1822 Martinique–Venezuela hurricane

The 1822 Martinique–Venezuela hurricane was an unprecedented and deadly Atlantic hurricane that struck the Lesser Antilles and Venezuela in December. It's the 2nd deadliest hurricane to affect South America, and one of the deadliest to occur during the off-season. It also holds the record for the latest landfall of a tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere, along with many other meteorological records for the month of December.

The storm likely originated from an extratropical low in the open Atlantic sometime during mid-December. It then passed Lesser Antilles as a hurricane before striking modern day Venezuela soon thereafter.Reassessment of Historical Atlantic Basin Tropical Cyclone Activity 1700-1855 (2006), M Chenoweth, Final Storm #267 While two other hurricanes – one in 1541 and another in 1954 – formed later in their respective seasons, their landfalls occurred in January of the following year.Hurricane Impacts on Land in the Central and Eastern Caribbean Since 1494 CE From Written Records (July 07, 2023) | by Michael Chenoweth & Ian Howard

Unofficially, it's the latest tropical cyclone of hurricane intensity to make a landfall within the Western Hemisphere by nearly a month. It also had one of the southernmost landfalls for a hurricane, second to at least the 1933 Trinidad hurricane. Only 5 other hurricanes (1847, 1877, 1892, 1933, and 2004) have struck South America since the beginning of the 19th century.

Meteorological history The hurricane of unknown origins was first documented nearing the Lesser Antilles on December 13th after winds began increasing on several islands.Lloyd's List (5778), p.61 - (February 18, 1823) They held steady for a few days until a "heavy gale" was experienced in Basse-terre on the 16th.American & Commercial Daily Advertiser (January 29, 1823) On the 17th and 18th, the storm passed north of Barbados where winds peaked from the west. Intense winds extended up to St. Thomas and Anguilla, and were considerably strong as far as St. Croix.Manufacturers and Farmers Journal (January 30, 1823) This suggest the storm was unusually large; potentially one of the largest within the Caribbean Sea.

During the 16th, winds from the west shifted west-northwest in Martinique. By the next day, it augmented progressively until the 19th where it peaked around sunset.American & Commercial Daily Advertiser (January 22, 1823) The cyclone then passed near or over St. Pierre that same day. While no barometric pressure readings from the islands are known, the winds were reportedly almost as violent as an intense hurricane in 1813 that killed thousands in Dominica and Martinique.

After passing through Martinique, the storm continued in an unusual southern trajectory. It passed west of St. Lucia on the 20th where it "blew a complete hurricane".Lloyd's List (5778), p.66 - (February 18, 1823) In St. Vincent that same day, the winds shifted and blew greatly from the southwest. Grenada also reported an intense northwest wind that that later shifted and blew greatly from the southwest.

Shortly after impacting the Windward Islands, the hurricane traveled southwestward with an increasing forward speed. It continued in that general direction until it made landfall slightly west of La Guaira, Venezuela.Alexandria Gazette & Advertiser (February 04, 1823) It was last noted over Venezuela on the 22nd.American & Commercial Daily Advertiser (February 07, 1823)

Impact

Lesser Antilles After passing through the Lesser Antilles, documentation of the damage began. St. Thomas and St. Croix suffered serious shipping damage.The Edinburgh Advertiser (February 21, 1823) Dominica saw considerable impacts to the country where buildings and other property suffered.The Charleston Mercury (Jan 29, 1823)

The island of Barbados suffered immensely. Much of the shipping was lost, while three people were killed. The storm also prevented communication via boat to neighboring ports until after its passing.

Some of the most intense damage throughout the storm occurred in Martinique. Of the 40 documented ships in St. Pierre, only 8 survived. Of the surviving 8, only 1 wasn't blown on shore. 2 sailors were also killed. The storm was compared previous major hurricanes that struck in the decades prior.

Despite the intense winds and torrents of rain, no damage was done to the harbor in St. Lucia. A drogher was, however, lost in one of the bays. The storm was said to have been unique and unprecedented. In St. Vincent, winds that blew strongest after daylight caused 3 small vessels to be driven ashore in Kingstown. Likewise to surrounding islands, the oldest inhabitants stated that they couldn't recall anything like this storm happening before. Shipping was disturbed in Grenada, but no damage was reported.

Venezuela In Puerto Cabello, heavy rain began around 10 p.m. on December 20th. They continued continuously until the same time the next day. Winds blew with violence from the northwest, although the port remained safe.Alexandria Gazette & Advertiser (February 04, 1823)

Damage dealt to La Guaira was devastating. Conditions began to deteriorate around 11 p.m. on the 20th. By the morning hours, the wind blew greatly from the north. Around this time, Captain Biddle of the USS Congress barely managed to escape west of the port. They loss of their anchors, cables, and 4 men.American & Commercial Daily (February 04) By 10 p.m. that same day, every ship was lost with the exception of the USS Congress that escaped before the winds reached their zenith. Bad weather continued into morning of the 22nd. The greater area suffered immensely. At least 28 ships,The New Hampshire Gazette (February 04, 1823) and approximately 100 lives were lost.The Portland Gazette (Feb 11, 1823) Only Tropical Storm Bret over 170 years later caused more fatalities by a tropical cyclone in the country.

1822 Martinique–Venezuela hurricane

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