The 1940 Atlantic hurricane season was a generally average period of
tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tropi ...
in 1940. Though the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
had no official bounds, most tropical cyclone activity occurred during August and September. Throughout the year, fourteen tropical cyclones formed, of which nine reached
tropical storm
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
intensity; six were hurricanes. None of the hurricanes reached major hurricane intensity. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable. As a result of a
reanalysis project which analyzed the season in 2012, an additional hurricane was added to
HURDAT
The Hurricane Databases (HURDAT), managed by the National Hurricane Center, are two separate databases that contain details on tropical cyclones, that have occurred within the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean since 1851 and 1949 respectiv ...
. The year's first tropical storm formed on May 19 off the northern coast of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
. At the time, this was a rare occurrence, as only four other tropical disturbances were known to have formed prior during this period;
since then, reanalysis of previous seasons has concluded that there were more than four tropical cyclones in May before 1940. The season's final system was a tropical disturbance situated in the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...
, which dissipated on November 8.
All three hurricanes in August brought flooding rainfall to areas of the United States. The
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
became the
wettest tropical cyclone recorded in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
history. The
second hurricane impacted regions of the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
, producing record precipitation and killing at least 52 people. Despite not making landfall, the
third hurricane in August interacted with a
stationary front
A stationary front (or quasi-stationary front) is a weather front or transition zone between two air masses when both air mass is advancing into the other at speeds exceeding 5 knots (about 6 miles per hour or about 9 kilometers per hour) at the g ...
over the
Mid-Atlantic states, resulting in localized flooding and thus making the tropical cyclone the wettest in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
history. This hurricane would also be the strongest in the hurricane season, with
maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
s of and a minimum
barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
of 961
mbar
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...
(
hPa HPA may refer to:
Organizations
* Harry Potter Alliance, a charity
* Halifax Port Authority, Canada
* Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
* Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US
* Health Protection Agency, UK
* Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 28.39
inHg
Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
), making it a high-end Category 2 hurricane on the modern-day
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Activity decreased in September, though a
damaging hurricane swept through areas of the
Canadian Maritimes
The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...
, resulting in large crop and infrastructural losses. Two tropical cyclones of at least tropical storm strength were recorded in October, though neither resulted in fatalities. Collectively, storms in the hurricane season caused 71 fatalities and $29.329 million in damages. The 1940 South Carolina hurricane, which swept through areas of the Southeastern United States in August, was the most damaging and deadly of the tropical cyclones.
The season's activity was reflected with an
accumulated cyclone energy
Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used by various agencies to express the energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. It is calculating by summing the square of a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds, measured ever ...
(ACE) rating of 68 units,
below the 1931–1943 average of 91.2.
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 , which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here.
__TOC__
Timeline
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id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.85,0.55) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h)
id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.62,0.35) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h)
id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.45,0.54) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h)
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barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till
from:19/05/1940 till:25/05/1940 color:TS text:"One (TS)"
from:03/08/1940 till:10/08/1940 color:C2 text:"Two
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
(C2)"
from:05/08/1940 till:14/08/1940 color:C2 text:"Three
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
(C2)"
from:26/08/1940 till:02/09/1940 color:C2 text:"Four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
(C2)"
from:02/09/1940 till:07/09/1940 color:TD text:"Tropical depression"
from:07/09/1940 till:17/09/1940 color:C2 text:"Five
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
(C2)"
from:10/09/1940 till:13/09/1940 color:TD text:"Tropical depression"
barset:break
from:18/09/1940 till:28/09/1940 color:TS text:"Six (TS)"
from:22/09/1940 till:28/09/1940 color:C2 text:"Seven (C2)"
from:09/10/1940 till:10/10/1940 color:TD text:"Tropical depression"
from:14/10/1940 till:14/10/1940 color:TD text:"Tropical depression"
from:20/10/1940 till:24/10/1940 color:C1 text:"Eight (C1)"
from:24/10/1940 till:26/10/1940 color:TS text:"Nine (TS)"
from:07/11/1940 till:08/11/1940 color:TD text:"Tropical depression"
bar:Month width:15 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas
from:01/05/1940 till:01/06/1940 text:May
from:01/06/1940 till:01/07/1940 text:June
from:01/07/1940 till:01/08/1940 text:July
from:01/08/1940 till:01/09/1940 text:August
from:01/09/1940 till:01/10/1940 text:September
from:01/10/1940 till:01/11/1940 text:October
from:01/11/1940 till:01/12/1940 text:November
from:01/12/1940 till:01/01/1941 text:December
TextData =
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text:"(From the"
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Systems
Tropical Storm One
On May 18, a weak
low-pressure area
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
was detected south of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
.
