1934 Central America hurricane

The 1934 Central America hurricane is among the deadliest hurricanes on record. Although a weak hurricane, it killed 1,000-3,000 people, mainly from landslides in Central America, and spawned eight tornadoes when it made landfall in Louisiana.

Meteorological history

The storm formed in the Gulf of Honduras on June 4, a typical site of formation for June Atlantic tropical cyclones. It moved slowly to the west-southwest, and made landfall in Belize (then known as British Honduras) on June 5. The storm maintained tropical storm strength over land while still moving slowly as it executed a counter-clockwise loop over Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. On the 8th, the storm again reached the Caribbean Sea, and briefly reached minimal hurricane strength off the coast of Belize on June 8. It paralleled the coastline before making landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula on the 9th.

Over the next two days the storm tracked to the west-northwest before executing a second loop in the Gulf of Mexico on June 12. On the 15th it turned to the northeast, causing a hurricane warning to be issued along the Louisiana coast. The small hurricane made landfall on June 16 near Morgan City, Louisiana with winds of 75 mph, and quickly weakened over land. The storm accelerated to the northeast through the Ohio Valley before becoming extratropical near Virginia on June 19. The extratropical storm continued through the Mid-Atlantic states and New England before dissipating over northeastern Quebec.

Impact

Between June 5–8, the center of the storm slowly tracked across British Honduras, southeastern Mexico, and Guatemala, with estimated peak sustained winds of  along this path. These peak winds were measured in San Salvador, El Salvador. The slow-moving tropical cyclone produced torrential rainfall that resulted in widespread flooding that killed several thousand people. Rainfall totals exceeded  in some locations. The worst effects were felt in San Salvador and Honduras. The town of Octoepeque, Honduras, was destroyed, killing 500 people. All buildings succumbed to flooding except the town church. The storm made landfall as a  on Quintana Roo on June 9, producing hurricane-force winds inland over the Yucatán Peninsula.

Ahead of the storm, a semi-stationary weather front across southern Georgia and northern Florida drew moist air from the hurricane, causing heavy rains over central and northern Florida; the maximum rainfall total in the state was  as recorded in St. Leo. The hurricane moved ashore Louisiana at  on June 16, passing over Jeanerette, west of Morgan City. Winds in Morgan City reached  as the hurricane made landfall. Along the coast, shrimp-drying platforms and oil derricks incurred $105,000 in damage. A rainfall maximum of  was recorded in Lafayette. Six people were killed in Louisiana and the property damage toll reached $2.605 million. An additional $1.5 million damage toll was inflicted upon crops, including corn and cotton. Corn and cotton crops recovered soon after the hurricane's passage. Heavy rainfall fell across western Mississippi, killing four people and injuring many others. In Tennessee's Red River Valley, crops and roads sustained $250,000 in damage from excessive rainfall. Cedar Hill, Tennessee, recorded  of rain in 14 hours; this was the heaviest June rain event in state history. A -wide tornado struck a rural area north of Joelton, Tennessee on June 17, damaging a few farm buildings. The tropical storm proceeded to produce rainfall over New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. A -wind was measured in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as the storm reemerged into the Atlantic.

References

See also

List of tropical cyclones
List of Atlantic hurricanes

External links
Monthly Weather Review
1934 Hurricane track Unisys

Category:1930–1939 Atlantic hurricane seasons
Category:1934 in Mexico
Category:1934 natural disasters in the United States
Category:Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes
Category:Hurricanes in Belize
Category:Hurricanes in Guatemala
Category:Hurricanes in Honduras
Category:Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico
Category:Hurricanes in Louisiana
1934 hurricane
Hurricane
Category:June 1934 events
Category:1934 meteorology