text: 1933 atlantic hurricane season the 1933 atlantic hurricane season was the second most active atlantic hurricane season on record , with 20 storms forming in the northwest atlantic ocean . the season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1933 , with activity as early as may and as late as november . a tropical cyclone was active for all but 13 days from june 28 to october 7 . the year was surpassed in total number of tropical cyclones by the 2005 season , which broke the record with 28 storms . tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes , especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration , may have remained undetected . because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s , historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable . compensating for the lack of comprehensive observation , one hurricane researcher estimates the season could have produced 24 tropical cyclones . of the 20 storms during the season , 11 attained hurricane status . six of those were major hurricanes , with sustained winds of over 111 mph ( 179 km / h ) . two of the hurricanes reached winds of 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) , which is a category 5 – the highest of 5 – on the modern saffir - simpson hurricane scale . the season produced several deadly storms , with eight storms killing more than 20 people . all but 3 of the 20 known storms affected land at some point during their durations . season summary the 1933 season was the most active of its time , surpassing the previous record - holder of 19 storms in 1887 . fifteen of the season 's storms made landfall as tropical cyclones , and another struck land as an extratropical storm . eight tropical storms , including six hurricanes , hit the united states during the season , including the chesapeake – potomac hurricane , which the u.s. weather bureau described as one of the most severe in history along the mid - atlantic states . seven tropical storms , including four hurricanes , hit mexico , two of which caused severe damage in the tampico area . the season was continuously active , with six storms forming during the month of august alone . at the time , many storms received the distinction of being the earliest nth storm to form , such as the earliest fifth tropical storm to form in a season . most of the records were broken in later years . during the season , the u.s. weather bureau issued storm and hurricane warnings for eight storms , including coastal portions of texas , as well as from florida to massachusetts , forcing the evacuations of thousands of people . the deadliest storm of the season was a hurricane that struck tampico , mexico , killing over 184 residents . the costliest hurricane was the chesapeake – potomac hurricane , which caused $ 27 million in damage from north carolina to new jersey . the hurricane produced rainfall that resulted in severe crop damage in maryland . in addition to the 20 tropical storms , there were several tropical depressions of lesser intensity . the first developed on june 1 in the northwest caribbean and dissipated a few days later . another depression developed on july 11 over panama and also quickly dissipated . a tropical depression developed on july 17 in the northeastern atlantic west of the azores , and one ship reported hurricane - force winds ; however , there was little evidence that the tropical system was organized , so it was not classified as a tropical storm . originally , there was a tropical storm in the database in the caribbean in the middle of august , but it was downgraded to a tropical depression due to lack of any reports of gale - force winds . similarly , there was a tropical storm in the database in late september , but it was also downgraded to a tropical depression due to lack of gale - force winds . the season produced the highest accumulated cyclone energy ( ace ) on record with a total of 259 . the measurement is a method to compare tropical cyclone activity between seasons . originally , 1933 had an ace of 213 , which was surpassed by 1950 and 2005 . however , the atlantic hurricane reanalysis project found that the storms in 1933 were stronger than initially reported . storms tropical storm one the first storm of the season formed on may 14 in the southwestern caribbean sea off the east coast of nicaragua . it moved quickly to the north - northwest , passing just northeast of the eastern tip of honduras . on may 15 , the storm turned to the west and entered the gulf of mexico while moving around the yucatán peninsula . the next day , it attained peak winds of 50 mph ( 85 km / h ) , based on a ship report . turning southward , the storm made landfall on ciudad del carmen in mexico early on may 19 with winds of 40 mph ( 64 km / h ) . it dissipated over land later that day . hurricane two a westward - moving tropical wave spawned a tropical depression on june 24 about halfway between the southern lesser antilles and the coast of africa . the depression quickly intensified into a tropical storm , and by june 27 it became a hurricane