Q. re. Cape Verde storms and the Gulf

[BayouVenteux]

This year looks to be a non-event year for the Gulf as far as true Cape Verde storms go. While I do expect to see one or perhaps two more tropical cyclones form in the NW Caribbean or southern Gulf as a result of propagating waves interacting with stalled frontal troughs, we will not likely see a CV-spawned "Georges" type storm make it past 80W. Which led me to wonder...what is the latest date that a true Cape Verde storm entered the Gulf and/or made landfall on a U.S. coastal area?

Would be very interested in knowing, since common wisdom pretty much dictates that we're now into the time of year when if they're not already in the Gulf or central /western Caribbean, a CV storm is not in the cards.

[JetMaxx]

I'd have to conduct some research to confirm it, but just off the top of my head....it was possibly the vicious Sept 1915 hurricane which struck near New Orleans on September 29th. It's exact origins are unknown, but was already a major hurricane when passing through the Windward Islands; and is believed to have been a Cape Verde hurricane.

Very few true Cape Verde hurricanes spawn after September 21st....Georges in 1998 and Gloria (1985) were two of the latest on record.

[AussieMark]

was Lili spawned from a Cape Verde Wave.

[PTrackerLA]

Yes she was and so was Isidore.

[BayouVenteux]

Thanks Perry! As a sometime poster and longtime lurker at a couple of the Tropical Wx boards, I've come to appreciate your historical knowledge on storms.

I found some additonal information on the storm you referenced at one of our local state weather history sites...sounds like a BAD one indeed:

"September 29th, 1915: A violent hurricane reached New Orleans. The then 10 foot high levee protecting the city began to be questioned as not being high enough after the passage of this storm (Orleans Levee District). The pressure fell to 28.01" on a ship in the New Orleans harbor. Burrwood's winds gusted to 106 m.p.h.. New Orleans saw as high as 98 m.p.h.. Franklin had 14.43" of rain during the storm, while New Orleans saw over 8". Over 50% of U.S. Highway 90 along the Mississippi coast was destroyed.

Storm surges up to 12 feet ran ashore the northern coast of Grand Isle. The New Canal lighthouse was heavily damaged as winds of 130 mph raged, and the pressure fell to 28.11"....which at the time set a record for the lowest pressure measured on land in the United States. Ninety-nine out of 100 buildings were destroyed in the town of Leeville. Thirteen million dollars of damage, $5 million in New Orleans alone, were caused and 275 people died. Many of those who perished refused to leave low lying areas in advance of the storm, despite ample warning." 

Actually looks like we might see another extremely late-season CV storm form here in the next 48 hours, though considering climatology, "fish"hood would seem to be it's eventual destiny. But one thing I've learned in 2+ decades of storm tracking...you NEVER count 'em gone 'til they're gone!

[AussieMark]

yes look at Fabian.

[LarryWx]

Since 1851, only three C.V. storms (using my definition of a storm that is first declared at least a T.D. east of 50W and south of 20N) that were declared a tropical cyclone later than 9/20 have later hit the U.S. with the latest formation on 9/25:

1) Lili of 2002 which formed on 9/21 and hit LA
2) Inez of 1966 which formed on 9/21 and hit FL
3) Storm #9 of 1893 which formed on 9/25 and hit SC, the latest in the season C.V. storm on record to later hit the U.S.

I also did another study:

From 1851-2002, there were 36 T.S.+'s that were first declared a T.D.+ east of 55W and south of 20N ON OR AFTER 9/26. NONE of these later hit the U.S.

[ColdFront77]

I'd have to conduct some research to confirm it, but just off the top of my head....it was possibly the vicious Sept 1915 hurricane which struck near New Orleans on September 29th. It's exact origins are unknown, but was already a major hurricane when passing through the Windward Islands; and is believed to have been a Cape Verde hurricane.

[ColdFront77]

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Bumping this up for anyone who may have missed the track of the hurricane that made landfall along the Louisiana coast on September 29th, 1915.....

[summerwx]

Well, JetMaxx said it was "possibly" a Cape Verde hurricane...not a 100% certainty; and also there were questions regarding this hurricane's true origin. I've found quite a few innacuracies in those Unisys track maps before 1940 (citing the 1893 and 1898 Georgia major hurricanes as examples).

[ColdFront77]

That's true, summerwx. In general the tracks of tropical cyclones from 1851 to 1940 are not accurate. This is the only data we can go by. I assume that other websites have similar tracks for the tropical activity during this 90 year period.

[JetMaxx]

Those pre-1930 Unisys hurricane track maps are about as worthless and unreliable as the 2003 Detroit Tigers

What I learned about the 1915 Grand Isle/ New Orleans monster hurricane was learned long ago; from hours upon hours of poring over old hurricane books written by men such as Gordon Dunn and Grady Norton -- both leading authorities on hurricanes before 1950. They both termed the 1915 hurricane as a great hurricane as it passed south of Puerto Rico. I've also spent many days in libraries all across the southeast researching hurricane-related articles in old newspapers...some dating back to 1870.

Can I say with 100% certainty the 1915 New Orleans hurricane was a Cape Verde hurricane? Nope....that's why I said PROBABLY. Read my post above again...I stated it was "probably" a Cape Verde; "possibly" a candidate for the latest Cape Verde storm to impact the Gulf Coast west of Apalachicola. I never said it was a lock.

[ColdFront77]

I agree 100%, as well. There is no way we can tell the September 1915 Hurricane was a Cape Verde system.

I was just posting the track that Unisys Weather has for all to see.