Meteorological History
On August 31, 1933, a moderate tropical storm, with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), formed 380 miles (612 km) east-northeast of Barbuda. The cyclone rapidly deepened to a hurricane, and it attained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) on the same date. A ship, the Gulf Wing, reported winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 981 mbar (28.98 inHg) near the center. At the time, the ship report was the first evidence that indicated the storm attained winds of hurricane intensity within a narrow region around the center. On September 1, the hurricane intensified to a major hurricane, and the forward speed accelerated. On September 2, the center passed north of Grand Turk Island. The strong hurricane, strengthening further, attained the equivalence of a Category 4 storm on the modern-day Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale during that same day. It intensified to a peak intensity with winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). On September 3, the hurricane struck Eleuthera and Harbour Island at maximum strength; the eye passed over Harbour Island, where a lull was reported around 6 a.m. (1100 UTC). The hurricane crossed the northern Bahamas, weakened slightly, and made landfall near Jupiter, Florida on the morning of September 4. Maximum sustained winds were near 125 mph (205 km/h) at landfall. The center passed over the Jupiter Inlet Weather Bureau station, where the lowest pressure in the United States, 948 mbar (27.98 inHg), was recorded. The duration of the passage of the eye, occurring near midnight (0500 UTC), lasted for 40 minutes. It is estimated that the landfall point was Jupiter Island, which is located in Martin County.
Inland, the hurricane weakened rapidly and it passed over Okeechobee County. On September 4, the system diminished to a tropical storm and passed north of Bartow. The tropical cyclone, recurving near Cedar Key on September 5, moved through the Big Bend region of the state. On September 6, the cyclone, crossing southern Georgia, weakened to a tropical depression, and the circulation dissipated over South Carolina the next day.
Read more about this topic: 1933 Treasure Coast Hurricane
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