off the northern coast of guyana . at 2100 utc that day , the hurricane struck extreme southern trinidad with winds of 85 mph ( 137 km / h ) . after crossing the island , the hurricane moved across the paria peninsula in northeastern venezuela with the same intensity . the hurricane was earliest to affect the region on record , and was the first storm in over 50 years to affected trinidad and venezuela . in trinidad , 13 people were killed , about 1 , 000 people were left homeless , and damage was estimated at $ 3 million . in venezuela , the hurricane caused power outages , destroyed several houses , and killed several people . after crossing venezuela into the eastern caribbean , the hurricane moved northwestward and gradually intensified . on july 3 it struck western cuba with winds of 100 mph ( 160 km / h ) . in the country , the storm killed 22 people , while damage amounted to $ 4 million . a building high pressure area turned the hurricane westward in the gulf of mexico , and after further strengthening the storm attained peak winds of 110 mph ( 175 km / h ) on july 5 . it turned to the west - southwest and made landfall in northeastern mexico on july 7 with winds of 100 mph ( 160 km / h ) , about halfway between tampico and the mexico / united states border . it dissipated about 11 hours later over mexico . there were several deaths and heavy damage in the area where the storm moved ashore . across its path , the hurricane killed 35 people . tropical storm three the third tropical storm of the season ( initially classified as two separate storms but later identified as a single track ) was first observed on july 14 near st. kitts . it moved quickly westward and passed just south of puerto rico and hispaniola as a weak storm . the system curved slightly to the west - northwest and brushed the northern coast of jamaica before turning slightly westward and hitting the mexican state of quintana roo . as it crossed the yucatán peninsula the cyclone weakened and eventually crossed into the bay of campeche . it moved quickly to the northwest , and made landfall near matagorda bay , in texas on july 23 as a 45 mph ( 70 km / h ) tropical storm . the system turned to the northeast , and became extratropical to the east of dallas , texas . the extratropical system moved slowly through northern louisiana , turned to the northeast , and dissipated over northeastern arkansas near memphis , tennessee . while passing near jamaica , the storm dropped heavy rainfall , including 9 inches ( 230 mm ) in kingston which led to flooding and washouts . the rainfall also damaged several bridges and roads and resulting in delays in train schedules . mudslides and overflowing rivers flooded several towns with knee - deep waters . moderate winds downed several banana trees across the island . prior to the arrival of the storm in texas , numerous coastal residents boarded up their houses and businesses and voluntarily evacuated further inland . upon making landfall , the storm produced high tides . in eastern texas and western louisiana , the system dropped very heavy precipitation , which in places reached accumulations exceeding 20 inches ( 500 mm ) . the highest storm total occurred in logansport , louisiana , which reported 21 . 30 inches ( 541 mm ) in a 4 - day period . in louisiana , the flooding severely damaged crops and forced about 250 families near shreveport to evacuate their flooded homes . the torrential rainfall also resulted in overflowing rivers ; numerous highways , roads , and railroads were either impassable or closed , with some locations experiencing water depths of up to 20 feet ( 6 . 1 m ) . total damage reached nearly $ 2 million . tropical storm four a dissipating cold front spawned a tropical depression east of bermuda on july 24 . it moved east - northeastward initially , and intensified into a tropical storm early on july 25 . based on ship observations , it is estimated the storm attained peak winds of 60 mph ( 95 km / h ) . the storm turned to the northeast and was absorbed by a cold front southeast of newfoundland early on july 27 . hurricane five on july 24 , a tropical storm was detected . located to the southeast of antigua , it tracked west - northwestward , passing near st. thomas with winds of up to 60 mph ( 95 km / h ) . the storm strengthened and attained hurricane status the next day north of puerto rico , and it continued its west - northwest movement . after moving through the northern bahamas , the hurricane struck near fort pierce , florida , with winds of 85 mph ( 135 km / h ) . the hurricane crossed the state and weakened to minimal tropical storm intensity . it turned to the west - southwest and re - strengthened to a hurricane on august 4 off the coast of texas . it weakened again to tropical storm status and made its final landfall near brownsville , texas , on august 5 as a strong tropical storm . the system rapidly dissipated over northern mexico . while moving over saint christopher , the storm killed six people . heavy rain was reported throughout the virgin islands . the hurricane caused