flattened six more at Sales Cay.

East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada, and far North Atlantic

Although warnings were posted for the eastern United States, the storm's path prevented landfall, leaving the main effects as heavy swells and gales. At its closest approach, the storm generated 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) winds in coastal Massachusetts. Nantucket measured 56 mph (90 km/h) as the hurricane stayed offshore. Large breakers pummeled the Florida coast from Cape Canaveral to Miami. Blowing at 20 to 25 mph (32 to 40 km/h), west winds whipped up sea spray, forming 1-mile (1.6 km) "streamers" and presenting onlookers with a spectacle "such as never has been witnessed by inhabitants hereabouts". Above-normal tides undermined an unfinished road on the Outer Banks, between New and Oregon inlets. Just offshore winds blew at 52 mph (84 km/h). Winds peaked at 44 mph (71 km/h) at Cape Hatteras. Strong gales on the evening of September 7 blew the Cape Lookout Lightship loose from her anchorage. Off the coast at the same time, the crew of the Munson steamer Munloyal, then believed to be 350 miles (565 km) southeast of Frying Pan Shoals, North Carolina, reported that her position was unknown and her rudder blown away. The United States Coast Guard dispatched cutters from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to her assistance.

The storm crippled the auxiliary training ship Nantucket offshore New England, causing her to drift 50 mi (80 km) after high seas caused flooding, disabled the radio, and wrenched loose an anchor weighing 1+1⁄2 t (1,500 kg). The Nantucket also lost three lifeboats and a 3-foot (0.91 m) section of the spar deck, and tossed a motorboat off a davit into the chart house. Low-lying parts of Norfolk, Virginia, flooded. Along coastal New York and New Jersey rough surf and brisk winds caused locally extensive damage. Waves swept away parts of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, along with a fishing pier at Stone Harbor and the remains of another in Ocean City. The sea also destroyed a water main, a 200-foot-long (61 m) section of boardwalk, and 500 ft (150 m) of railing at Cape May. At Atlantic City sea spray surged 30 ft (9.1 m) upward, drenching onlookers, and seawater drowned nearby streets. At Ocean City surf destroyed a three-story frame clubhouse. Four people were reported missing at sea. Large trees and signs fell down in Brooklyn, New York, due to the winds. Cold temperatures succeeded the hurricane.

Atlantic Canada reported 14–15 fatalities, all off Nova Scotia. Halifax clocked winds of 130 km/h (81 mph). Water overflowed roads at Glace Bay, and the steamer Watford foundered, killing two crew members. The storm laid waste to 10% of the apple crop in the Annapolis Valley. At Canso it sank a pleasure craft and 18 fishing boats. Winds toppled a chimney, crumpling the roof of a church. A fire during the storm engulfed a few garages, a hotel, and homes at Beaconsfield, at a loss of $33,800. Losses to lobster fishing equipment at Amherst totaled "several thousand dollars". At Chéticamp the storm damaged grain and wheat crops. Three boats beached at Scatarie Island, as did a liquor carrier at Lingan. In Hants County a barge sank with its load of cordwood. On Cape Breton Island the storm downed phone and power lines. Floods obliterated roads and railways on the island. Winds leveled small buildings at Pugwash. A man aboard the Mary H. Hirtle drowned off Sable Island. Two schooners—the Patara and the BeeBee—succumbed as well, along with 11 or 12 of their crew. A third, unnamed schooner sank off St. Brendan's. Winds of 105 km/h (65 mph) buffeted Prince Edward Island. At Little Cape 25 fishing boats were a total loss, along with half a dozen more at Pouch Cove. At Cappa Hayden the steamer Odensholm grounded. At Culdesac winds buckled a few homes and a church. The storm also tore apart all the fishing stages at Leading Teakles, as well as 16 smacks. The storm ripped apart an abandoned steamer at Burnt Point. Although extratropical by then, the storm was still notably intense off Newfoundland, Iceland, and Jan Mayen, the last of which observed pressures at or below 29 inHg (980 mb).