Moving northward, the low became sufficiently organized to be classified as a
tropical storm
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
at 1200 UTC on May 19, southeast of
Turks Island.
At the time, ship observations indicated that the disturbance had a well-defined
cyclonic circulation, with the strongest winds situated in the northern semicircle of the cyclone.
Continuing northward, the tropical storm gradually intensified and attained
maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...
s of by 0000 UTC on May 22. The Belgian ship ''M.S. Lubrafol'' recorded a peripheral
barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
of 996
mbar
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...
(
hPa HPA may refer to:
Organizations
* Harry Potter Alliance, a charity
* Halifax Port Authority, Canada
* Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
* Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US
* Health Protection Agency, UK
* Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 29.42
inHg
Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
); this was the lowest pressure measured in connection with the storm.
The following day, the tropical storm temporarily curved towards the east-southeast before recurving back towards a northeast direction.
At the same time, the storm expanded in size and began to transition into an
extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
.
By 1200 UTC, the cyclone completed its extratropical transition, due to the entrainment of colder air.
The remnant system persisted until 0600 UTC on May 27.
Hurricane Two
The 1940 Louisiana Hurricane
On August 3, an
extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
developed into a tropical depression off the west coast of Florida.
Initially a weak disturbance, it moved generally westward, slowly gaining in intensity. Early on August 4, the depression attained tropical storm intensity. Ships in the vicinity of the storm reported a much stronger tropical cyclone than initially suggested.
After reaching hurricane strength on August 5 south of the
Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River Delta is the confluence of the Mississippi River with the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, southeastern United States. The river delta is a area of land that stretches from Vermilion Bay on the west, to the Chandeleur Isla ...
, the storm strengthened further into a modern-day Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of at 0600 UTC on August 7. The hurricane moved ashore near
Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass is a neighborhood in Port Arthur, Texas. It lies at Sabine Pass, on the west bank of the Sabine River, the border between Louisiana and Texas, and was incorporated in 1861. Formally annexed by Port Arthur in 1978, Sabine Pass has its ...
later that day at peak strength.
Once inland, the storm executed a sharp curve to the north and quickly weakened, degenerating into a tropical storm on August 8 before dissipating over
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
on August 10.
Reports of a potentially destructive hurricane near the
United States Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
forced thousands of residents in low-lying areas to evacuate prior to the storm moving inland.
Offshore, the hurricane generated rough seas and a strong
storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
, peaking at on the western edge of
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...
.
The anomalously high tides flooded many of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
's outlying islands, inundating resorts. Strong winds caused moderate infrastructural damage, primarily in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, though its impact was mainly to communication networks along the U.S. Gulf Coast which were disrupted by the winds. However, much of the property and crop damage wrought by the hurricane was due to the torrential rainfall it produced in low-lying areas, setting off record floods. Rainfall peaked at in Miller Island off Louisiana, making it the
wettest tropical cyclone in state history. Nineteen official weather stations in both Texas and Louisiana observed record 24-hour rainfall totals for the month of August as a result of the slow-moving hurricane.