the drowning of one person in the bahamas , and moderate winds produced severe structural damage to the buildings in the archipelago . in florida , the national weather bureau issued storm warnings between miami to titusville , while governor david issued a mandatory evacuation for 4 , 200 residents in vulnerable areas around lake okeechobee . damage in florida was minimal , limited to minor crops , roofs , and signs . in southern texas , the hurricane produced moderate damage of $ 500 , 000 , including disrupted telephone and telegraph lines . the hurricane produced high tides along the coast of texas , covering parts of south padre island , and heavy rains in northern mexico caused heavy damage . hurricane six a ship first reported a tropical depression near the cape verde islands on august 13 . this system would become one of the most destructive hurricanes of the season . the storm moved towards the northwest and attained hurricane status on august 16 . the hurricane continued to strengthen , and on august 21 , it passed about 150 miles ( 240 km ) southwest of bermuda as a category 3 hurricane . st. george 's avoided a direct hit but reported wind speeds of up to 64 mph ( 103 km / h ) . on august 22 , the hurricane turned west - northwest and reached its peak intensity , with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph ( 220 km / h ) , equivalent to a category 4 hurricane in the modern - day saffir - simpson hurricane scale . however , it weakened quickly afterwards . on august 23 , the storm made landfall on the outer banks of north carolina as a category 1 hurricane and continued to quickly weaken as it moved inland , away from its energy source . the storm turned to the north , then to the northeast , passing through virginia , maryland , and pennsylvania before weakening to a tropical depression over new york . the storm became extratropical on august 25 and turned to the east , moving through atlantic canada and dissipating on august 28 . the hurricane caused damage ranging from moderate to severe in the corridor between north carolina and new jersey , due to high tides and strong winds . in the state of maryland , the storm 's effects resulted in severe crop damage , and many boats and piers were damaged or destroyed due to high tides and storm surge . the hurricane produced heavy rainfall along its path , with a peak of 13 . 28 inches ( 337 . 3 mm ) in york , pennsylvania . overall , the hurricane caused $ 27 million in and 31 deaths . tropical storm seven the seventh tropical storm of the season was first observed in the eastern caribbean on august 14 . it strengthened to reach winds of 45 mph ( 72 km / h ) . after passing just south of jamaica , the storm turned to the northwest and crossed over both the isle of youth and western cuba on august 18 . it curved northward and dissipated west of florida on august 21 . on trinidad , rainfall from this storm and a subsequent tropical depression were the heaviest in nine years , which caused rivers to overflow and flooded parts of the island . several boats were damaged or driven ashore from rough seas . the two storms caused damage to fields , highways , and houses , and caused the loss of crops such as cocoa and bananas . in all , damage totaled $ 3 million and there were 13 deaths on trinidad . the storm produced heavy rainfall in eastern jamaica , including a record 24 - hour total of 12 . 2 inches ( 310 mm ) in the corporate area , and dallas castle received 20 . 2 inches ( 510 mm ) in 24 hours . this flooded and damaged properties and water systems in kingston and saint andrew , leading to a water famine until the water mains were fixed . damage totaled to over $ 2 . 5 million , and 70 people were reported killed due to the flooding . damage was minimal in both cuba and florida . hurricane eight the eighth storm of the season was one of two storms in the 1933 atlantic hurricane season to reach the intensity of a category 5 strength on the saffir - simpson hurricane scale . it formed on august 22 off the west coast of africa , and for much of its duration it maintained a west - northwest track . the system intensified into a tropical storm on august 26 and into a hurricane on august 28 . passing north of the lesser antilles , the hurricane rapidly intensified as it approached the turks and caicos islands . it reached category 5 status and its peak winds of 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) on august 31 . subsequently , it weakened before striking northern cuba on september 1 with winds of 120 mph ( 190 km / h ) . in the country , the hurricane left about 100 , 000 people homeless and killed over 70 people . damage was heaviest near the storm 's path , and the strong winds destroyed houses and left areas without power . damage was estimated at $ 11 million . after exiting from cuba , the hurricane entered the gulf of mexico and restrengthened . on september 2 , it re - attained winds of 140 mph ( 230 km / h ) . initially the hurricane posed a threat to the area around corpus christi , texas , and the local united states weather bureau forecaster advised people to stay away from the texas coastline during the busy labor day weekend . officials declared martial law in the city and mandated evacuations . however , the hurricane turned more to the west and struck near brownsville early on september 5 with winds estimated at 125 mph ( 205 km / h ) . it quickly dissipated after causing heavy damage in the rio grande valley . high winds caused heavy damage to the citrus crop . the hurricane left $ 16 . 