Notes

1. Tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin were not formally named prior to World War II. Storms such as this one were denoted by their attributes, including coincidence with Catholic saints' feasts.
2. Another source puts the latter at just 27.00 inHg (914 mb).
3. One report listed 3,012 homes as being battered.

See also

• Hurricanes in the Bahama Archipelago
• List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
• Tropical cyclone effects in Europe
• 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane – A destructive, long-lived Category 4 hurricane that took a similar path, devastating the Bahamas
• 1933 Cuba–Brownsville hurricane – The first known Category 5 hurricane to make hit the Bahamas at that intensity
• Hurricane Andrew (1992) – Also struck the northern Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane
• Hurricane Joaquin (2015) – A Category 4 hurricane that struck similar areas of the Bahamas, causing widespread damage
• Hurricane Dorian (2019) – A Category 5 hurricane that became the strongest to ever strike the Bahamas, causing widespread destruction

References

1. "Definitions & Storm Names: How Are Hurricanes Named?". Hurricane FAQ. Miami, Florida: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
2. Neely 2019, p. 516.
3. ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
   • • Landsea, Chris (April 2022). "The revised Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2) - Chris Landsea – April 2022" (PDF). Hurricane Research Division – NOAA/AOML. Miami: Hurricane Research Division – via Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
4. ^ Mitchell 1932.
5. ^ Landsea, Chris; Anderson, Craig; Bredemeyer, William; et al. Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT: 1932 Storm #4 - 2012 Revision. Re-Analysis Project (Report). Miami, Florida: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
6. Written at Washington, D.C.. "Nassau in Path; Storm Moving Through Islands". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 208. West Palm Beach, Florida (published September 5, 1932). Associated Press. September 4, 1932. p. 1.
7. Written at West Palm Beach, Florida. "Palm Beach Makes Ready". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 254. New York City (published September 6, 1932). September 5, 1932. p. 7 – via ProQuest.
8. Written at Miami. "Miami is prepared for possible storm". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 207. West Palm Beach (published September 4, 1932). Associated Press. September 3, 1932.
9. ^ Written at Miami. "South Florida is Safe From Storm Dangers, Says Night Advisory". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 209. West Palm Beach (published September 6, 1932). Associated Press. September 5, 1932. p. 1.
   • P. 6
10. "Storm-frightened groups return from "safer" points". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 26, no. 210. West Palm Beach, Florida. September 7, 1932. p. 2.
11. Written at Miami. "Storm is veering; Miami's fears end". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 254. New York City (published September 6, 1932). Associated Press. September 5, 1932. p. 7 – via ProQuest.
12. ^ 1932-4. Storm Impact Summaries (Report). Environment Canada. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
13. McDonald 1932.
14. Multiple sources:
    • Digital Writers (2 September 2019). "Catastrophic Hurricane Dorian could come dangerously close to Florida". MSN. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
    • Klotzbach, Philip (September 5, 2019). "Hurricane Dorian Meteorological Records" (PDF). tropical.colostate.edu. Colorado State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
    • Morgerman, Josh (7 March 2023). "Sexy infographic: all known Cat-5 hurricane landfalls in North America. (Purple = Cat-5 status.) USA has most, with 5; Bahamas & Mexico are tied for 2nd place with 4 each. NOTE: There've been no known Cat-5 landfalls on continent's Pacific Coast" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 December 2024 – via Twitter.
15. Written at Nassau, Bahamas. "Cat Island Reports Progress of Storm". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 208. West Palm Beach, Florida (published September 5, 1932). Associated Press. September 4, 1932. p. 1.
16. Neely 2019, p. 531.
17. Neely 2019, p. 529.
18. "Louder for Broward County". Fort Lauderdale Daily News. Vol. 21, no. 297. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. September 6, 1932. p. 1.
19. Neely 2019, pp. 530–1.
20. Written at Nassau, Bahamas. "10 killed, 30 injured by storm in Bahamas". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 257. New York City (published September 9, 1932). Special correspondent. September 8, 1932. p. 22.
21. Written at Nassau, Bahamas. "Relief Being Sent Abaco Island, Hit by Hurricane". The Journal. Vol. 46, no. 215. Meriden, Connecticut (published September 10, 1932). Associated Press. September 9, 1932. p. 2.
22. ^ Written at Nassau, Bahamas. "Hurricane Reports Received From Abaco Show 11 Dead, Many Hurt". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 213. West Palm Beach, Florida (published September 10, 1932). Associated Press. September 9, 1932. p. 1.
    • P. 6
23. ^ Neely 2019, p. 543.
24. ^ Neely 2019, p. 541.
25. ^ Neely 2019, p. 542.
26. ^ Neely 2019, p. 544.
27. ^ Neely 2019, p. 533.
28. ^ Neely 2019, p. 534.
29. ^ Neely 2019, p. 532.
30. ^ Neely 2019, p. 539.
31. Neely 2019, p. 535.
32. Written at Palm Beach, Florida. "Storms are not all bad; sea puts on beauty act". Fort Lauderdale News. Vol. 21, no. 297. Fort Lauderdale. Associated Press. September 6, 1932. p. 2.
33. Written at Manteo, North Carolina. "North Carolina coast is safe". Greensboro Record. Vol. 42. Greensboro, North Carolina. Associated Press. September 8, 1932. p. 9.
34. Written at Manteo. "Cape Hatteras hit by tropical storm". News and Record. Vol. 47, no. 53. Greensboro, North Carolina (published September 8, 1932). Associated Press. September 7, 1932. p. 1.
    • P. 4
35. Written at Norfolk, Virginia. "Hurricane Batters Steamer Munloyal". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 256. New York City (published September 8, 1932). Special correspondent. September 7, 1932. p. 7 – via ProQuest.
36. Written at New London, Connecticut. "Hurricane struck training ship at sea". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 260. New York City (published September 12, 1932). Special correspondent. September 11, 1932. p. 33 – via ProQuest.
37. Written at New York City. "North Atlantic Lashed By Wind From Hurricane". The Roanoke Times. Vol. 92, no. 71. Roanoke, Virginia (published September 9, 1932). Associated Press. September 8, 1932. p. 1.
    • P. 8
38. "Gale lashes coast; cold wave hits city". New York Times. Vol. 81, no. 27, 257. September 9, 1932. p. 21.
39. "Coast lashed in wild night; boardwalk hit". The Morning Post. Vol. 57, no. 92. Camden, New Jersey. September 9, 1932. p. 1.
    • P. 22
40. Written at New York City. "Northern Coast Gets High Wind, Cold Weather From Hurricane". Palm Beach Post. Vol. 24, no. 212. West Palm Beach, Florida (published September 9, 1932). Associated Press. September 8, 1932. p. 1.

