Great Hurricane of 1780 - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

The exact origin of the hurricane is unknown but it probably developed, as do many hurricanes, in the east Atlantic Ocean off the Cape Verde Islands in early October. The system strengthened and expanded as it tracked slowly westward and first began affecting Barbados late on 9 October. Late on 10 October, the worst of the hurricane passed over the island. Early on October 11, the hurricane turned north-northwest about 90 kilometres (56 mi) east of Saint Lucia, and later that night it neared the island of Martinique. The cyclone gradually weakened as it passed to the southwest of Dominica early on 12 October and subsequently struck the island of Guadeloupe.

After hitting Guadeloupe, the hurricane turned west-northwest, passing about 145 kilometres (90 mi) southwest of Saint Kitts. The hurricane steadily neared Puerto Rico as it paralleled the southern coastline, and on 14 October made its closest point of approach, to the southwest portion of the island. It subsequently turned to the northwest, hitting the island of Mona in the Mona Passage before making landfall near the present-day Dominican Republic province of Samaná. Late on 15 October, it reached the Atlantic Ocean and after passing about 260 kilometres (160 mi) east of Grand Turk Island, it is estimated to have recurved to the northeast. The hurricane passed 240 kilometres (150 mi) southeast of Bermuda on 18 October, and was last observed two days later about 475 kilometres (295 mi) southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

On 19 October, strong winds and high tides were reported in the British province of East Florida (the northeastern portion of present-day Florida). One modern historian suggests the hurricane passed much closer to the province than previously thought. Another possibility considered was an extension to a hurricane in the western Caribbean Sea. Because of lack of data, the exact track of the Great Hurricane is unknown.