1919 Florida Keys Hurricane

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**Atlantic Gulf Hurricane of 1919**
The path of the Florida Keys Hurricane of 1919
Duration	Sep. 2 - 14, 1919
Highest winds	131-155 mph (210-249 km/h) (approx.) sustained
Damages	$22 million (approx.)
Fatalities	600-900 direct
Areas affected	Lesser Antilles; Bahamas; Dominican Republic South Florida, Southeastern Texas
Part of the 1919 Atlantic hurricane season

The Florida Keys Hurricane or Atlantic Gulf Hurricane of 1919 was an intense Atlantic hurricane. It was first detected near the Lesser Antilles on September 2, 1919. It travelled to the west-northwest and hit the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, where it reached peak strength.

The storm's center grazed the Florida Keys on September 9 as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It then entered the Gulf of Mexico and continued its general west-northwest track. The storm made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas on September 14 as a Category 3 hurricane. Although the instruments needed to precisely measure a hurricane's wind speed were not available at the time, it is known that this hurricane produced a 12-foot storm surge in the Corpus Christi area, causing major damage.

The barometric pressure of the hurricane was taken, by a ship near the Dry Tortugas. It recorded a level of 27.37 inches (927 mb), making this hurricane one of the most intense in U.S. recorded history. It was the most intense hurricane to strike Key West in the 20th century.

Of the approximately 600-900 people killed by the storm, roughly 500 of them were aboard ten ships lost at sea.

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Trivia

One of the people forced to evacuate Corpus Christi was Bob Simpson, who would later become head of the National Hurricane Center and devise the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Top ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes since measurements began Hurricane intensity is measured solely by central pressure; source: NOAA
North Atlantic				Landfall U.S.
Rank	Hurricane	Year	Minimum pressure recorded mbar (hPa)	Rank	Hurricane	Year	Minimum pressure at landfall mbar (hPa)
1	Wilma	2005	882	1	Labor Day	1935	892
2	Gilbert	1988	888	2	Camille	1969	909
3	Labor Day	1935	892	3	Katrina	2005	918
4	Rita	2005	897	4	Andrew	1992	922
5	Allen	1980	899	5	Indianola	1886	925
6	Katrina	2005	902	6	Florida Keys	1919	927
7	Camille	1969	905	7	Okeechobee	1928	929
8	Mitch	1998	905	8	Donna	1960	930
9	Ivan	2004	910	9	New Orleans	1915	931
10	Janet	1955	914	10	Carla	1961	931
Based on data from: The Weather Channel				Based on data from: U.S. National Hurricane Center