1821 Norfolk and Long Island hurricane
The 1821 Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane was one of four known tropical cyclones that have made landfall in New York City. Another, even more intense hurricane in the pre-Columbian era (sometime between 1278 and 1438) left evidence that was detected in South Jersey by paleotempestological research. The third was the 1893 New York hurricane, and the fourth was Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Estimated track of the hurricane | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 1, 1821 |
| Dissipated | September 4, 1821 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 130 mph (215 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | <995 mbar (hPa); <29.38 inHg (≤965 mbar estimated) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | ≥22 direct |
| Damage | $200,000 (1821 USD) |
| Areas affected | North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic States, New England |
Part of the 1821 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The first of three recorded tropical cyclones recorded in the 1821 Atlantic hurricane season, the storm that would eventually strike New York was first observed off the southeast United States coast on September 1, with winds estimated in excess of 135 mph (215 km/h). It moved ashore near Wilmington, North Carolina, and passed near Norfolk, Virginia before moving through the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey just inland. On September 3, the hurricane struck approximately near Jamaica Bay, which later became part of New York City, and on September 4 it was observed over New England. This was just 6 years after the destructive Great September Gale of 1815.