1903 жылғы Атлант мұхитындағы дауылды маусым

Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean

The 1903 Atlantic hurricane season featured seven hurricanes, the most in an Atlantic hurricane season since 1893. The first tropical cyclone was initially observed in the western Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico on July 21. The tenth and final system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone well northwest of the Azores on November 25. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Six of the ten tropical cyclones existed simultaneously. Of the season's ten tropical storms, seven of those strengthened into a hurricane. One of the seven hurricanes deepened further into a major hurricane, which are tropical cyclones that reach at least Category 3 on the modern day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. The second, third, and fourth systems left the most significant impacts during this season. The second storm, which struck Jamaica in August, devastated Martinique, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. At least 149 deaths were attributed to this storm, while it also caused $10 million (1903 USD) in damage in Jamaica alone. The third cyclone made landfall in Florida twice in mid August, leaving 14 fatalities and about $500,000 in damage. Only a few days later, the fourth cyclone struck New Jersey. The storm impacted many areas in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States and caused 57 deaths and about $8 million in damage. Additionally, the remnants of the eighth tropical cyclone caused severe flooding in the Mid Atlantic. The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project also indicated but could not confirm the presence of four additional tropical depressions throughout the season. However, the reanalysis added a previously undetected tropical storm in late October to the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT). Reanalysis also resulted in the eighth cyclone being downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 102. 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 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here.

According to historical weather maps, an area of disturbed weather developed a closed circulation early on July 21 while located about 100 mile (161 km) northeast of the Samaná Peninsula of Dominican Republic, becoming the first tropical cyclone of the season. while about 5,000 people were left homeless in the villages of Fond, Fourniols, La Haye, Recluce, and Tivoli, all of which were established after the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. The hurricane also left extensive damage to crops and eight fatalities. In Jamaica, several communities were completely or nearly destroyed, including Manchioneal, Port Antonio, and Port Maria. Thousands of homes also suffered damage in the capital city of Kingston. Banana crops were devastated so severely that many growers were forced into bankruptcy. Numerous ships were wrecked, particularly on the north coast of the island. There were at least 65 deaths and about $10 million in damage. In the Tampico area, there was considerable damage to the port and many ships were sunk or driven ashore. Much of the land between Tampico and Cárdenas in San Luis Potosí was submerged due to flooding. In all, the storm is believed to have killed at least 149 people. Moving northwestward, the cyclone became a Category 1 hurricane around 12:00 UTC on the following day. Late on September 10 and early on September 11, the storm passed near Nassau. The hurricane then turned to the west northwest on September 11 and moved just north of the Bimini Islands. As it crossed the Bahamas, the system produced hurricane force winds on some islands, with an estimated wind speed as high as in Nassau. Damage to crops and buildings occurred, but no deaths were reported over the island chain. Late on September 11, the storm made landfall near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with winds of The Inchulva capsized near Delray Beach, drowning nine of her crew members. The cyclone caused severe wind damage in present day Broward and Palm Beach counties, although most of the losses were to crops such as sugarcane. The hurricane weakened to a tropical storm while crossing Florida, but re intensified into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on September 12. Peaking with maximum sustained winds of , the storm made landfall near Panama City around 23:00 UTC on September 13. In Northwest Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, the cyclone produced widespread rainfall, causing some crop damage. Additionally, a storm surge caused boats to be blown ashore in the Florida Panhandle. In all, the storm killed 14 people in Florida and produced $500,000 in damage. After falling to tropical storm intensity early on September 14, the storm weakened to a tropical depression on September 16, several hours before dissipating over South Carolina.

Historical weather maps indicated that a tropical depression developed just south of the Turks and Caicos Islands early on September 19. The depression trekked generally northward and remained weak for the next few days. By September 22, the system intensified into a tropical storm. Turning east northeastward on September 24, the storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , which was observed by a ship. Along the coast, rough seas wrecked a number of boats, while several stone docks and seawalls were severely damaged or destroyed. Another death occurred after an engineer on Ireland Island was swept out to sea and drowned. In Virginia, strong winds toppled trees and knocked out communications in cities such as Richmond and Norfolk, where a tree brought from Napoleon Bonaparte's grave in Paris, France, was uprooted. Wires were downed, completely disrupting communication. One death occurred inland when a man in Leesburg drowned while walking across a log on the Little River. Rough seas capsized nine vessels offshore Virginia, resulting in three deaths. Waves lashing the Back River Light caused the stones on its structure to move out of place. Damage in New Jersey reached about $7 million. Twenty deaths occurred, with two from drowning incidents, one from a heart attack, and seventeen others from a flood related train crash near Trenton. Along the Delaware River, nine bridges connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania were destroyed. In New York, about fell in New York City over a 48 hour period. In Poughkeepsie, two deaths occurred due to a landslide.

A westward moving disturbance was first noted between Barbados and Grenada on October 19 and later Hispaniola. By early October 21, the system developed into a tropical depression near Turks and Caicos Islands. The depression initially moved north northwestward across the eastern Bahamas, remaining weak during its passage. After reaching the open Atlantic, the cyclone intensified into a tropical storm by 12:00 UTC on October 23. Strengthening continued, and by early on October 24, the storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , both of which were observed by ships. However, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone by 18:00 UTC while situated about 190 mile (306 km) southeast of Cape Lookout in North Carolina. The remnants accelerated ahead of a cold front and later struck Newfoundland, before dissipating over the Labrador Sea on October 27.

Historical weather maps indicated the final storm on the season beginning early on November 17, while located about 780 mile (1255 km) west northwest of Santo Antão island in Cape Verde. The storm strengthened slowly and moved northwestward for the next few days, until curving northeastward late on November 19. At 06:00 UTC on the following day, the cyclone intensified into a Category 1 hurricane. Shortly thereafter, the hurricane turned eastward and then north northeastward by November 22. On the following day, it peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , which was observed by a ship. The hurricane continued moving north northeastward for a few days, until transitioning into an extratropical cyclone while located about 480 mile (772 km) northwest of Corvo Island in the Azores late on November 25.

This is a table of all of the storms that have formed in the 1903 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s)–denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1903 USD.

Terry Tucker. Beware the Hurricane! Hamilton Press: Bermuda, 1966.