The List of Atlantic hurricanes in the 17th century encompasses all known and suspected Atlantic tropical cyclones from the 1600 to 1699. Although records of every storm that occurred do not survive, the information presented here originated in sufficiently populated coastal communities and ships at sea that survived the tempests.
Records of hurricane activity directly impacting America is very incomplete during the 1600s as colonists were sparse outside of the New England region or not existent until much later in the century or early 1700s, especially in the most hurricane prone regions of the coastal south, Florida and the Keys, and Gulf Coast.
1600–1624 Year Area(s) affected Date(GC) Deaths Damage/Notes 1600 Offshore Mexico 12 September > 60, probably 400 Captain general Pedro de Escobar y Melgarejo commanded Spanish treasure fleet (Flota de Nueva España in Spanish), a convoy of 60 ships that sailed from Cádiz on 15 May. About 20 leagues from Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, a hurricane struck the fleet. The 300-ton carrack (nao in Spanish) San Antonio de Padua under captaincy of Juan de Morales, the 280-ton carrack Santa Catalina de la Sierra under captaincy of Andrés Ximénez, and a 700-ton mercury-carrying carrack under captaincy of Mateo Letieta sank shortly after the onset of the storm. A 350-ton vessel under captaincy of Rafael Ferrifino disappeared, and another ship vanished from the fleet; both presumably sunk. The storm also wrecked a small patache under a captain Ganucho on the coast of Tabasco; sixty of her men drowned. The surviving ships of the Spanish treasure fleet regrouped into a convoy and continued toward Vera Cruz. 1600 Cuba to offshore Mexico 26–27 September > 103, probably 600 A weak hurricane moved northeastward through the western Caribbean Sea, dispersing a fleet somewhere north of Havana. The remnant Spanish treasure fleet sighted Veracruz, on 26 September, but a "norther" compelled the fleet to anchor offshore overnight. Some ships anchored in the lee of Isla de Sacrificios, and the storm compelled many to cast their cannon, anchors, and part of their cargoes overboard to prevent capsizing. The carrack (nao in Spanish) under captaincy of Juan Minquez cast 500 ceramic jugs of wine and 160 jugs of olive oil overboard. Before the "norther" diminished, the fleet lost eight more ships. Some accounts combine the effects of the two storms, which together killed about one thousand persons and let to the loss or jettisoning of cargo worth more than 10 million pesos. Some French and English accounts date these storms to 1601, perhaps because of the slow pace of news. Tropical cyclone status in doubt. 1601 Veracruz, Mexico unknown 1000 N/A Tropical cyclone status in doubt. Quite possibly a duplicate of one or two storms in 1600. 1603 Martinique 1–2 August unknown Three ships lost somewhere near Martinique. 1605 Dominican Republic, Haiti to Cuba 29 September unknown Landfall near Sabana Port and Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, Cuba on 29 September. 1605 Nicaragua unknown 1300 Details from probably the same storm follow. Captain general Luis de Córdova commanded seven treasure-laden galleons of the Armada de Tierra Firma from Cartagena, Colombia. Between Serrana Bank and Serranilla Bank, a hurricane struck the fleet. One ship returned to Cartagena; two others reached Jamaica. The hurricane wrecked the other four galleons on Serranilla Bank. No one survived these four wrecks, and Spanish marine salvage teams traversed the western Caribbean Sea but failed to locate them and recover their lost 8 million pesos. Spanish fishermen from Cuba in 1667 accidentally located at least two of the shipwrecks and recovered some silver coins. Spanish marine salvage expeditions over the next six years failed because of bad weather. Robert F. Marx attempted to salvage the wrecks in 1963 but failed on account of bad weather and rough seas. See List of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes. 1605 Dominican Republic, Haiti to Cuba unknown unknown "Loss of three ships" but "some men escaped." Perhaps the same as the previous storm. 1605 Cumaná, Venezuela unknown unknown "Four galleons" lost near Santa Margarita (perhaps Isla Margarita). 1608 Mexico 3 September Hurricane made landfall near Veracruz 1609 near Bahamas to Bermuda) unknown The Tempest of 1609 or The Sea Venture Hurricane of 1609 The Third Supply fleet under Admiral Sir George Somers sailed from England to Jamestown, Virginia, for London Company to deliver Sir Thomas Gates, numerous supplies, and hundreds of new colonists. A "most terrible and vehement storm," a severe West Indian hurricane, struck the fleet about 150 leagues () from the West Indies and the Bahamas. The 44-hour gale scattered the fleet and sent one vessel immediately to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Four vessels regrouped and arrived quickly in Virginia together; three others followed soon thereafter. The flagship Sea Venture under captaincy of Christopher Newport intentionally ran aground in Bermuda with water in her hold (ship) already deep. All 150 men aboard her survived the storm and landed; from the remains of the Sea Venture and Juniperus bermudiana wood, the castaways then built two new full-rigged pinnaces, Deliverance and Patience. A few passengers died during the 10-month ordeal on Bermuda, and two more stayed on the island to secure the British claim; the remainder, including John Rolfe, boarded the new pinnaces and successfully sailed for Virginia; they arrived in May 1610. Passenger William Strachey tells the story in True Reportory, which likely inspired William Shakespeare to write The Tempest. This event may continue another storm this season. 