The 1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record in terms of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), with a total of 258.57. It also set a record for nameable tropical storms in a single season, 20, which stood for the time being until 2005, when there were 28 storms. The season ran for six months of 1933, with tropical cyclone development occurring as early as May and as late as November. A system was active for all but 13 days from June 28 to October 7.
Because technologies such as Earth observation satellites were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from the early 20th century is often incomplete. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Compensating for the lack of comprehensive observation and the limited technological ability to monitor all tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin during this era, research meteorologist Christopher Landsea estimates that the 1933 season may have produced an additional 2–3 missed tropical cyclones. A 2013 reanalysis of the 1933 Atlantic Hurricane Database did indeed identify two new tropical storms; however, it was also determined that two existing cyclones did not reach tropical storm intensity and so were removed from the database. Additionally, researchers found two existing storms to be one continuous system. As a result, the season storm total dropped from 21 to 20.
Of the season's 20 documented tropical storms, 11 attained hurricane status. Six of those were major hurricanes, with sustained winds of over . Two of the hurricanes reached winds of , which is a Category 5 on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale. The season produced several deadly storms, with eight storms killing more than 20 people. All but 3 of the 20 known storms affected land at some point during their durations.
Season summary
The 1933 season was the most active of its time, surpassing the previous record-holder of 19 storms in 1887. Fifteen of the season's storms made landfall as tropical cyclones, and another struck land as extratropical storms. Eight tropical storms, including six hurricanes, hit the United States during the season, including the Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane, which the U.S. Weather Bureau described as one of the most severe in history to impact the Mid-Atlantic States. Seven tropical storms, including four hurricanes, hit Mexico, two of which caused severe damage in the Tampico area.
The season was continuously active, with six storms forming during the month of August alone. At the time, many storms received the distinction of being the earliest nth storm to form, such as the earliest fifth tropical storm to form in a season. Most of the records were broken in later years. During the season, the U.S. Weather Bureau issued storm and hurricane warnings for eight storms, including coastal portions of Texas, as well as from Florida to Massachusetts, forcing the evacuations of thousands of people. The deadliest storm of the season was a hurricane that struck Tampico, Mexico, killing over 184 residents. The costliest hurricane was the Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane, which caused $27 million in damage from North Carolina to New Jersey. The hurricane produced rainfall that resulted in severe crop damage in Maryland.
In addition to the 20 tropical storms, there were several tropical depressions of lesser intensity. The first developed on June 1 in the northwest Caribbean and dissipated a few days later. Another depression developed on July 11 over Panama and also quickly dissipated. A tropical depression developed on July 17 in the northeastern Atlantic west of the Azores, and one ship reported hurricane-force winds; however, there was little evidence that the tropical system was organized, so it was not classified as a tropical storm. Originally, there was a tropical storm in the database in the Caribbean in the middle of August, but it was downgraded to a tropical depression due to lack of any reports of gale-force winds. Similarly, there was a tropical storm in the database in late September, but it was also downgraded to a tropical depression due to lack of gale-force winds.
The season produced the highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) on record, with a total of 259, versus the 1931–1943 average of 91.2. ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of , which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity. Thus, tropical depressions are not included here. Originally, 1933 had an operational ACE of 213. Later however, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project found that several storms in 1933 were stronger than initially reported.
Systems
Tropical Storm One
The first storm of the season formed on May 14 in the southwestern Caribbean Sea off the east coast of Nicaragua. It moved quickly to the north-northwest, passing just northeast of the eastern tip of Honduras. On May 15, the storm turned to the west and entered the Gulf of Mexico while moving around the Yucatán Peninsula. The next day, it attained peak winds of , based on a ship report. Turning southward, the storm made landfall on Ciudad del Carmen in Mexico early on May 19 with winds of . It dissipated over land later that day.
