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1855/01: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis. No
track available, only one point. Storm determined to have been a hurricane
based upon destruction in Tampico.
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1855/02: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis. Storm
determined to have reached hurricane status from multiple ship reports.
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1855/03: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis. No
track available, only one point. Storm determined to have reached hurricane
status from the ship "Walverine".
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1855/04: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis.
Utilized the southern wind-pressure relationship for ship with central
pressure observation of 997 mb to get 53 kt, using 50 kt in best track.
Review of this storm in conjunction with the 1855/05 hurricane reveals
that they may be the same system. However, without more supporting
evidence for the intervening days (of August 28-30) between the
systems, we are opting to keep these as separate storms.
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1855/05: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis for
track. Ludlum (1963) describes that "the tide at places between Lake
Ponchartrain and Bay St. Louis was said to have risen ten to fifteen
feet above normal high tide." Storm determined to have reached major
hurricane status at landfall based upon storm tide and destruction along
Louisiana and Mississippi. Inland winds over SE US reduced via Kaplan and
DeMaria's (1995) inland decay model. Hurricane known as the "Middle Gulf
Shore Hurricane of 1855" (Ludlum 1963). (Note that this storm was originally
labeled 1855/06 in the 2000 version of HURDAT. It was renumbered in
2003 because of the removal of storm 1855/05.)
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1855 - Additional Notes:
1855/05 - 2003 REVISION: STORM REMOVED FROM HURDAT.
1855/05: No major changes from Partagas and Diaz's (1995a) analysis. Storm
determined to have reached hurricane status from observations from ships
"Catherine" and "Rebecca". Review of this hurricane in conjunction with
the 1855/04 tropical storm reveals that they may be the same system.
However, without more supporting evidence for the intervening days (of
August 28-30) between the systems, we are opting to keep these as separate
storms.
00770 08/31/1855 M= 3 5 SNBR= 27 NOT NAMED XING=0 SSS=0
00775 08/31*414 675 70 0*424 650 70 0*434 620 70 0*445 588 70 0
00780 09/01*455 551 70 0*465 514 70 0*475 472 70 0*484 445 70 0
00785 09/02*495 414 60 0*505 384 60 0E513 355 50 0E522 330 50 0
00790 HR
(System removed from revised HURDAT.)
This hurricane is, with additional information, shown instead to be
a strong extratropical storm with well-defined baroclinic structure.
New data sources were provided by Michael Chenoweth for Sable Island and
Halifax, Canada and by Prof. Cary Mock of the University of South Carolina
for Bridgeport, Massachusetts. This tropical cyclone is thus removed from
the HURDAT database. Details about these new data sources are provided in
full below.
The two Canadian sources are (1) a weather diary kept by Alexander Muirson
at Halifax, 1828-1860 and (2) a daily record of occurrences at the "Principal
Station" on Sable Island, Nova Scotia from 1853-1855. The first is a 'pure'
meteorological register, with instrumental temperature and barometer data; the
second is what appears to be some type of government or corporate record of
activity at a fishing station. Weather is recorded daily, but is only
non-instrumental. Both records were obtained by Michael Chenoweth from the
Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia, Halifax.
Sable Island Observations:
30 August 1855
First part moderate SE winds and clear....Latter part strong
north winds and cloudy weather.
31 August 1855
A heavy northwardly blow throughout.
1 September 1855
Moderate WSW winds and clear weather.
The terminology of the time units suggests that the record is
kept by a mariner. However, the dates appear to be civil calendar
dates (midnight-midnight) and not the seaman's day of noon to noon. This
assessment is based on a scan of other day's records in the diary.
Halifax Observations:
Temperature and barometer are labeled M, N, E (morning, noon,
evening). Winds are "prevailing". Remarks give prevailing weather
conditions and register (without specifying the time usually)
a change to another prevailing weather type. Temperature and
barometer readings are most likely read at 0800, 1300-1400, and
2200 based on analysis of hourly means. Muirson never states
the morning and evening times but states once in his journal
that his mid-day reading was between 1 and 2 P.M. His thermometer also has
an eastern exposure and there is evidence for sunlight reaching the
thermometer as his morning readings in the summer are higher than his
evening reading. Muirson's barometer during the summer and early autumn
rarely exceeds 29.9 inches. Without knowing the details of his location,
cannot assume an elevation but the barometer appears not to have been
calibrated. He did routinely record the names of ships arriving in port.
Date Temp (F) Pressure (") Winds Description
29 Aug. 1855 56 70 60 29.8 29.7 29.5 changeable Clear very fine, this
morning a white frost
30 Aug. 1855 72 64 42 29.4 29.5 29.6 SW to NW Cloudy & windy --
clear & cool
31 Aug. 1855 50 64 44 29.7 29.8 29.9 N Clear & fine,
frost last night
1 Sep. 1855 53 57 56 30.0 29.9 29.7 SW Cloudy, frost last night --
heavy rain
Massachusetts Observations:
Prof. Cary Mock provided the following additional information regarding
this system: Leonard Hill's Meteorological Register. Hill kept a weather
diary at Bridgewater, MA (42.0N, 71.0W). For the dates of interest, he
recorded the following:
Aug. 29. Clear, cool.
Aug. 30. Clear, cool N
Aug. 31. Frost - killed beans, &c
Sept. 1. Rain. S.W. & S.
This early freeze helps to confirm the analysis of a strong
extratropical storm system as was also observed in the Sable Island
and Halifax observations. Prof. Mock also checked his records from
the Carolinas, which showed no storm system (tropical or otherwise)
moving up from the south near or over the mid-Atlantic coast.
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