1936 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1936 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1936, and lasted until November 30, 1936. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
The 1936 season was fairly active, with 20 tropical cyclones including 3 tropical depressions. Seven storms became hurricanes, of which one became a major hurricane. In addition, the season was unusual in the fact that no storms moved across large portions of the Caribbean Sea. Seven storms, including three hurricanes, struck the United States. The season also set many records for the earliest date for a numbered storm, though all were surpassed by the extreme activity of the 2005 season.
The season is also tied with 2017 as the fifth most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, with 17 tropical storms developing during that time.
Timeline
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Systems
Tropical Storm One
On June 9, a tropical cyclone with atmospheric pressure below made landfall on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. It moved northeastward across Central America, but dissipated before reaching the western Caribbean Sea on June 12. The storm quickly re-organized, and again developed into a tropical storm on June 12. It moved north-northeastward, resulting in light winds as it paralleled the eastern coasts of Belize and the Yucatán Peninsula. After reaching the Gulf of Mexico with peak winds of, the storm turned to the northeast, then to the east. On June 15, the tropical storm made landfall about to the south of Fort Myers, Florida, and after crossing the state it passed over Miami before entering the Atlantic Ocean. It weakened as it accelerated northeastward through the Bahamas, and on June 17 the system dissipated to the north of Bermuda.While crossing Central America, the storm produced heavy rainfall.. In southern Florida, winds from the storm ranged from to a peak of in Miami. The storm produced heavy rainfall in southern Florida, ranging from 8 to 15 inches. The rainfall caused flooding of highways and lowlands, drowned several livestock, and some damage. The storm caused three indirect deaths when a Coast Guard airplane crashed in Tampa Bay while in search of small boats.
Tropical Storm Two
An area of disturbed weather was first detected near the Yucatán Peninsula on June 18. It tracked west-northwestward, and developed into a tropical storm the following day. The storm continued to the west-northwest until June 21, when the storm turned to the west-southwest. Having remained a minimal tropical storm for all of its lifetime, the 40-mph storm struck northeast Mexico on June 21, and dissipated the next day. The storm caused higher than normal tides along the Texas coastline, and no damage or deaths were reported.Hurricane Three
A small tropical storm developed on June 26 while located east of Brownsville, Texas. It moved northwestward and rapidly strengthened almost immediately after formation, attaining hurricane status with peak winds of by early on June 27. Later on June 27, the hurricane made landfall near Port Aransas with a pressure of. The storm rapidly weakened over land, and dissipated on June 28 near San Antonio, Texas. A small craft warning was issued for the Corpus Christi area on the morning of the storm making landfall, and the National Weather Bureau issued a Hurricane Warning just 45 minutes prior to the hurricane striking land.Upon making landfall, the storm caused a 3.8-foot storm tide, and many small boats were capsized or driven ashore. The hurricane produced wind gusts of up to in Ingleside and up to in Port Aransas, destroying cooling towers at a local oil refinery and damaging a few houses. Along its path, the storm produced heavy rainfall, though specifics are unknown. Severe crop damage was reported in San Patricio and Nueces Counties. In all, the hurricane caused $550,000 in damage, primarily to oil refinery property, though no deaths or injuries were reported.
Tropical Storm Four
On July 26, a small tropical storm formed near the western tip of Cuba from a tropical disturbance. It moved quickly northwestward, then turned northward, reaching a peak intensity of that day. On July 27, the storm accelerated northeastward and made landfall on southeastern Louisiana with a pressure of 1003 mbar. The storm rapidly weakened over land and dissipated later that day. The Weather Bureau office issued a storm warning for the Louisiana coastline, advising those potentially affected to prepare for strong winds and rising tides. However, the storm caused no serious damage, and no casualties are associated with the storm. Wind speeds topped out at in New Orleans, Louisiana.Hurricane Five
A tropical storm was first observed over the southern Bahamas on July 27. It tracked to the west-northwest, and made landfall a short distance south of Homestead, Florida, with winds of. After crossing the state, it intensified over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and became a hurricane on July 30. The hurricane continued to strengthen, and on July 31 hit the western Florida Panhandle near Camp Walton with peak winds of. It weakened rapidly over land, and dissipated over western Alabama on August 1.In south Florida, the storm caused a storm tide of when it made landfall, causing flooding of up to in coastal areas. Though winds reached, damage was minimal there. In Valparaiso in the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane produced wind gusts of up to, along with a storm tide of. Damage from the storm was relatively minor, totaling to $200,000. The hurricane indirectly killed four people when a boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tropical Storm Six
The sixth tropical storm of the season was first spotted on August 4 while located east-northeast of Barbuda. It tracked northwestward, and reached a peak intensity of on August 5. It retained that intensity throughout its lifetime, which was followed by a turn to the northeast on August 8. On August 9, the storm passed to the west of Bermuda, and early on August 10 the storm became extratropical over the open Atlantic Ocean. The extratropical storm continued northeastward until dissipating late on August 10 while south of the eastern tip of Nova Scotia. The storm never affected land.Tropical Storm Seven
A weak tropical storm formed on August 7 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico west-northwest of the Dry Tortugas. The system moved northwest towards the northwest Gulf of Mexico through August 9 while maintaining its peak of. It is possible it weakened to a tropical depression at times, but there is no data supporting or denying such. The storm then began to curve more to the west-southwest on August 10 while located just south-southwest of Port Eads, Louisiana, while maintaining intensity. The storm continued moving southwest through August 11, weakening to a tropical depression shortly before making landfall near Tampico on August 12. The system weakened quickly after moving inland, and dissipated shortly afterwards.Advisories were issued early on August 12 from the U.S. Weather Bureau in New Orleans for the system as it neared Mexico shortly before making landfall, but little damage and no deaths were reported in Mexico.
