1820–1829 Atlantic hurricane seasons facts for kids

The 1820s were a time when many strong storms, called tropical cyclones or hurricanes, formed in the Atlantic Ocean. These storms usually happen between June 1 and November 30 each year. While we don't have records for every single storm from back then, people living along the coast often wrote about the big ones. This helps us understand what happened during these hurricane seasons.

1820 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: On September 8, a small hurricane started in Florida. It moved north and hit the coast near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina on September 10. It didn't cause much damage.
• Storm II: A hurricane was first seen near Dominica on September 26. It then traveled west-northwest across Hispaniola and the southwest Atlantic, reaching South Carolina by October 1.

1821 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A tropical storm moved west across the Caribbean. It was near Guadeloupe on September 1 and reached western Cuba by September 9.

The Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane

This was a very dangerous hurricane that moved quickly up the Atlantic coast in early September. It was special because its eye (the calm center of the storm) passed directly over what is now New York City. This is the only time this has been recorded! The storm caused about 200 people to lose their lives. Experts believe it was a very strong storm, possibly a Category 4 hurricane.

• Storm III: Later in September, from the 15th to the 17th, a powerful hurricane hit Mississippi. This was a huge storm that brought a lot of water from the ocean onto the land. This "storm surge" affected areas from Mobile all the way to parts of Florida. In Pensacola Bay, 11 out of 13 ships in the harbor were lost, and 35 people died.

1822 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A hurricane hit the central Gulf coast between July 7 and July 9.

• Storm II: This hurricane started in the Bahamas on September 25 and moved north-northwest. It hit Charleston, South Carolina on September 27. Sadly, hundreds of people who lived in the low-lying Santee Delta area were trapped and lost their lives. The storm caused 300 or more deaths. However, it also helped end a dry period in the Richmond area.

• Storm III: From October 20 to 22, a hurricane hit Virginia. It caused a lot of damage and strong winds in the Richmond area.

• Storm IV: A rare hurricane happened in December. It moved through the eastern Caribbean Sea and eventually reached Venezuela between December 13 and December 22.

1823 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A tropical storm moved from Curaçao on July 8 and reached near Jamaica by July 10.

• Storm II: A tropical storm passed south of Jamaica on August 2 and August 3.

• Storm III: A hurricane formed in the west-central Gulf of Mexico on September 11. It moved slowly northeast and hit the central Gulf coast on September 14.

1824 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A very strong hurricane was seen near Guadeloupe on September 7. It moved across the northeast Lesser Antilles and the southwest Atlantic. It then hit Georgia and South Carolina on September 14, causing 100 deaths. The storm washed away all the bridges between Darien and Savannah. It continued north, hitting Savannah and South Carolina before moving out to sea. People in this area were used to hurricanes and often left their homes to be safe. Those who didn't evacuate saw how much destruction this powerful hurricane caused. This is thought to be one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Georgia.

• Storm II: Between September 26 and 27, a tropical storm passed south of Jamaica.

1825 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A tropical storm formed south of Santo Domingo on May 28. It moved across Cuba on June 1, bringing strong winds to Florida. As it reached the western Atlantic, it quickly grew stronger, hitting Charleston as a hurricane. It then lost strength over the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

• Storm II: On July 6, a moderate hurricane hit Puerto Rico, destroying six villages.

• Storm III: Two weeks later, on July 26, a powerful hurricane hit near Guadeloupe. It continued west-northwest to Puerto Rico, where it tragically caused 1,300 deaths. It then tracked west of Bermuda by August 2.

• Storm IV: A hurricane struck Haiti on September 28 and moved northwest into northeast Florida by October 3.

• Storm V: A late-season hurricane hit North Carolina on November 17, and at least 5 people died.

1826 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A hurricane hit the Cayman Islands and western Cuba on August 27, causing 33 deaths.

• Storm II: A tropical storm was spotted near Dominica on August 31. It moved west-northwest to Jamaica before heading north to the Grand Banks by September 10.

1827 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A hurricane struck Antigua on August 17. It moved west to Jamaica and then continued west to Vera Cruz, Mexico.

• Storm II: This hurricane, known as the St. Kitts Hurricane, formed over the Windward Islands on August 18. It moved northwest through the Bahamas on August 21 and hit Cape Hatteras on August 24. It traveled up the Chesapeake Bay, causing higher than normal tides, and eventually moved through New England by August 27.

• Storm III: This hurricane moved through the northern Leeward Islands a week after the last storm, on August 27. It continued west into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, then curved north to hit northwest Florida by September 5.

• Storm IV: A tropical storm moved through the southwest Atlantic, between the West Indies and Bermuda, from August 29 to September 8.

1828 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• A hurricane moved from the northern Lesser Antilles on September 15. It traveled north past Bermuda on September 19, where it caused a "severe gale" and sank 3 ships. It then moved into the northern Atlantic Ocean shipping lanes.

1829 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• Storm I: A tropical storm moved through the Gulf of Mexico between July 9 and July 13.

• Storm II: A strong tropical storm moved through South Carolina and the Outer Banks of North Carolina before passing northwest of Bermuda during the last week of August.

• Storm III: On September 10, a hurricane hit the mouth of the Rio Grande. Port Isabel and Brazos Santiago saw a lot of destruction, while other towns had higher than normal tides.

• Storm IV: A hurricane hit Saint Barthemelow on October 26, possibly sinking one ship.

Related Pages

• List of Atlantic hurricane seasons

Books

• Terry Tucker. Beware the Hurricane! The Story of the Gyratory Tropical Storms That Have Struck Bermuda. Bermuda: Hamilton Press, 1966, p. 87-89.