Hurricane
Disasters Live
Hurricane
Disasters Live
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Atlantic Gulf Hurricane of 1919 - Tracking Map
The Hurricane of 1919 was one of the deadliest and perhaps strongest storms of the century. With winds reaching at least 110 mph in the Corpus Christi area and wave heights as high as 16 feet, the great storm made landfall in Northern Kleberg County on September 14, 1919. Much of the focus on the storm has been the high death tolls and the incredible damage, but what is often overlooked are the stories of the survivors.
In 1919, Port Aransas, Rockport, and Corpus Christi were enjoying an economy bolstered by increased tourism into the area during the peak summer months. Further aided by the widespread belief that the Coastal Bend was protected from the severe damage of hurricanes by the barrier islands, the region was indeed enjoying unprecedented growth. Even when the stories of incredible damage from a hurricane in the Florida Keys reached the area, little was made of the possibility of a Texas landfall by either the local citizens or the Weather Bureau. If fact, all indications at the time pointed to the hurricane curving into the Louisiana coastline as late as the 13th, the day before landfall in Texas.
With the advantages of radar, satellite, and weather balloon reports, it seems to be almost inconceivable today that we have not always had the luxury of tracking hurricanes. But what was a real fear in 1919 became reality when the Weather Bureau lost the hurricane in the Gulf on the afternoon of the 13th. With no ship reports and only sporadic observations along the coastline, the Weather Bureau began a desperate attempt to find the hurricane center. Coastal offices sent special observations by telegraph every two hours to the Washington headquarters. At midnight on the 13th, little indication of the storm’s location could be found. Wanting to take all reasonable cautions, the headquarters in Washington called for the Corpus Christi office to "take all possible precautions against rising winds and higher tides especially if [the] barometer begins to fall steadily".”
Through the night, the barometer began a steady fall and at 8 am stood near 29.40 inches. Northwest winds through the night had increased to 46 mph, and a constant rain had begun falling. At 9:30 am, the Meteorologist-In-Charge of the Corpus Christi Office issued a statement to get people out of low lying areas. Police, city, and Weather Bureau official began to notify the public. Confirmation of the storms approached was received by the office at 10:30 am, when the regional Weather Bureau Office warned of the storm location very near Corpus Christi. Shortly there after, wires to Port Aransas went down, isolating the city of Corpus Christi. Rockport did receive later advisories, and the last one received gave an accurate if not cryptic analysis to the storm -- `This is the worst hurricane in History'.
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The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
CATEGORY
Category 5 =
Category 4 =
Category 3 =
Category 2 =
Category 1 =
Tropical Storm =
Tropical Depression =
WIND SPEEDS
155 mph +
131 - 154 mph
111 - 130 mph
96 - 110 mph
74 - 95mph
39 - 73 mph
38 mph or less
Watch vs Warning - Know the Difference
A HURRICANE WATCH issued for your part of the coast indicates the possibility that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. This watch should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated, especially those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat, leaving a barrier island, etc.
A HURRICANE WARNING issued for your part of the coast indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 24 hours or less. Once this warning has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.
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