1804 Antigua–Charleston hurricane facts for kids
HMS Theseus caught in the hurricane at San Domingo
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| Formed | 3 September 1804 |
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| Dissipated | 12 September 1804 |
| Fatalities | more than 500 total |
| Damage | $1.6 million (1804 USD) |
| Areas affected | Caribbean Sea, Southeastern United States, New England |
| Part of the 1804 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1804 Antigua–Charleston hurricane was a very powerful storm. It hit the U.S. state of Georgia especially hard. It was the strongest hurricane there since 1752. This storm caused over 500 deaths. It also led to at least $1.6 million in damage. This was a huge amount of money in 1804. The hurricane affected areas across the Southeastern United States.
The storm began near Antigua on September 3rd. It first moved towards Puerto Rico. As it traveled through the Caribbean Sea, it damaged or sank many ships. People on Saint Kitts said it was the worst storm they had seen since 1772. By September 4th, the hurricane reached the Bahamas. It then turned north. On September 6th, it got close to the coast of northern Florida. The hurricane finally hit land in Georgia and South Carolina. It brought strong winds and heavy rain. A big storm was also reported in New England later that month. This happened on September 11th and 12th. However, it might not have been the same hurricane.
The hurricane caused a lot of damage. This was especially true in Georgia and South Carolina. Many ships were lost or damaged along the coast. Farmers also lost many crops. Rice, cotton, and corn fields were ruined. The storm hit just before harvest time. Strong winds and heavy rain flooded streets and homes. They also knocked down chimneys and fences. Windows were cracked. Docks were badly damaged by boats that crashed into them. Many homes were destroyed or became unsafe. Aaron Burr, a famous American politician, was in Georgia during the storm. He later wrote about how bad it was. The city of Savannah had about $500,000 in damage. Charleston had even more, with $1,000,000 in damage.
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How the Hurricane Moved
The 1804 Antigua–Charleston hurricane was first seen on September 3rd. It passed by Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts, and Antigua. It then moved towards Puerto Rico and the Turks and Caicos Islands. On September 4th, the storm reached the Bahamas. It then turned north. By September 6th, it was near the northern coast of Florida. The hurricane stayed offshore on September 7th. It slowly moved closer to the coast. That evening, it finally hit land. This happened along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.
In Savannah, Georgia, winds blew from the north to northeast on September 8th. In Charleston, South Carolina, the winds started from the northeast. They later shifted to the southeast. We do not have much information about the hurricane's path after it left the Carolinas. A report from Norfolk, Virginia mentioned strong winds from September 7th to 9th. This suggests the storm passed west of there. A big storm hit New England on September 11th and 12th. But there was a long gap between the hurricane leaving the Carolinas and this storm. This means they might have been two different weather systems.
What Happened in Georgia
The 1804 hurricane was the strongest to hit Georgia since 1752. Many ships off the coast of Georgia were badly damaged. The ship Betsy lost its cargo and was damaged. The Phoebe got stuck on land at Tybee Island. The Liberty sank, and its crew died. The Patsy almost sank. The Experiment flipped over.
At the time, Aaron Burr was staying on St. Simons Island. He was visiting the property of John Couper. The storm made it impossible for him to return to Hampton. When the calm center of the storm passed, Burr went back to the home of Pierce Butler at Hampton. Burr wrote about the hurricane. He said strong winds destroyed small buildings and knocked down many trees on St. Simon's. The storm also cracked windows and knocked down chimneys. It flooded the house. He found many roads blocked in the town.
Nineteen enslaved people owned by Butler drowned. Couper lost $100,000 (in 1804 money) just from his property. Cabins for over a hundred enslaved people were destroyed. Many other local farmers faced similar problems. Saltwater flooded and ruined cotton fields at the Horton House plantation on Jekyll Island. This reduced the year's harvest by 20 percent. Other farmers growing rice, cotton, and corn along the coast had similar losses.
On Broughton Island, people were told to move enslaved people away from a rice storage building. But they did not do it fast enough. More than seventy enslaved people drowned. The plantation owner later sold the property because of his financial losses. Similar events happened on St. Catherines Island, where two enslaved people died. In Darien, a leather factory was destroyed. Floodwaters ruined its tanning pools.
In Sunbury, strong winds and high waves knocked down trees. They also destroyed three houses. Five enslaved people died from flying debris or drowning. The hurricane also ruined most boats owned by plantation owners. It destroyed crops, storage houses, stables, and homes for enslaved people.
At Cockspur Island, Fort Greene was completely destroyed. All its buildings were gone, and thirteen men died. Guns, cannonballs, heavy lead bars, and cannons were scattered across the island. The island was completely underwater during the storm. The fort was never rebuilt. Fort Pulaski was later built in the same spot. On Wilmington Island, one house collapsed. Large areas of farmland were flooded. Winds from the north to northeast hit Hutchinson Island. Tides were 7 to 10 feet higher than normal. This submerged rice crops. It also swept away plantation buildings. Nearly a hundred enslaved people drowned.
The hurricane hit Savannah very hard. Winds blew constantly from the northeast to north for 17 hours. The storm surge, which is a rise in sea level, went over sand bars. It swept into bays, rivers, and docks. It flooded any areas below 10 feet in height. Sea spray mixed with rain, making it taste salty. Sand particles were lifted from the shore to the upper floors of 30-foot-tall houses.
At the storm's peak, every ship in the city harbor was damaged. Almost all homes in the city's southern part were also damaged. A gunboat was swept 7 miles from its spot. It landed in a field far away. The steeple of the Presbyterian Meeting House fell. Parts of a wall at the Christ Episcopal Church collapsed. The local courthouse was also damaged. Shingles were torn off a jail roof. A tobacco storage building lost its roof. Two children were crushed to death in one house. One person died from a falling chimney in another house.
