1906 Hurricane

September 27th Hurricane of 1906

On the evening of September 27th in 1906, a Category 2 hurricane made landfall near Pascagoula, MS. This hurricane devastated many of our coastal communities including Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL. A storm tide of 11 feet was observed in Pensacola, FL during this hurricane. According to the Monthly Weather Review, "This was the most terrific storm in the history of Pensacola, or since the village of Pensacola, on Santa Rosa Island, was swept away 170 years ago."

In terms of damage in Pensacola, the Monthly Weather Review stated "On Palafox street from the wharf north to Wright street there is hardly a building that has escaped damage, and in many instances the losses will be heavy, as the in roofs were blown from many and the driving rain damaged stocks to a great extent. The train service in and out of the city is completely paralyzed. Fort Barrancas is much damaged, Fort Pickens has suffered severely, and Fort McRae is completely razed, the ruins of the old fort standing alone on the shore. Houses along the water front in Wolsey and Warrington are destroyed by either wind or water, and a great many are washt away."

134 lives were lost in total during this storm and, according to the Monthly Weather Review "about 100 persons lost their lives, mostly by drowning in the high tide" in southern Mobile County.

Additional Information

Monthly Weather Review - September 1906

Acknowledgements: Page created by Morgan Barry (forecaster).

LAST UPDATED: September 2019