Sources

• Landsea, Christopher W.; Hagen, Andrew; Bredemeyer, William; Carrosco, Cristina; et al. (15 August 2014). "A Reanalysis of the 1931–43 Atlantic Hurricane Database" (PDF). Journal of Climate. 27 (16). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 6093–6118. Bibcode:2014JCli...27.6093L. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00503.1 – via AOML.
• McDonald, W. C (September 1932). "The Weather of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 60 (9): 184. Bibcode:1932MWRv...60..184M. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1932)60<184:nao>2.0.co;2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
• Mitchell, Charles L. (September 1932). "The Tropical Storm of August 30–September 15, 1932" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 60 (9): 177–8. Bibcode:1932MWRv...60..177.. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1932)60<177:TTSOAI>2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2012.
• Neely, Wayne (2006). The Major Hurricanes to Affect the Bahamas. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1425966089.
  • — (2019). The Greatest and Deadliest Hurricanes to Impact the Bahamas. Cheyenne, Wyoming: UrLink. ISBN 978-1-64753-121-8.

v t e Tropical cyclones of the 1932 Atlantic hurricane season
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Category

• 1932 Atlantic hurricane season
• Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
• Hurricanes in the Bahamas
• Hurricanes in North Carolina
• Hurricanes in Canada
• 1932 in the Bahamas