The 1885 Atlantic hurricane season produced eight tropical cyclones, fifth of which made landfall in the United States. Overall, the season featured two tropical storms and six hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, none of which intensified into a major hurricane. However, in the absence of modern satellite monitoring and remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea were recorded, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 and zero to four per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated.
Reanalysis by meteorologists José Fernández-Partagás and Henry F. Diaz in 1996 and the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in the early 21st century did not add or remove any systems from the official hurricane database (HURDAT). However, both modified the tracks of some tropical cyclones. More recently, climate researcher Michael Chenoweth authored a reanalysis study, published in 2014, which concluded that the 1885 season featured a total of ten tropical cyclones. This included the removal of the sixth system and the addition of three previously undocumented storms, for a net gain of two cyclones. Chenoweth also proposed some alterations to the track and intensity of each storm, but these changes have yet to be incorporated into HURDAT.
On August 7, the season's first system was initially detected to the southeast of Bermuda. Intensifying into a hurricane, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone far north of the Azores on August 13. The season's most intense cyclone, the second system, peaked as a Category 2 hurricane on the present-day Saffir–Simpson scale. Striking South Carolina on August 15, the storm caused 25 fatalities and more than $1.806 million (1885 USD) in damage. Most of the other six cyclones impacted land, including the fourth system, which killed four people beaching a coal barge in Texas. The eighth and final storm produced damage from Florida to Virginia due to strong winds, heavy rains, and rough seas, before becoming extratropical over the latter on October 13. __TOC__
Season summary
The Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) recognizes eight tropical cyclones for 1885 in the Atlantic basin; two were tropical storms and six were hurricanes, but none of these strengthened into a major hurricane. Five of the systems made landfall in the United States. José Fernández-Partagás and Henry F. Diaz did not add or remove any cyclones from their 1996 reanalysis, but modified the tracks of first, second, and eighth storms. Furthermore, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in the early 21st century neither adjusted the number of cyclones nor significantly revised the information uncovered by Fernández-Partagás and Diaz. A reanalysis by climate researcher Michael Chenoweth, published in 2014, adds three storms and removes one, the sixth system. Chenoweth's study utilizes a more extensive collection of newspapers and ship logs. Additionally, the study also incorporates late 19th century weather maps, unlike previous reanalysis projects. However, Chenoweth's proposals have yet to be incorporated into HURDAT.
The first cyclone was initially detected on August 7 to the southeast of Bermuda. Intensifying into a hurricane, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone far north of the Azores on August 13. Two other storms formed in August, including the season's second, which became the most intense in the basin that year, peaking as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum atmospheric pressure of . Striking South Carolina on August 15, the storm led to 25 fatalities and more than $1.806 million in damage, before re-entering the Atlantic and becoming extratropical on August 27 east of Newfoundland. September featured four cyclones, all of which peaked as a Category 1 hurricane. The first of the four, the season's fourth system, killed four people after beaching a coal barge along the coast of Texas, while the sixth cyclone caused flooding in New Orleans, Louisiana, and in Florida at Jacksonville and Pensacola. In October, the eighth and final known storm of the season produced damage from Florida to Virginia due to strong winds, heavy rains, and rough seas. The system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 13 over Virginia.
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 58, the lowest total since 1876. 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 higher 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 in the metric.
Systems
Hurricane One
A brig known as Lilian first encountered this storm to the southeast of Bermuda on August 7.Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 22. Consequently, the Atlantic hurricane database begins the track on that date about northeast of the Leeward Islands. Initially a tropical storm, it moved north-northeastward and strengthened into a hurricane on August 8, based on ships recording barometric pressures around . The system turned to the northeast by August 10, passing to the south of Newfoundland and likely peaking with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h), as the bark King County observed barometric pressures as low as .Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 23. The hurricane weakened over the north Atlantic Ocean, falling to tropical storm intensity on August 13 and becoming extratropical on the following day. Climate researcher Michael Chenoweth's 2014 study argued that this system developed on July 30 to the south of the Cabo Verde Islands as a tropical depression. Additionally, the storm reached hurricane status about 30 hours earlier than HURDAT indicates.
