The 1925 Florida tropical storm was the deadliest

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

to impact the United States that did not become a hurricane. The fourth and final storm of 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 axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...

, it formed as a tropical depression on November 27 near the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...

, the system initially tracked southeastward before turning north as it gradually intensified. After skirting western

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

on November 30, the storm reached peak winds of before striking central

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

on December 1. Within hours, the system transitioned 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 p ...

and emerged into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. The system moved onshore once more on December 2 in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

before turning east, away from the United States. On December 5, the system is presumed to have dissipated offshore. Throughout the system's existence, it was responsible for 73 fatalities, most of which resulted from offshore incidents. The worst loss of life took place off East Coast, where the 30 crewmen of the American ''SS Cotopaxi'' drowned. Property damage amounted to $3 million, $1 million of which was in

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

Meteorological history

The 1925 Florida tropical storm was first identified on November 27, 1925 as a tropical depression situated to the southeast of the

, nearly a month after the official end of the hurricane season. Situated over waters, the system slowly intensified, attaining tropical storm status roughly 12 hours after forming, as it drifted towards the southeast before abruptly turning north-northwestward. Throughout November 30, the storm quickly strengthened as it brushed the western tip of

with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Once in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, the storm turned northeastward and intensified to peak winds of . The lowest known

barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or 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 1,013.2 ...

attained by the storm was 995

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure defined as 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), though not part of the International System of Units (SI). A pressure of 1 bar is slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea ...

(

hPa The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It is also used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus, and ultimate tensile strength. The unit, named after Blaise Pascal, is an S ...

; 29.38

inHg Inch of mercury (inHg, ″Hg, or in) 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 h ...

) as it moved inland. Within hours of reaching this strength, the storm made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

just south of

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the List o ...

early on December 1 as it began to transition into an

. The storm was originally thought to have moved ashore as a minimal hurricane, thus becoming the latest-landfalling hurricane in

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

history. However, a reanalysis in 2011 lowered the peak winds. While crossing the Florida peninsula, the storm briefly weakened as it completed its transition; however, once back over water, it re-intensified. Off the coast of

The Carolinas The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean ...

, the former tropical storm became a large and powerful extratropical cyclone, attaining peak winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) along with a pressure of 979 mbar (hPa; 28.91 inHg), measured by the ''USS Patoka''. Gale-force winds extended to at least

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, where winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) were recorded. Throughout December 2, the storm gradually slowed as it tracked roughly parallel to the East Coast. Later that day, the system moved onshore again, this time between Wilmington and

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. As a temperate barrier island, the landscape has been shaped by wind, waves, and storms. There are long stretches of beach ...

, with winds equivalent to a minimal hurricane. A strong area of high pressure located over 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 ...

caused the system to turn towards the east-southeast. Over the following few days, the storm gradually weakened as it moved away from North Carolina. By December 5, the storm was no longer identifiable and is presumed to have dissipated offshore. However, a monthly weather review published in 1925 that documented the system indicated that the cyclone continued towards the east, eventually impacting

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

. Later analysis in 2009 concluded that a separate extratropical low, which formed near the remnants of the storm, was responsible for inclement weather in both areas.

Impact

From November 28 to November 30, the storm brought light rains to most of eastern Cuba. Although the cyclone had tropical storm-force winds at the time, the highest recorded wind in Cuba was 12 mph (18 km/h) in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Swan Islands, off the northern coast of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

, recorded 2.36 in (59.94 mm) of precipitation during a three-day span.

United States

During its passage through Florida, the storm produced torrential rain over coastal cities, peaking in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

at . The storm caused significant property and crop damage along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Trees, power lines, and telegraph wires were knocked down by high winds along the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River or Swanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the Southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrog ...

. Communication throughout southern Florida was severed as miles of telegraph wires were downed during the evening of November 30. Structures previously considered safe from storms due to their location over 100 ft (30.4 m) inland sustained significant damage, probably from

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 ...

. Beaches along the Atlantic coast also sustained considerable damages from the storm. Four people were killed near Tampa in two separate incidents . The first occurred when a house collapsed on three men, pinning them to the ground. The second incident occurred after a woman ran outside her home and was struck by a tree limb. At least 12 workmen were killed and 38 others injured after the bunkhouse they were sleeping in collapsed due to high winds. The facility in which they were working in also sustained $200,000 in damage from a fire ignited by the cyclone. Throughout Florida, property loses were estimated at $3 million, with $1 million in

alone. Damages to the citrus industry were also significant, with total losses exceeding $600,000. Losses in Miami amounted to $250,000 as up to inundated the city for more than two days. Shipping incidents resulting from the storm caused several deaths. A schooner carrying seven people sunk, killing all its occupants. A tug boat sank off the coast of

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

while towing a lumber barge; the fate of the crew is unknown. A ship named the

SS Cotopaxi SS ''Cotopaxi'' was an Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) Design 1060 bulk carrier built for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) under the World War I emergency shipbuilding program. The ship, launched 15 November 1918, was named after th ...

sank between

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

and the northern coast of

, with all 30 crew members lost. Near

Daytona Beach Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropo ...

, a vessel carrying 2,000 cases of liquor sank along with all six crewmen. The last incident, involving a yacht, occurred off the coast of Georgia. The ship sank near

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

with the 12 crew members drowning. The total loss of life at sea was at least 55. Shipping throughout the East Coast was crippled by the storm as vessels were forced to seek shelter at port. Due to the large size of the storm as an extratropical cyclone, gale and storm warnings in force from

Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort ( , different from that of Beaufort, South Carolina) is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina ( ...

Eastport, Maine Eastport is a city and archipelago in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,288 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Eastport the least-populous city in Maine. The principal island is Moose Island, Maine, ...

. In North Carolina, heavy rains and strong winds were reported along the coast. Near record high water rises were recorded around Wilmington.

was temporarily isolated from the surrounding areas as the high winds from the storm knocked down power lines throughout the area. Several buildings along the coast and numerous boats sustained considerable damage. As far north as New Jersey, gale-force winds produced by the powerful extratropical storm caused significant damage and killed at least two people. Large swells and high winds throughout New Jersey, southern New York and Connecticut resulted in significant damage. Along the coast of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, large waves resulted in severe

beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward r ...

which threatened to undermine homes. Parts of

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

were inundated by the increased surf, damaging homes and businesses. Several barges in nearby marinas were torn from their moorings and swept out to sea. In

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern en ...

, several workmen were nearly killed after a building collapsed amidst high winds. Minor precipitation was recorded throughout

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, peaking at .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1925 Florida Hurricane Florida Hurricane, 1925 Off-season Atlantic tropical cyclones Hurricanes in Florida Atlantic tropical storms Hurricanes in North Carolina November 1925 in the United States December 1925 in the United States 1925 natural disasters 1925 meteorology

Meteorological history

Impact

United States

See also

References