Hurricane Eight
A tropical disturbance was detected in the western to northwest Caribbean Sea near Cancún on August 15. The system moved northwest into the southwest Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm on August 16 while slowly strengthening. The system reached hurricane intensity as a Category 1 on August 17, and reached its peak of shortly afterwards. The hurricane began to move west-southwest late on August 17 and through August 18, eventually making landfall near Tampico, Tamaulipas, on August 19 as a minimal hurricane or strong tropical storm. The system quickly weakened just after moving inland and dissipated on the same day.The hurricane brought heavy rains to mainland Mexico, while the highest winds recorded at Tampico were on August 19 as the center passed nearby just to the north. Storm warnings were issued on August 17 and 18 as the system initially approached the upper Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas, but the system's west-southwest turn prevented a direct United States landfall.
Tropical Storm Nine
A weak tropical storm formed on August 20 near the eastern Bahamas. Moving slowly west-northwest through August 21, the system strengthened to its peak of later on August 21, and made landfall on August 22 near Daytona Beach at its peak intensity. The system maintained tropical storm intensity inland while slowly weakening and moving westward, and the storm eventually weakened to a depression on August 23 while entering the eastern Florida Panhandle, and the system dissipated shortly afterwards near as it drifted over eastern Mississippi. The storm caused heavy rains across northern and central Florida, and winds of were recorded near Titusville. Overall damage was minimal.Hurricane Ten
This Cape Verde hurricane was first detected in the eastern tropical Atlantic on August 25. Moving northwest on August 29, the system continued to strengthen, eventually reaching a peak of as a Category 2 hurricane in the central North Atlantic on September 1. The hurricane then began to curve northeast late on September 1 while maintaining intensity, eventually weakening to a Category 1 hurricane on September 5. The system became extratropical on September 6, and the system dissipated while nearing the British Isles. As the system never affected land, no damage or casualties were reported.Hurricane Eleven
A tropical storm was detected on August 28 in the far western Caribbean Sea. The system moved steadily west-northwest, making landfall shortly afterwards on the Yucatán Peninsula as a tropical storm. The system weakened slightly to a 40-mph tropical storm as it steadily crossed the Yucatán, entering the Bay of Campeche late on August 28. The system then began to slow down on August 29 while reintensifying, peaking as an 80-mph Category 1 shortly afterwards. The hurricane then began to move to the west-southwest, making a final landfall near Tuxpan as a 75-mph minimal hurricane on August 30. The system quickly weakened to a tropical storm shortly after moving inland, and the weakening storm dissipated shortly afterwards.Although advisories were issued for Mexico on August 29 and early on August 30 from the U.S. Weather Bureau in New Orleans, little overall damage was reported in mainland Mexico.
Tropical Storm Twelve
On September 7, a ship reported southwest winds at a location about northeast of Antigua, indicating the presence of a tropical cyclone. The storm tracked to the west-northwest without strengthening, and the following day no circulation was reported. It is estimated the storm weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated on September 8 while located about north-northeast of Saint Martin, although it may have remained a tropical depression throughout its short lifespan. The storm never affected land.Hurricane Thirteen
A tropical storm was first observed by a ship on September 8 while located about east of Barbados. The storm moved northwestward, and slowly intensified to attain hurricane status on September 10 about northeast of Barbados. The hurricane continued to slowly strengthen as it decelerated its forward motion, and on September 15 it reached its peak intensity of while located south-southwest of Bermuda. By the morning of September 15, the hurricane had winds exceeding in a diameter of about, among the largest tropical cyclones on record. It slowly weakened as it approached the East Coast of the United States, and early on September 17 local weather bureaus began issuing storm warnings from Beaufort, North Carolina, to the Virginia capes. Late on September 18, the hurricane passed within of the Outer Banks before it accelerated and turned to the northeast. It remained close to the Mid-Atlantic and New England coastline, and passed near Nantucket before turning to the east-northeast. The hurricane remained south of Atlantic Canada by a short distance, and became extratropical on September 21 while located about east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The extratropical storm decelerated as it turned northeastward, and the system dissipated on September 25.In North Carolina, the hurricane produced winds of up to in Manteo. Described as one of the worst hurricanes in record in Hatteras, the storm resulted in $25,000 in damage to roads and bridges and $30,000 in damage to buildings and piers. Very high tides were reported along the Outer Banks, with Nags Head losing about of beach. The hurricane destroyed the highway bridge along the Currituck Sound, and resulted in heavy crop damage in northeastern North Carolina. The hurricane was also considered among the worst hurricanes on record in the Norfolk, Virginia, area. Winds of up to at Cape Henry destroyed windows, roofs, and some entire buildings, resulting in around $500,000 in damage. The hurricane produced a storm tide of in Sewell's Point, Virginia, the second highest on record at that location. Two locations along the James River experienced record crest levels of over. Rough seas washed several boats ashore, and shipping was cancelled in and out of Norfolk. The hurricane resulted in cancelled train service and increased traffic. The hurricane was indirectly responsible for two casualties. The first fatality occurred when debris from the hurricane struck a person in the head and later died. Another person drowned in the Elizabeth River in an effort to recover a rowboat blown adrift. Though hurricane warnings were posted for the northeast United States and hurricane-force winds occurred there, damage, if any, is unknown.