Property,
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
, and crops – especially cotton, corn, and pecan crops – were heavily damaged. Entire ecosystems were also altered by the rainfall.
Overall, the storm caused $10.75 million in damages and seven fatalities.
Hurricane Three
The 1940 South Carolina Hurricane
A storm of potentially
Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
origin was detected in the
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
at 1800 UTC on August 5. Initially moving westward, the tropical storm gradually gained in intensity before making a sharp curve towards the north on August 8. The storm continued in a northerly motion before a second curvature brought it in a generally westward direction on August 9. Shortly after, the tropical storm reached hurricane intensity as a modern-day Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane eventually made landfall at peak intensity on
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of C ...
at 2030 UTC on August 11.
At the time, the storm had maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , equivalent to a modern-day Category 2 hurricane. Once inland, the tropical cyclone gradually weakened,
and recurved northeastward before dissipating over the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
on August 14.
The hurricane dropped torrential rainfall over the
Southeast United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
, causing unprecedented devastation in the region.
The storm was considered the worst to impact in the region in at least 29 years.
Precipitation peaked at in
Idlewild, North Carolina.
The heavy rainfall caused streams to greatly exceed their respective
flood stage Flood stage is the water level or stage at which the surface of a body of water has risen to a sufficient level to cause sufficient inundation of areas that are not normally covered by water, causing an inconvenience or a threat to life and property ...
s, damaging waterfront property.
Many of the deaths occurred in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, where 30 people died.
Transportation was disrupted as a result of the debris scattered by the wind and rain. In
Caldwell County alone, 90 percent of bridges were swept away.
Overall, the storm caused 50 fatalities and $13 million in damages.
Hurricane Four
On August 26, a low-pressure area in the open Atlantic Ocean became sufficiently organized to be classified as a tropical cyclone. Moving slowly in a general west-northwest motion, the disturbance intensified, reaching tropical storm strength on August 28 and subsequently hurricane intensity on August 30. The hurricane passed within of
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina.
Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shape ...
before recurving towards the northeast.
However, the hurricane continued to intensify, and reached peak intensity as a modern-day Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of , though these statistical peaks were achieved at different times on September 2. Afterwards, the tropical cyclone began a weakening trend as it proceeded northward, and had degenerated into a tropical storm by the time it made its first landfall on Nova Scotia later that day. The storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone the next day while making another landfall on
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. The extratropical remnants persisted into
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
before merging with a larger extratropical system late on September 3.
Despite not making landfall on the United States,
the hurricane caused widespread damage.
Extensive precautionary measures were undertaken across the coast, particularly in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The heightened precautions were due in part to fears that effects from the storm would be similar to that of a
devastating hurricane which struck the region two years prior.
Most of the damage associated with the hurricane occurred in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, where the combination of moisture from the hurricane and a
stationary front
A stationary front (or quasi-stationary front) is a weather front or transition zone between two air masses when both air mass is advancing into the other at speeds exceeding 5 knots (about 6 miles per hour or about 9 kilometers per hour) at the g ...
produced record rainfall, peaking at in the town of Ewan. This would make the storm the wettest in state history.
The resultant floods damaged infrastructure, mostly to road networks. Damage in the state amounted to $4 million.
Further north in New England, strong winds were reported, though damage remained minimal.
Although the storm made two landfalls in Atlantic Canada, damage there too was minimal, and was limited to several boating incidents caused by strong waves.
Overall, the hurricane caused $4.05 million in damage, primarily due to flooding in New Jersey, and seven fatalities.
Hurricane Five
A
tropical depression
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
was first detected east of the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
on September 7, though at the time weather observations in the area were sparse.
The disturbance gradually intensified throughout much of its early formative stages, attaining tropical storm strength on September 10; further strengthening into a hurricane north of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
occurred two days later. Shortly thereafter, the hurricane recurved northward, and reached peak intensity the following day as a modern-day Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of at least .
The cyclone steadily weakened thereafter before making landfall on Nova Scotia on September 17 with winds of .