9 million in damage and 40 deaths in southern texas . tropical storm nine on august 23 , another tropical storm was observed north of puerto rico . it moved northwestward for three days , slowly strengthening as it moved over the open ocean . the storm turned to the northeast and reached peak sustained winds of 50 mph ( 80 km / h ) a short distance to the west of bermuda . it began weakening shortly thereafter , and on august 30 the storm became extratropical to the southeast of newfoundland . it continued to the northeast and was last observed on august 31 over the north - central atlantic ocean . it did not cause significant effects on land . tropical storm ten a tropical storm formed in the bay of campeche . it initially moved to the northwest . the cyclone remained a minimal tropical storm for most of its lifetime . on august 29 , the storm turned to the west - southwest and made landfall near tampico , mexico , dissipating shortly thereafter . the tropical storm caused heavy rains near the coast , although winds were minor . due to uncertainty as to its course , tropical storm warnings were issued for portions of the southern texas coastline . hurricane eleven a tropical storm was first observed on august 31 , 225 miles ( 360 km ) north - northeast of the island of antigua . the storm rapidly intensified as it moved quickly to the west - northwest , attaining hurricane status later that day , and major hurricane strength on september 1 , while located to the north of puerto rico . it continued west - northwestward and attained its peak intensity , with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph ( 225 km / h ) , on september 2 . the hurricane , then at category 4 on the saffir - simpson hurricane scale , moved through the northern bahamas at peak intensity and weakened slightly before making landfall on jupiter , florida , with winds of 125 mph ( 200 km / h ) on september 4 . the system weakened rapidly over florida to tropical storm status , and after turning to the north , decelerated . the weakening storm slowly moved through georgia before dissipating near the georgia / south carolina border on september 7 . on eleuthera island , the category 4 hurricane blew away the roofs of buildings , wrecked wharves , and lost boats . hurricane warnings were issued for the eastern florida coastline , and 3 , 000 people were evacuated around lake okeechobee to safer areas . in southeastern florida , the strong winds broke many glass windows and downed trees and power lines ; severe house damage was reported near the landfall location . the hurricane 's powerful winds also severely damaged crops , including 4 million boxes of citrus fruit across the state . in total , florida suffered $ 2 million in damage and two deaths . hurricane twelve on september 8 , an area of disturbed weather to the east of the lesser antilles organized into a tropical storm . it moved north - northeastward , and after a turn to the northwest , the system intensified to hurricane strength on september 10 . it steadily intensified and reached a peak strength of 140 mph ( 225 km / h ) on september 15 . it slowed as it turned to the north , striking southeastern north carolina just west of cape hatteras as a category 2 hurricane . after moving through the outer banks , the system accelerated to the northeast and became extratropical on september 18 about halfway between cape cod and the southern tip of nova scotia . the extratropical storm passed over nova scotia , newfoundland , and labrador before dissipating east of greenland on september 22 . strong winds from the hurricane downed trees and power lines in southeastern north carolina , causing damage to many houses . the hurricane produced a storm surge that flooded coastal streets with 3 to 4 feet ( 0 . 9 – 1 . 2 m ) of water . in all , the hurricane caused at least 21 deaths , primarily due to drowning in high waters . damage totaled around $ 4 . 