Many ships crashed into docks. The Mary hit a dock near Fort Wayne. The Thomas Jefferson got stuck at Hunter and Minis's Wharf. The General Jackson crashed into McCradie's Wharf. The Liberty flipped over near Howard's Wharf. The Minevra was pushed ashore at Coffee House Wharf. Many other docks were damaged by similar accidents. At some docks, ships were piled on top of each other. Fish and poultry markets, and businesses along the docks, were washed into the Savannah River. Wood, cotton, tobacco, liquor, sugar, and other goods were scattered along the riverbank. In total, eighteen ships flipped over in Savannah. Many smaller boats were "cracked like egg shells." They floated in the water near the riverbank. The riverbank itself was covered with "serpents, turtles, [and] marsh-birds." Damage in Savannah was at least $500,000 (in 1804 money).
What Happened in South Carolina
In South Carolina, tides rose 9 feet above normal. This caused the May River to overflow. It flooded cotton and rice fields. It also swept away cotton storage houses and cabins for enslaved people on plantations. Flooding also happened in places like Daufuskie Island, where five enslaved people drowned. Bridges and roads in Beaufort, South Carolina were flooded and washed away. High tides of up to 5 feet flooded farmland. This ruined cotton and other crops. Strong winds knocked down chimneys. They also damaged the town's Baptist church. After the storm, the prices for cotton farmland and enslaved people fell by 30 percent in the area. All homes on Bay Point Island were destroyed. They were swept out to sea.
Saltwater from the storm ruined thirty barrels of rice on the ship Guilelmi. This ship ran aground at Saint Helena Island. The Collector got stuck on land at Lady's Island. Heavy rain caused the Pocotaligo, Stony, and Huspa creeks to overflow. From Sheldon to Motley, the storm flooded creeks and rivers. This submerged rice and cotton fields. The salty water destroyed the year's harvest. Roads and raised paths were underwater and could not be used. Many animals also died in the flood.
The hurricane hit Charleston very hard. The storm brought northeasterly winds and heavy rain. The strong wall of the fort on nearby James Island was destroyed. The wooden fences of the fort at Castle Pinckney were wrecked. This was at the mouth of Charleston's harbor. The hurricane also pushed ships onto marshes and docks. This happened between Gadsden's Wharf and South Bay along the Cooper River. Several docks were badly damaged when ships crashed into them. These included Pritchard's, Cochran's, Beale's, Craft's, and William's wharves. The ships Montserrat, Mary, Birmingham Packet, Amazon, and Orange were all damaged.
Three ships and the Mary crashed into Governor's Bridge, damaging it. Two ships and the Favorite slammed into Faber's Wharf. The Concord filled with water at Prioleau's Wharf. This caused 50 large barrels of rice to be lost. A counting and scale house was knocked off its foundation. This happened when it was hit by the Lydia near Blake's Wharf. The ship Christopher, which carried enslaved people, flipped over at Geyer's Wharf. Everyone on board escaped safely. Four enslaved people drowned when a boat overturned in the Ashley River.
High waters covered the docks. Nearby stores collapsed or were washed away. Rice and cotton fell into the water. A wall built to protect the coast near South Bay broke apart. A nearby home's chimney fell, killing one person. Homes were flooded. People living along South Bay had to leave their houses. The storm surge also flooded areas along the new East Bay Street. Buildings on Lamboll and Water streets were also flooded. Meeting Street was under 2 feet of water. High winds tore off roofs, knocked down trees, and broke fences.
North of Charleston, on Sullivan's Island, 15 to 20 houses became unsafe. Most of the island was underwater. But many homes were saved because they were surrounded by sand dunes. Several men rescued women and children. Only one person died on the island. The Pee Dee and Black rivers slowly rose throughout the day. They eventually overflowed their banks. In Georgetown, high tides flooded docks. They also submerged streets and businesses. Corn, salt, and other goods were destroyed. Turtles and fish died. On the Sampit River, two people drowned trying to cross. A rice harvest equal to ten thousand barrels was ruined. This was caused by high tides and heavy rain near Georgetown. Damage in Georgetown reached $1,000,000 (in 1804 money). Overall, the 1804 hurricane caused more than 500 deaths in the southeastern United States.
Other Affected Areas
On Saint Kitts, the hurricane destroyed about one hundred ships in the harbor. All the ships there were lost. Heavy rainfall washed houses out to sea. Another 56 out of 58 boats were lost at Saint Barthélemy. 58 boats were wrecked at Antigua. 26 out of 28 boats were ruined at Dominica. Shipping damage was also severe on the Windward Islands. Several ships were lost in western Puerto Rico. Another 44 ships were destroyed at Saint Thomas after the storm passed. These ships included a large supply ship, HMS De Ruyter, which was washed ashore and broke apart, killing one person. The HMS Drake, a smaller warship, got stuck on a sandbar off Nevis. On Saint Kitts, people said this hurricane was the worst since 1772.
In St. Augustine, Florida, high waves and strong winds were noted from September 6th to 7th, 1804. Eight out of nine ships in the local port were too damaged to use. However, the town itself mostly avoided damage.
In North Carolina, the hurricane blew down trees up to 100 miles inland. Heavy rain isolated Scotland Neck. Near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, the ship Wilmington Packet ran aground at Bald Point.
In the New England storm, which might have been related to the Antigua–Charleston hurricane, several ships sank in Boston's harbor. In Salem, the steeple of the South Church fell down.
Images for kids
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HMS Theseus caught in the hurricane at San Domingo