1609 southeastern Bahamas unknown 32 N/A This event may continue another storm this season. 1614 Mexico 31 August unknown Captain-general Juan de la Cueva y Mendoza commanded the Spanish treasure fleet (Flota de Nueva España) of 41 ships that left Cádiz on 7 July. Seven merchant carracks (naos in Spanish) of this fleet wrecked during the night between Cabo Catoche and Isla Mujeres. These naos carried merchandise worth 1.5 million pesos and 876 quintales (??) of mercury. During the storm, this vessel split into two parts and sank so quickly that no one saved anything, "not even the crew or passengers." The fleet reached Veracruz on 4 September, where another vessel ran aground on the shoals. 1615 offshore Mexico 30 August unknown Captain-general Martín de Vallecilla commanded the Spanish treasure fleet (Flota de Nueva España) of 41 ships that left Cádiz on 6 July. On 30 August about 20 leagues from "Islas Tranquilo and Arena" (location unknown) in of water, a southeasterly storm struck the fleet. The 400- or 500-ton carrack (nao in Spanish) San Miguel under captaincy of Gaspar Conquero carried a cargo of 700 pipes of wine, 3000 ceramic jugs of wine, 150 boxes of mercury, and 75 bales of general merchandise. During the storm, this vessel split into two parts and sank so quickly that no one saved anything, "not even the crew or passengers." The fleet reached Veracruz on 4 September, where another vessel ran aground on the shoals. 1615 Puerto Rico to Hispaniola 12 September some Hurricane San Leoncio of 1615 Caused extensive damage to Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, to the agriculture, and to sugar crops.
The furious tempest occurred the day of San Leoncio, Saturday 12 September 1615, three days after full moon. Father Diego de Torres Vargas describes the storm. Arriving Bishop of Puerto Rico, Pedro de Solier y Vargas (OSA) experiences the storm, and it damaged Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. In the aftermath, people covered the cathedral with straw thatch until His Majesty raised 4000 ducats in alms and the proceeds from the auction of the estate of Bishop Fray Martín Vázquez de Arce to cover it properly. The repairs included an arch and two pillars to support the crossing (architecture) of the Cathedral church.
A presentment to His Majesty Philip III of Spain, king of Iberian Union, tells of the storm when Captain General Felipe de Beaumont y Navarra served as Governor of Puerto Rico. This document, now archived at General Archive of the Indies, describes a great storm of water and air crashing houses of wood and some of stone, leaving others without door and window tiles. The storm hit the countryside with similar damage with some deaths and injuries to persons; it isolated and destroyed cassava and sugarcane. It drove aground carracks (naos in Spanish) and bajel es from the port with most of their cargo lost. The residents asked the king for a reduction in their tribute. Other commentators note that the storm destroyed the Capital of Puerto Rico. 1616 Cuba End of September unknown Hurricane struck Oriente Province and particularly the city of Bayamo. 1622 Havana, Cuba to Straits of Florida (Florida Keys, Bahamas) 5 September > 1090 Lope Díez de Armendáriz, marqués de Cadereyta, commanded a convoy of seventeen vessels. A small hurricane of normal intensity struck the convoy south of Cay Sal Bank. This convoy lost two Spanish ships. Millás lists the death toll variously as greater than 1090 and just 90. In another incident that year (or, more likely, in different recollections of the same incident), after six crucial weeks of delays, Spanish treasure fleet and Tierra Firma fleet left Havana for Spain on or about the morning of 4 September despite the reluctance of some ship captains who suspected a brewing storm. Lope Díez de Armendáriz, marqués de Cadereyta, admiral Tomás de Larraspuru, and admiral don Pedro de Pasquier y Esparza jointly commanded the combined fleet of 28 ships: 17 cargo carracks (naos in Spanish), 8 registered treasure galleons, and 3 pataches. A hurricane hit that fleet on 5/6 September in Straits of Florida off Florida Keys. The lead ship Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and 20 other ships then passed west of the Dry Tortugas and safely into the Gulf of Mexico to ride out the storm. Several of these ships were lost, and the hurricane drowned more than 1,000 men aboard. Many of the surviving ships jettisoned cannon and cargo before returning, battered and dismasted, to Havana. Spanish marine salvage operations began within a week and found the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, rescuing her five survivors. Because she sank in water too deep for common salvage operations, however, they recovered little treasure, and of sand reportedly buried her remains within a few months. Spanish marine salvage crews located and salvaged Nuestra Señora del Rosario and recovered probably at least half of the treasure from Santa Margarita (shipwreck) during the succeeding several years. Sand buried the remaining treasure. The Spanish treasure fleet did not return to Spain until the next year.