Moving into the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
later that day, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The remnant system curved eastward and passed over
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
before dissipating over the Atlantic on September 19.
While off of the United States East Coast, the hurricane caused numerous shipping incidents, most notably the stranding of the Swedish
freighter ''Laponia'' off of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on September 16. Two other boat incidents resulted in two deaths.
The hurricane also brought strong winds of tropical storm-force and snow over areas of New England. In Atlantic Canada, a strong storm surge peaking at above average sunk or damaged several ships and inundated cities. In New Brunswick, the waves hurt the
lobster
Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...
fishing industry. In Nova Scotia, strong winds disrupted telecommunication and power services. The winds also severely damaged crops.
Roughly half of apple production in
Annapolis Valley
The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy. St ...
was lost during the storm, resulting in around $1.49 million in economic losses.
Strong winds in New Brunswick caused moderate to severe infrastructural damage, and additional damages to crops occurred there.
Overall, the hurricane caused three fatalities, with two off of the United States and one in New Brunswick.
Tropical Storm Six
A westward moving tropical depression developed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea just west of
Bluefields, Nicaragua
Bluefields is the capital of the South Caribbean Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. It was also the capital of the former Kingdom of Mosquitia, and later the Zelaya Department, which was divided into North and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regio ...
at 1200 UTC on September 18.
The following day, the depression intensified into a tropical storm at 0600 UTC. The tropical storm made landfall on the
Mosquito Coast
The Mosquito Coast, also known as the Mosquitia or Mosquito Shore, historically included the area along the eastern coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras. It formed part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskit ...
of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
at 1400 UTC, with winds of .
The cyclone weakened to a tropical depression over land, but reintensified back to tropical storm strength upon entry into the
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras. ...
on September 20. The cyclone's northwest motion caused it to make a second landfall near the border of Mexico and
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973, at 0300 UTC on September 21 as a slightly stronger system with winds of ;
this would be the storm's peak intensity. Over the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
, the tropical storm re-weakened, but later intensified once again once it reached the Gulf of Mexico. In the Gulf, the storm made a gradual curve northward, before making a final landfall near
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234th- ...
at 0900 UTC on September 24 with winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of .
Once inland, the tropical cyclone curved eastward and weakened before dissipating the next day, after becoming absorbed by a frontal boundary.
Upon making landfall, the tropical storm produced strong winds over a wide area. The strongest winds were reported by a station in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, which reported winds, far removed from the storm's center; these strong winds were likely due to
squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
s.
Heavy rainfall was also reported, though the rains mainly occurred to the east of the passing tropical cyclone. Precipitation peaked at in
Ville Platte, Louisiana
Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,430 at the 2010 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat town ...
.
The tropical storm produced three
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
es over the Southern United States which collectively caused $39,000 in damage and caused two fatalities. Two of the tornadoes formed in
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
while one formed in Louisiana. Several other people were also injured by the tornadoes.
Hurricane Seven
In late September, a tropical wave persisted in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. The low-pressure area later became sufficiently organized to be classified as a tropical storm at 0000 UTC on September 22.
The disturbance quickly organized after
tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tropi ...
, and reached a strength equivalent to a modern-day Category 1 hurricane strength at 1800 UTC later that day.
The American steamship ''Otho'' encountered the system that day, and reported gale-force winds in conjunction with a peripheral barometric pressure of .
The tropical cyclone continued to the east-northeast, where it gradually intensified. At 1200 UTC on September 23, the hurricane attained modern-day Category 2 hurricane intensity with winds of 100 mbar (155 km/h); a peak which would be maintained for at least the following 12 hours. A second steamship, the ''Lobito'', reported hurricane-force winds along with a minimum pressure of ; this would be the lowest pressure measured associated with the tropical cyclone.
