The 1916 Atlantic hurricane season featured eighteen tropical cyclones, of which nine made landfall in the United States, the most in one season until 2020, when eleven struck. The first storm appeared on May 13 south of Cuba, while the final tropical storm became an extratropical cyclone over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on November 15. Of the 18 tropical cyclones forming that season, 15 intensified into a tropical storm, the second-most at the time, behind only 1887. Ten of the tropical storms intensified into a hurricane, while five of those became a major hurricane. The early 20th century lacked modern forecasting tools such as satellite imagery and documentation, and thus, the hurricane database from these years may be incomplete.
The most intense tropical cyclone of the season was the sixth system, which peaked as a Category 4 on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. Jamaica and Texas bore the brunt of the storm, which caused 37 deaths and about $11.8 million (1916 USD) in damage. Several other storms were notable. An early July hurricane along the northern Gulf Coast resulted in 34 deaths and about $12.5 million in damage in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Heavy rains from this storm set the stage for record-breaking floods by a a hurricane hitting Charleston, South Carolina, in mid-July, with 80 fatalities and about $21 million in damage occurring, mostly in North Carolina. The season's eighth tropical cyclone left severe damage and 50 deaths in Dominica in late August. An early October hurricane devastated portions of the Virgin Islands, resulting in up to $2 million in damage and 41 deaths. Another hurricane in October which struck the Yucatán Peninsula and near Pensacola, Florida, was attributed to at least $100,000 in damage and 29 deaths, 20 of which occurred when a ship sank in the Caribbean Sea. Overall, the tropical cyclones of the 1916 Atlantic hurricane season collectively resulted in at least 272 fatalities and more than $47.59 million in damage.
Season summary
Tropical cyclogenesis began on May 13, when a tropical depression formed south of Cuba. The storm struck Cuba and Florida before becoming extratropical over Virginia on May 16. Following an almost month and a half lull in activity, the season's second tropical cyclone developed over the southwestern Caribbean Sea on June 28. The third and fourth cyclones, both reaching hurricane intensity, formed in July. The month of August featured four tropical cyclones, including a tropical storm and three hurricanes. One of those, the season's sixth tropical cyclone, became the most intensity system in the Atlantic basin in 1916 and peaked at Category 4 intensity on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale with maximum sustained winds of . In terms of barometric pressure, the storm was also the most intense to strike the United States since the 1886 Indianola hurricane. Four tropical systems also developed in September, with one tropical depression, one tropical storm, and two hurricanes. October was the most active month of the season, featuring two tropical depressions, one tropical storm, and two hurricanes. In November, a tropical storm developed on November 11 and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone by November 15, ending season activity.
The 1916 was a fairly active season, especially for the time. Eighteen tropical cyclones formed during the course of the year, fifteen of which reached at least tropical storm intensity – the most in one season since 1887. Ten of those tropical storms strengthened into hurricane and five of those intensified into major hurricanes, both being the highest number in a season since 1893. Nine systems of at least tropical storm intensity made landfall in the United States during the season, which remained a record until eleven struck the United States in 2020. The 1916 season was one of only two to feature multiple major hurricanes before the month of August, the other being 2005. However, because the early 20th century lacked modern forecasting and documentation, the official hurricane database may be incomplete. The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in 2008 uncovered evidence for two tropical cyclones not previously in the database, Tropical Storm One and Tropical Storm Five. A system previously classified as a tropical storm in the database was downgraded to a tropical depression as part of the project. Additionally, the project also downgraded Tropical Storm Fifteen from hurricane intensity. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of the 1916 Atlantic hurricane season caused at least 272 deaths and $47.59 million in damage.