The 1884 Atlantic hurricane season was one of only three Atlantic hurricane seasons, along with 1852 and 1858, in which every known tropical cyclone attained hurricane status. Overall, four tropical cyclones developed, three of which made landfall. The first system was initially observed over the northwestern Atlantic Ocean on September 1. It struck Newfoundland the following day, but impact there is unknown. On September 3, the next hurricane developed, though it did not affect land in its duration. The third hurricane struck Georgia, accompanied by damaging waves in north Florida.
The final storm was last noted on October 17. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. The hurricane brought heavy rainfall to Jamaica, resulting in eight deaths. This storm also left damage to crops and vessels in portions of the Bahamas and Cuba. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period may not be comprehensive. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 has been estimated.
Timeline
Systems
Hurricane One
The first storm of the season was spotted by the steamship State of Nebraska, while located about midway between Bermuda and Sable Island at 00:00 UTC on September 1. Initially, sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) were observed, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. Later on September 1, the bark Engelbert lost spars and sail to the east of Sable Island. Additionally, the Naupactus encountered heavy seas and lost a portion of its deckload. Early on September 2, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, it made landfall in southeastern Newfoundland. Accelerating northeastward, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone around 00:00 UTC on September 3, while located about northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The extratropical remnants moved east-northeastward across the Atlantic and struck Ireland, before dissipating late on September 6. This hurricane was added to HURDAT based on a study by Jose F. Partagas and Henry F. Diaz in 1996.
Hurricane Two
Another tropical storm was first observed by the bark Campero at 00:00 UTC on September 3, while located about northeast of Cayenne, French Guiana. Moving west-northwestward, the storm intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on September 5. The brig Comalo was damaged by the hurricane and was leaky and dismasted upon arrival in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. By midday on September 6, the storm strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Early the following day, the system further intensified into a Category 3 hurricane while curving northeastward.
At 12:00 UTC on September 7, the storm attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . Early the following day, the system weakened to a Category 2 hurricane. Around 00:00 UTC on September 12, the storm deteriorated further to a Category 1 hurricane. The next day, the hurricane began accelerating to the northeast. The steamship Marseille encountered the storm on September 14 and suffered damage. By midday on September 15, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm and dissipated late on September 16, while located about west-southwest of Ireland.
Hurricane Three
Early on September 10, the steamship City of Palatka encountered a tropical storm, while located about east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Heading northwestward, the storm made landfall in a rural area of McIntosh County, Georgia at 01:00 UTC on September 11, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Hours later, the system weakened to a tropical depression. Late on September 12, the depression re-emerged into the Atlantic Ocean and soon re-strengthened into a tropical storm. Thereafter, the storm headed southeastward and then eastward while slowly intensifying. By September 14, the system turned southward and became a Category 1 hurricane. It curved west-southwestward on September 15, then doubled-back by the following day.