1912 Jamaica hurricane

1912 Jamaica hurricane
Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)

Surface weather analysis of the hurricane skirting Jamaica on November 18
Formed November 11, 1912 (November 11, 1912)
Dissipated November 22, 1912 (November 22, 1912)
Highest winds 1-minute sustained: 115 mph (185 km/h)
Lowest pressure 965 mbar (hPa); 28.5 inHg
Fatalities 100
Damage $1.5 million (1912 USD)
Areas affected Jamaica
Part of the 1912 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1912 Jamaica hurricane was a slow-moving tropical cyclone that meandered about the island of Jamaica, causing torrential rainfall and severe flooding in November 1912. The strongest hurricane in the Atlantic that year, the cyclone formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on November 11. Traveling slowly northward, the storm reached hurricane status on November 13, and slowly intensified before reaching its peak intensity as a Category 3 hurricane-equivalent on November 18 when it made landfall on Jamaica before weakening. After landfall, the tropical cyclone curved westward and dissipated north of Honduras on November 22.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm according to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale

The origins of the 1912 Jamaica hurricane can be definitively traced to a low-pressure area first identified on November 10 in the central Caribbean Sea, south of Hispaniola. Although a tropical wave that crossed the Lesser Antilles several days prior was believed to be a possible precursor to the hurricane, this could not be fully concluded due to the lack of observations in the eastern Caribbean Sea.[1] Early on November 11, the development of a closed atmospheric circulation led to the classification of a tropical storm north of Panama at 06:00 UTC that day.[2] Lowering barometric pressures in the region confirmed the presence of a cohesive and developing system.[3] The tropical cyclone remained weak as it moved slowly northward, but gradually intensified to reach hurricane intensity east of Nicaragua at 18:00 UTC on November 13.[2] A ship at or near the storm's center during that time documented a pressure of 992 mbar (hPa; 29.30 inHg).[3]

Slow intensification took place after classification as a hurricane, though after recurving towards the northeast the storm began to quicken in strengthening. On November 18, the cyclone reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), making it equivalent to a modern day Category 3 hurricane.[2] Initially, it was believed that the storm reached Category 4 intensity, but this was determined to be too strong of an intensity. A relatively small tropical cyclone, the hurricane made landfall along the western coast of Jamaica late on November 18. At the time of landfall, a pressure of 965 mbar (hPa; 28.50 inHg) at South Negril Point in Jamaica—the lowest barometric pressure documented anywhere during the storm's existence.[1] Despite only briefly moving inland, the hurricane quickly weakened after landfall and continued to do so upon reentry into the Caribbean Sea. On November 20, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm south of Cuba.[2] Due to ambiguous surface observations in the area at the time, the storm was originally believed to have progressed northwards through the Atlantic before clipping Newfoundland;[3] another scenario indicating that the storm made landfall in New York also seemed possible. However, reanalysis concluded that the system instead tracked westward across the Caribbean,[1] slowly weakening before it dissipated on November 22 north of Honduras.[2]

Impact and aftermath

While the hurricane was developing in the southern Caribbean Sea, its outer rainbands caused extremely heavy rainfall in the Jamaican parishes of Saint Thomas, Portland, Saint Andrew, and Saint Mary. During the period extending from November 10–12, as much as 36 in (910 mm) of precipitation was recorded, causing extensive flooding and damaging roads.[4] In eastern and northern areas of Jamaica, bridges were heavily damaged.[5] Strong winds associated with these rainbands blew down a multitude of banana trees,[4] with overall losses estimated at around 25%.[6] However, several banana plantations reported losses as high at 60% individually.[7] The United Fruit Company sustained heavy losses due to the damage to banana trees.[8] Conditions on the island worsened as the hurricane neared the coast, as railway lines were heavily damaged by the winds and rain. Telegraph lines were downed, cutting communications.[9] The combination of rough seas and winds uprooted long stretches of trees and wrecked numerous ships.[10] The entire town of Savanna-la-Mar was nearly destroyed by the hurricane's effects, while in Montego Bay, 42 people were killed.[11] Several other wharves along the coast were swept away due to the waves and wind.[12] Across western Jamaica, roughly a hundred homes were destroyed. Due to the destruction caused by the tropical cyclone, the government of Jamaica ordered the dispatch of artillerymen in order to bring 300 tents and other relief supplies to impacted regions.[11]


See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Landsea, Chris; et al. (April 2014). "Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 National Hurricane Center; Hurricane Research Division (June 4, 2015). "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Frankenfield, H.C. (November 1912). "Weather, Forecasts and Warnings" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society) 40 (11): 1747–1778. Bibcode:1912MWRv...40.1747F. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1912)40<1747:WFAW>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "The Storms Of November In Jamaica, West Indies" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society) 40: 1756–1757. November 1912. Bibcode:1912MWRv...40R1756.. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1912)40<1756b:TSONIJ>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Banana Trees Injured". The Washington Post (13310) (Washington, D.C.). November 16, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Unprecedented Rains Hurt Jamaican Fruits". San Francisco Chronicle 101 (126) (San Francisco, California). November 17, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Hurricane Causes Damage". The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, Kansas). November 19, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Hurricane Off Jamaican Coast". The Evening Observer 78 (56) (Dunkirk, New York). November 15, 1912. p. 3. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Jamaican Storm Continues". The Parsons Daily Sun 32 (325) (Parsons, Kansas). November 18, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Jamaica Swept By Storm; Many Boats Wrecked". Fairbanks Daily Times 9 (2158) (Fairbanks, Alaska). November 19, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 "Entire Town Wiped Out". The Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh, Wisconsin). Associated Press. November 20, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Jamaica Hurricane". The Tribune-Republic 87 (44) (Scranton, Pennsylvania). November 19, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
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