Surface weather analysis of the hurricane near peak strength on August 12
Meteorological history
Formed
August 6, 1903 (1903-08-06)
Dissipated
August 16, 1903 (1903-08-17)
Category 3 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds
120 mph (195 km/h)
Lowest pressure
958 mbar (hPa); 28.29 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities
149–188
Damage
$10 million (1903 USD)
Areas affected
Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, Mexico
IBTrACS
Part of the 1903 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1903 Jamaica hurricane devastated Martinique, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands in August 1903. The second tropical cyclone of the season, the storm was first observed well east of the Windward Islands on August 6. The system moved generally west-northwestward and strengthened into a hurricane on August 7. It struck Martinique early on August 9, shortly before reaching the Caribbean. Later that day, the storm became a major hurricane. Early on August 11, it made landfall near Morant Point, Jamaica, with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), with would be the hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. Early on the following day, the storm brushed Grand Cayman at the same intensity. The system weakened before landfall near Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, early on August 13, with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The system emerging into the Gulf of Mexico early on August 14 after weakening while crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, but failed to re-strengthen. Around 00:00 UTC on August 16, the cyclone made landfall north of Tampico, Tamaulipas, with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The hurricane soon weakened to a tropical storm and dissipated over San Luis Potosí late on August 16.
In Martinique, hundreds of homes were deroofed in Fort-de-France, while about 5,000 people were left homeless in the villages of Fond, Fourniols, La Haye, Recluce, and Tivoli, all of which were established after the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. The hurricane also left extensive damage to crops and eight fatalities. In Jamaica, several communities were completely or nearly destroyed, including Manchioneal, Port Antonio, and Port Maria. Thousands of homes also suffered damage in the capital city of Kingston. Banana crops were devastated so severely that many growers were forced into bankruptcy. Numerous ships were wrecked, particularly on the north coast of the island. There were at least 65 deaths and about $10 million (1903 USD) in damage. In the Cayman Islands, more than 200 houses and seven of eight churches on Grand Cayman were destroyed or heavily damaged. Of the 23 ships in the harbor, only the Governor Blake survived. Most of the crews on board those ships were reported killed, but loss of life onshore was minimal. The storm also caused heavy damage on the Yucatán Peninsula. Many ships were wrecked and communications were cut off in several places. In the Tampico area, there was considerable damage to the port and many ships were sunk or driven ashore. Much of the land between Tampico and Cárdenas in San Luis Potosí was submerged due to flooding. In all, the storm is believed to have killed at least 149 people.
and 28 Related for: 1903 Jamaica hurricane information
The 1903Jamaicahurricane devastated Martinique, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands in August 1903. The second tropical cyclone of the season, the storm...
There are two climatologically favored periods during the year for Jamaicahurricane activity, with the first lasting from August to mid-September and...
The 1944 Jamaicahurricane was a deadly major hurricane that swept across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in August 1944. Conservative estimates placed...
The 1912 Jamaicahurricane was a slow-moving tropical cyclone that meandered about the island of Jamaica, causing torrential rainfall and severe flooding...
The 1903 Atlantic hurricane season featured seven hurricanes, the most in an Atlantic hurricane season since 1893. The first tropical cyclone was initially...
intensifying to Tropical Storm North of Grand Cayman. August 11, 1903 - The 1903Jamaicahurricane passes through the Cayman Islands, bringing winds of 120 miles...
1903 New Jersey hurricane, also known as the Vagabond Hurricane by The Press of Atlantic City, is the first and only known North Atlantic hurricane to...
the hurricane. Fifteen people were killed, primarily by drowning. The damage along the immediate coastline was more severe than the 1903Jamaica hurricane...
The 1916 Texas hurricane was an intense and quick-moving tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in Jamaica and South Texas in August 1916. A Category 4...
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year, from June 1 through November 30, when tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form...
when an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 struck Kythera, Greece. A hurricane struck Jamaica, devastating the island's northern shore and wrecking several ships...
Wreck or the S.S. Inchulva sank in front of Delray Beach during a hurricane back in 1903". florida.greatestdivesites.com. Retrieved 2021-03-02. Department...
half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Hazel brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81...
Within the North Atlantic Ocean, a Category 3 hurricane is a tropical cyclone, that has 1-minute sustained wind speeds of between 96–112 knots (110–129 mph;...
island as a Category 4 hurricane, causing widespread and extreme damage. On 17 August 2007, Hurricane Dean, a Category 1 hurricane at the time, hit the...
Within the North Atlantic Ocean, a Category 2 hurricane is a tropical cyclone, that has 1-minute sustained wind speeds of between 83–95 knots (96–109 mph;...
Jamaica College (abbreviated J.C. or JC) is a public, Christian, secondary school and sixth form for boys in Kingston, Jamaica. It was established in 1789...
The 1904 Atlantic hurricane season featured no tropical cyclones during the months of July and August. The season's first cyclone was initially observed...
seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Island). The island was called the Isle...
Sandino) as part of the Nicaraguan Revolution. Bluefields was destroyed by Hurricane Joan in 1988 but was rebuilt. The origin of the city of Bluefields is...
Segundo hurricane in Puerto Rico) of September 1928 is the only hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. In the busy 2017 Atlantic hurricane season...
Retrieved August 23, 2021. History of Hurricanes and Floods in Jamaica (PDF) (Report). National Library of Jamaica. n.d. Archived (PDF) from the original...
Lucia and Antigua. There was an unsuccessful attempt of introducing it to Jamaica and Puerto Rico (where not native). In the early 2000s, the mountain chicken...
Ocean, there have been 2,462 tropical cyclones, including at least 1,150 hurricanes, which have maximum sustained winds of at least 64 knots (74 mph, 119 km/h)...
attacking Santiago secured Guantánamo's harbor for protection during the hurricane season of 1898. The Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay with naval support...
Emperor William II Hermine E. Ricketts (1956–2019), Jamaican-born American architect Hermine Riss (1903–1980), Austrian Righteous among the Nations Hermine...
1903. The average water temperature of the nearby Atlantic Ocean ranges from 39.7 °F (4.3 °C) in February to 74.1 °F (23.4 °C) in August. Hurricanes and...
Global Information
