1944 Great Atlantic hurricane
Category 5-equivalent Atlantic hurricane in 1944 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane was a destructive and powerful tropical cyclone that swept across a large portion of the United States East Coast in September 1944. New England was most affected, though so were the Outer Banks, Mid-Atlantic states, and the Canadian Maritimes. The storm's ferocity and path drew comparisons to the 1938 Long Island Express, one of the worst storms in New England history.
Meteorological history | |
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Formed | September 9, 1944 (September 9, 1944) |
Extratropical | 12:00 UTC September 15, 1944 |
Dissipated | September 16, 1944 (September 16, 1944) |
Category 5 major hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 160 mph (260 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | ≤918 mbar (hPa); ≤27.11 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 300–400, primarily at sea |
Damage | $100 million (1944 USD) |
Areas affected | United States East Coast (especially New England), Atlantic Canada |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1944 Atlantic hurricane season |
Its precursor was first identified well east of the Lesser Antilles on September 4, but the disturbance only became well organized enough to be considered a tropical cyclone on September 9 northeast of the Virgin Islands. Tracking west-northwest, the storm gradually intensified, curved northward, and reached peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane on September 13 north of the Bahamas. A day later, the storm passed the Outer Banks and later made landfall on Long Island and Rhode Island as a weaker hurricane on September 15. The storm eventually became an extratropical cyclone, moving northeast, and merged with another extratropical system off Greenland on September 16.