After reaching peak intensity, the hurricane began a weakening trend, and degenerated to a Category 1 hurricane at 0600 UTC as it passed over the
Azores
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, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
. The following day, the hurricane recurved westward, where it weakened before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on September 28.
This remnant system subsequently dissipated.
As the hurricane passed over the Azores, several weather stations reported low barometric pressures,
with the lowest being a measurement of on
Terceira Island
Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 53,311 inhabitants in an area of approximately . It is the location ...
at 0600 UTC on September 25.
As a result of the impending storm, several
Pan Am Clipper
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
flights to the archipelago were suspended for three consecutive days.
The maximum reported gust in the Azores was an observation of on September 25. As a result of moving slowly over the islands, torrential rainfall was also reported. At
Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo (), or simply Angra, is a city and municipality on Terceira Island, Portugal, and one of the three capital cities of the Azores. Founded in 1478, Angra was historically the most important city in the Azores, as seat of the Roma ...
, of precipitation was reported in a four-day, accounting for a third of the station's yearly average rainfall. Strong storm surge was reported at the same location. The waves swept boats away from the coasts of islands. Further inland, there was extensive damage to homes and crops, though no people died.
Despite evidence that the system had distinct tropical characteristics, it was not operationally added to HURDAT.
Hurricane Eight
On October 19, a low-pressure area moved into the southwestern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
.
The area of disturbed weather quickly became well-organized,
and was analyzed to have become a tropical depression at 0000 UTC on October 20. Initially, the tropical cyclone moved very slowly towards the west and then the northwest. Shortly after formation, the disturbance intensified into a tropical storm at 1800 UTC later that day. The ''S.S. Cristobal'' provided the first indications of a tropical cyclone in the region, after reporting strong gusts and low pressures north of the
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
during that evening.
Continuing to intensify, the storm reached hurricane intensity at 0600 UTC on October 22. Several vessels in the storm's vicinity reported strong gusts and rough seas generated by the storm.
Later that day at 1200 UTC, the ship ''S.S. Castilla'' reported a minimum pressure of near the periphery of the storm. Based on this observation, the hurricane was estimated to have reached intensity at the same time with winds of .
The hurricane subsequently curved west and then southwest, before making its only landfall in northern
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
at 1900 UTC on October 23 at peak intensity. Once inland, the tropical cyclone rapidly weakened over mountainous terrain, and dissipated at 1200 UTC the following day. Reports of damage were limited, though a report stated that considerable damage had occurred where the hurricane made landfall.
Tropical Storm Nine
On October 23, an open trough was centered north of Hispaniola near the
Turks and Caicos
The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and nor ...
islands.
At 0000 UTC the following day, the area of disturbed weather became organized and was analyzed to have become a tropical storm southeast of
Inagua
Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas, comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua. The headquarters for the district council are in Matthew Town.
History
The original settlers were the Lucayan people, who arrived some ...
, based on nearby vessel reports. Initially, the storm drifted northward, but later began to accelerate towards the northeast after a roughly 12-hour period.
At 0600 UTC on October 25, the disturbance slightly gained in intensity to attain maximum wind speeds of ; these would be the strongest winds associated with the storm as a fully tropical cyclone. A reanalysis of the system indicated that due to a lack of definite tropical features, the storm may have had been a
subtropical cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and an extratropical cyclone.
As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclo ...
. On October 26, the system became increasingly asymmetric and had developed frontal boundaries,
allowing for it to be classified as an extratropical cyclone at 0600 UTC that day. Once transitioning into an extratropical system, the storm continued to intensified as it moved northward. On October 27, the system was analyzed to have a minimum pressure of at least after passing to the southeast of Bermuda.
At 1200 UTC later that day, the cyclone reached an extratropical peak intensity with winds of just east of Newfoundland. Had the storm been tropical at the time, it would have been classified as a modern-day Category 1 hurricane. Subsequently, the extratropical storm curved eastward, where it persisted before dissipating by 1800 UTC on October 29.