Hurricane Two
Although observations prior to August 23 could not be located,Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 28. HURDAT begins the track of this storm approximately north of Puerto Rico on August 21, based on a 1993 reanalysis led by C. J. Neumann. The tropical storm moved generally westward and crossed the southern Bahamas, until curving north-northwestward while passing just west of Andros between August 22 and August 23. After intensifying into a hurricane early on August 24, the cyclone passed very close to Florida, including just over east of Jupiter Island at 06:00 UTC. The storm then curved northeastward early the next day, hours prior to making landfall on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Based on a pressure observation of , the cyclone was likely a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). The hurricane passed across North Carolina just west of Wilmington and Hatteras, near where it re-emerged into the Atlantic early on August 26. Although the storm weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, it re-intensified into a 105 mph (165 km/h) Category 2 hurricane, based on the bark Harold recording a barometric pressure of .Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 27. Late on August 27, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about east of Newfoundland, and continued northeastward until dissipating late the next day.
Chenoweth argued that this storm actually developed on August 22 and moved northwestward, mostly avoiding the Bahamas but passing close to the Abaco Islands. The study also suggested that the cyclone attained hurricane on August 24, but weakened to a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in North Carolina. In Florida, abnormally high tides and "high winds pummeled the coast" according to Jay Barnes,Barnes (1998), p. 72. with a sustained wind speed of 60 mph (95 km/h) and hurricane-force wind gusts in Jacksonville. Nearby, winds destroyed a hotel, while many buildings and boats suffered significant damage in Fernandina Beach. The storm disrupted attempts to settle present-day Cocoa Beach, with waves flooding many homesteads. Nearby, severe erosion occurred in the vicinity of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, prompting an effort to move the lighthouse about farther inland. Sustained winds in Georgia reached on Tybee Island. About $1.69 million in damage occurred in Charleston, South Carolina. In North Carolina, an anemometer at Smithville (modern-day Southport) measured a 5-minute sustained wind speed of before being destroyed. The storm caused considerable damage at Wilmington, Smithville, and Morehead City. The value of this damage was estimated at $100,000. Heavy rain and flooding were also seen across Maryland. At Ellicott City, lightning set fire to a residence, causing about $16,000 in damage. In total, the hurricane caused 25 deaths, with 21 of those occurring in South Carolina.Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 26.
Tropical Storm Three
The Monthly Weather Review noted that this cyclone was first observed over the western Gulf of Mexico on August 29 but notes that "the center could not be definitely placed until the morning of Aug. 30". Nevertheless, the official track begins on the former date approximately east-southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande. After initially moving northwestward, it moved quickly to the northeast and made landfall on extreme southeastern Louisiana shortly before 12:00 UTC on August 30 as a 60 mph (95 km/h) tropical storm. Approximately 11 hours later, the cyclone made another landfall near Panama City Beach, Florida. The cyclone emerged into the Atlantic near Brunswick, Georgia, on August 31 and was last noted later that day. Parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeastern United States regions experienced high winds and heavy rains, though the Monthly Weather Review that "the storm would have been thought quite severe if it had not been brought into such close contact with its predecessor." The 2014 study by Chenoweth argued that the cyclone did not strike Louisiana and dissipated over coastal South Carolina on August 31, rather than offshore.
Hurricane Four
With Galveston, Texas, experiencing abnormally high tides as early as September 17,Fernández-Partagás (1996), p. 30. the official track for this cyclone starts approximately east-northeast of Tuxpan, Veracruz. The storm moved parallel to the coasts of Mexico and Texas, turning northward that day and northeastward on September 19. By the following day, the cyclone accelerated east-northeastward. The system then made landfall near Port Eads, Louisiana, at 03:00 UTC on September 21 and then near Panama City Beach, Florida, about nine hours later, likely possessing sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) at both locations. After emerging into the Atlantic near Kingsland, Georgia, late on September 21, the storm curved northeastward on the following day and intensified into a hurricane. Due to ships recording barometric pressures as low as , the system is estimated to have peaked with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) on September 23. Later that day, however, the storm became extratropical just prior to making landfall in southeastern Maine.