The Gale of 1878, was an intense Category 2 hurricane that caused extensive damage from Cuba to New England.
A tropical storm formed off the coast of Jamaica on October 18, 1878, and moved nearly due north. On October 20, the storm reached hurricane status and on October 21, the hurricane struck Cuba. The damage in Cuba was only minor and three schooners sank. The hurricane continued moving northeast and made landfall in North Carolina where it w...
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The Gale of 1878, was an intense Category 2 hurricane that caused extensive damage from Cuba to New England.
A tropical storm formed off the coast of Jamaica on October 18, 1878, and moved nearly due north. On October 20, the storm reached hurricane status and on October 21, the hurricane struck Cuba. The damage in Cuba was only minor and three schooners sank. The hurricane continued moving northeast and made landfall in North Carolina where it wrecked a schooner and several steamers. The storm later continued inland moving at speeds between 40-50 mph, carrying hurricane force winds as far as Richmond, Virginia, before merging with an extratropical storm over New England.
The hurricane killed 71 people and left $2 million dollars in damage (1878 USD).
Hurricane conditions were reported at Havana. Much damage was done to buildings, though three schooners sank over waters. Pressure reports were missing during the storm's passage over the isle, and the lowest pressure noted was 29.67" at...
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