Tropical depressions
![Tropical Depression analysis 14 Oct 1940](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Tropical_Depression_analysis_14_Oct_1940.png)
In addition to the storms which attained at least tropical storm strength in 1940, five additional tropical depressions were analyzed by the HURDAT reanalysis project to have developed during the season. Due to their weak intensity, however, they were not added to HURDAT.
On September 2, a closed low-pressure area was detected in the open Atlantic Ocean southeast of
Bermuda
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = National song
, song = " Hail to Bermuda"
, image_map =
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and was analyzed as a tropical depression. At the time, the disturbance had a minimum pressure of at least . The depression initially moved to the southeast, but later recurved towards the northwest over the next two days.
On September 4, the ''S.S. West Kebar'' en route for
Boston, Massachusetts reported winds of ,
which would be considered as tropical storm-force winds. The depression later moved to the northeast before it was absorbed by a stationary front on September 7. Since there was only one report that the disturbance may have reached tropical storm intensity, it was not included in
HURDAT
The Hurricane Databases (HURDAT), managed by the National Hurricane Center, are two separate databases that contain details on tropical cyclones, that have occurred within the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean since 1851 and 1949 respectiv ...
. Later on September 10, a
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
was detected in a similar region in the Atlantic where the first depression formed. The trough later became sufficiently organized to be classified as a tropical depression. The cyclone moved slowly to the east and did not further intensify before dissipating on September 13.
On October 7, a large elongated
extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
extended across the Atlantic Ocean with a pressure of at most . The following day, the low-pressure area became more narrow and well-defined, with its central pressure deepening to . On October 9, the extratropical system was analyzed to have become a tropical depression. The low moved slowly to the northeast and gradually weakened before dissipating on October 10. On October 14, offshore observations indicated that a tropical depression had developed north of
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
. The following day, however, the depression became less defined and degenerated into a trough of low pressure. On October 16, two ships listed in the
International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set
The International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) is a digital database of 261 million weather observations made by ships, weather ships, and weather buoys spanning the years 1662 to 2007. The database was initially constru ...
reported winds of off the coast of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. However, since these reports occurred in a higher pressure gradient, the system was not included in HURDAT.
On November 2, a trough of low-pressure was analyzed near the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
. The system moved westward into the Caribbean Sea without much organization. On November 7, the low-pressure area moved south of
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and became sufficiently organized to be considered a tropical depression with a pressure of at least . The depression moved over Cuba and into the Atlantic, where it dissipated the following day. On November 9, a second system was detected northeast of Bermuda with a pressure of , though it remained unclear whether the two systems were related.
Season effects
[
]
See also
*
List of tropical cyclones
This is a list of tropical cyclones, subdivided by basin. See the list of tropical cyclone records for individual records set by individual tropical cyclones.
*Lists of Atlantic hurricanes – directory for Atlantic hurricanes north of the equa ...
*
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...
*
1940 Pacific hurricane season
The 1940 Pacific hurricane season ran through the summer and fall of 1940. Before the satellite age started in the 1960s, data on east Pacific hurricanes was extremely unreliable. Most east Pacific storms were of no threat to land. During this sea ...
*
1900–1950 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons
The following is a list of South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclones between the year 1900 and 1950.
Storms 1904 Comoros cyclone
On December 14, a cyclone moved through the Comoros, causing damage to the island's vanilla and coffee plantati ...
*
1940s Australian region cyclone seasons
The following is a list of all reported tropical cyclones within the Australian region between 90°E and 160°E, after the start of World War II in September 1939 and before the start of the satellite era during the 1969–70 Season.
Systems 1940 ...
*
1940s South Pacific cyclone seasons
The following is a list of all reported tropical cyclones within the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E after the start of World War II in September 1939 and before the start of the 1950s decade.
__TOC__
Background
During the decade, met ...
Notes
References
External links
Monthly Weather Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:1940 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Articles which contain graphical timelines