5 million . hurricane thirteen on september 10 , as hurricane twelve was intensifying over the waters of the atlantic ocean , another area of disturbed weather developed into a tropical storm over the western caribbean sea off the coast of guatemala . it moved slowly northward and strengthened , becoming a hurricane on september 12 just east of belize . on the next day , the hurricane made landfall on the mexican state of quintana roo , and the system weakened to a tropical storm as it moved northwestward across the yucatán peninsula . on september 14 it again regained hurricane status over the bay of campeche . the hurricane struck tampico on september 15 and then dissipated . the storm caused severe damage in tampico and further inland , leaving several thousand homeless . according to the new york times , at least 67 people were killed . tuxpan , south of tampico , also suffered heavy damage with many houses and office buildings destroyed . total property losses were estimated at several million dollars . hurricane fourteen on the other side of the caribbean sea , what would become the second category 5 hurricane of the season , and the 14th tropical storm of the year , was first observed on september 16 to the east of the southern leeward islands . the cyclone , then a tropical depression , tracked to the west - northwest through the islands , slowly strengthening into a tropical storm on september 18 . it attained hurricane strength on september 19 near jamaica , then began a period of rapid intensification south of that island . on september 21 , a ship measured a central pressure of 929 millibars ( 27 inhg ) , indicating that the hurricane had intensified to a peak of 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) . continuing west - northwestward , the hurricane weakened somewhat and made landfall 40 miles ( 65 km ) south of cozumel island on september 22 . winds at landfall were estimated to have been 140 mph ( 230 km / h ) , equivalent to a category 4 hurricane by modern classification . the hurricane weakened slightly over the yucatán peninsula , but then re - strengthened over the gulf of mexico to reach a second peak intensity of 110 mph ( 175 km / h ) on september 24 . shortly thereafter , the storm made landfall near tampico . it dissipated on september 25 over mexico . near jamaica , the hurricane caused rough seas , although damage , if any , is unknown . while moving across the yucatán peninsula , the storm produced heavy rainfall and strong winds . in cozumel , the winds destroyed a 300 - foot ( 91 m ) pier and several buildings . rough seas sunk several ships , and one person drowned . the rainfall caused several rivers to overflow , causing flooding and damage to roads and railroads in the state of veracruz . many people in low - lying areas around tampico evacuated for the storm . reports indicate much of the city of tampico was destroyed , and the total number of deaths and injuries amounted to over 5 , 000 . most of the deaths occurred from flood waters , which were 10 to 15 feet ( 3 . 0 – 4 . 6 m ) deep and covered the entire city ; many bodies were washed out to sea , and were never recovered . the flooding washed out roads and railroads , delaying relief efforts into the devastated area . water and food supplies in and around tampico were damaged or contaminated , resulting in a threat of famine or disease that further aggravated the situation . torrential rains caused more flooding , and the powerful winds damaged or destroyed nearly every building in the city and left many homeless . the strong winds downed numerous power lines , leaving the entire city in blackout , and destroyed two large water towers . there were at least 10 cases of looting ; all of the perpetrators were executed . damage in and around tampico totaled over $ 10 million , and the storm killed over 184 people . the thousands of victims took refuge in churches , theatres , and public buildings . immediately after the storm , the mexican military placed the city under martial law . military and federal authorities dispatched trains with food , water , and medicine , and planes bearing engineers and doctors . mexican president abelardo l. rodríguez rallied citizens to aid the affected people in the storm area . the local chamber of deputies allowed $ 140 , 000 in funds for the storm victims . hurricane fifteen a storm of extratropical origin developed into a small tropical storm on september 24 southwest of the azores . initially the storm moved north - northwestward , and based on ship reports , it is estimated the system intensified into a hurricane on september 26 . it passed west of the azores as it turned to the north - northeast , weakening to a tropical storm later that day . on september 27 the storm became extratropical , and the next day it dissipated . tropical storm sixteen a tropical disturbance moved through the lesser antilles in late september . after crossing hispaniola , a tropical depression developed on october 1 north of the dominican republic . it moved northwestward initially and quickly intensified into a tropical storm . it had a broad wind field , indicating characteristics of a subtropical cyclone . after reaching peak winds of 45 mph ( 72 km / h ) , the storm turned to the northeast and weakened . it dissipated on october 4 to the southeast of bermuda . hurricane seventeen on october 1 , a tropical storm developed off the northeast coast of nicaragua . it moved slowly northward and steadily intensified , becoming a hurricane on october 3 just west of jamaica . the hurricane turned to the north - northwest and hit the cuban province of la habana with winds of 110 mph ( 175 km / h ) on october 4 . the hurricane passed over havana and turned to the northeast and strengthened , becoming a major hurricane as it moved south of miami , florida . the hurricane reached a peak intensity of 125 mph ( 205 km / h ) while passing through the bahamas on october 6 . the hurricane weakened as it accelerated to the northeast , and it became extratropical on october 8 to the south of nova scotia . it paralleled the nova scotia coast , turned to the east - southeast , and lost its tropical characteristics on october 9 over the open north atlantic ocean . one person was killed in jamaica due to flooding . in cuba , people boarded up numerous buildings , and emergency workers assisted authorities in spreading the word about the impending storm ; residents in vulnerable areas evacuated to shelters on higher ground . the hurricane 's powerful winds destroyed several houses in camagüey , and heavy rainfall overflowed numerous rivers in low - lying districts . the winds damaged and disrupted telephone and telegraph lines and injured a few people in havana . despite government orders for police to kill any looters , large - scale looting occurred in havana after the storm . two looters were shot to death , and a third was injured . two civilians were also wounded by snipers who fired to disperse thieves . residents in southeast florida boarded up for the storm while the national weather bureau issued storm warnings for portions of the coastline . the hurricane produced strong winds and rain in the florida keys and extreme southern florida , but damage was minimal . in northwest miami , the hurricane spawned a tornado that damaged three houses and injured two . in nova scotia , the former hurricane left heavy damage to crops due to strong winds and heavy rain . sunken boats killed nine people , and damage was estimated at around $ 1 million ( 1933 cad ) , including $ 250 , 000 in lost apple crop . hurricane eighteen after a two - week period of inactivity , a tropical depression was detected in the western caribbean sea on october 25 . it moved to the east - northeast then curved to the northwest while slowly intensifying . on october 29 , it strengthened into a hurricane near jamaica and reached peak winds of 90 mph ( 150 km / h ) before striking the western portion of the island . the hurricane turned to the northeast and weakened . it made landfall on southeastern cuba as a strong tropical storm on october 31 . the weakening storm changed its course to the north - northwest , as it drifted through cuba and the bahamas . on november 4 , the storm turned once more to the northeast , accelerated , and was absorbed by an approaching cold front on november 7 near bermuda . while moving near western jamaica , the hurricane produced strong winds of about 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) , which wrecked about 90 % of the banana crop . one plantation lost 500 banana trees , and there was also damage to corn , coffee , and yams . many houses were wrecked or washed away , leaving hundreds homeless . the storm cut power and telegraph lines and blocked roads , limiting communication . rail lines were cut , and small bridges were washed away . damage was estimated at $ 3 million , and there were 23 deaths . the storm also produced strong winds and rainfall in cuba . tropical storm nineteen almost simultaneous to hurricane 19 , a tropical storm developed a short distance east of the central bahamas on october 26 . it moved north - northeastward , then northeastward , steadily strengthening along its path . on october 27 , a barometric pressure of 993 mbar ( 29 . 32 inhg ) was recorded within the storm , and on october 28 the storm reached a peak intensity of 70 mph ( 110 km / h ) . on october 29 , the storm became extratropical and turned north to hit nova scotia . between two high pressure systems , it continued northward until dissipating over extreme eastern portions of quebec on october 30 . in atlantic canada , the former tropical storm produced winds of 52 mph ( 83 km / h ) in nova scotia , along with heavy rainfall of 2 . 3 in ( 58 mm ) in amherst . the storm sank one boat and washed another ashore . winds were strong enough to knock down telephone and telegraph lines , mainly due to fallen trees which also covered roads and damaged houses . flooding washed out several bridges and roads , covering one highway with 6 ft ( 1 . 8 m ) of water , and entered the basements of houses . in new brunswick , the storm damaged or destroyed 72 bridges . one man was struck by a car due to poor visibility from the storm . tropical storm twenty after another calm period , the final tropical storm of the season was first observed on november 15 in the southwestern caribbean sea . it moved slowly westward , never strengthening beyond a minimal tropical storm in its short lifetime . on november 16 , it struck the southeastern coast of nicaragua , and it dissipated soon after on november 17 . seasonal effects this is a table of the storms in 1933 and their landfall ( s ) in bold , if any . the minimum pressures , in most cases , are based on limited observations and may not have occurred at their peak intensity .