Hurricane Two
A westward-moving tropical wave spawned a tropical depression on June 24 about halfway between the southern Lesser Antilles and the coast of Africa. The depression quickly intensified into a tropical storm, and by June 27 it became a hurricane off the northern coast of Guyana. At 2100 UTC that day, the hurricane struck extreme southern Trinidad with winds of . After crossing the island, the hurricane moved across the Paria Peninsula in northeastern Venezuela with the same intensity. The hurricane was earliest to affect the region on record, and was the first storm in over 50 years to affected Trinidad and Venezuela. In Trinidad, 13 people were killed, about 1,000 people were left homeless, and damage was estimated at $3 million. In Venezuela, the hurricane caused power outages, destroyed several houses, and killed several people.
After crossing Venezuela into the eastern Caribbean, the hurricane moved northwestward and gradually intensified. On July 3 it struck western Cuba with winds of . In the country, the storm killed 22 people, while damage amounted to $4 million. A building high pressure area turned the hurricane westward in the Gulf of Mexico, and after further strengthening the storm attained peak winds of on July 5. It turned to the west-southwest and made landfall in northeastern Mexico on July 7 with winds of , about halfway between Tampico and the Mexico/United States border. It dissipated about 11 hours later over Mexico. There were several deaths and heavy damage in the area where the storm moved ashore. Across its path, the hurricane killed 35 people.
Tropical Storm Three
On July 14, a tropical depression developed near Saint Kitts. Moving generally westward, it passed south of Hispaniola on July 15, and strengthened into a tropical storm a day later. After passing south of Jamaica, the storm reached peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) early on July 18, with an estimated pressure of . Around 1500 UTC on July 18, the storm made landfall near Belize City, British Honduras, at its peak intensity. After moving ashore, the storm quickly weakened into a tropical depression while crossing the Yucatán Peninsula. Late on July 19, it emerged into the Bay of Campeche. It turned to the northwest and re-intensified into a tropical storm on July 21. At around 0800 UTC on July 23, the storm moved ashore on Matagorda Bay in southeastern Texas with winds of about 45 mph (75 km/h). It weakened into a tropical depression and later drifted eastward over eastern Texas. On July 24, the depression became extratropical after interacting with a cold front, and it was absorbed by the front on July 27 along the border of Arkansas and Mississippi.
In Jamaica, rainfall reached , causing flooding and landslides. The floods wrecked a bridge while also damaging roads and telegraph lines, and the winds knocked down banana trees. The storm also dropped heavy rainfall in eastern Texas and northwestern Louisiana, peaking at in Logansport, Louisiana. Logansport also reported a 24‑hour total of , which set the record for the highest daily rainfall total there in July. Shreveport in the same state observed of rain in 24 hours, which was the highest daily total on record for the site as of 2008. It was the city's worst recorded floods related to a tropical cyclone. Alexandria also broke its 24‑hour rainfall record in July with a total of on July 25. A severe thunderstorm damaged roofs and windows in the city. In Texas, more than of rainfall caused flooding, which washed out a bridge in Henderson and portions of the Santa Fe Railway line between Carthage and Longview. Five people required rescue after being trapped in a fast-moving river. Damaged reached $1.5 million across Shelby and Panola counties. The rains caused crop damage in Texas and Louisiana. The rains caused many streams to exceed their banks, including one creek near Converse that flooded roads and railways. The floods forced families to evacuate in low-lying areas of northern Louisiana. Heavy rains also spread into southern Arkansas and northwestern Mississippi.
Tropical Storm Four
A dissipating cold front spawned a tropical depression east of Bermuda on July 24. It moved east-northeastward initially, and intensified into a tropical storm early on July 25. Based on ship observations, it is estimated the storm attained peak winds of . The storm turned to the northeast and was absorbed by a cold front southeast of Newfoundland early on July 27.
Hurricane Five
On July 24, a tropical storm was detected. Located to the southeast of Antigua, it tracked west-northwestward and strengthened, attaining hurricane status over the Leeward Islands; it passed near Saba and St. Thomas with winds of . The storm continued its west-northwest movement the next day north of Puerto Rico, later bypassing the Turks and Caicos Islands. After moving through the northern Bahamas, the hurricane struck near Hobe Sound, Florida, with winds of . The hurricane crossed the state and weakened to minimal tropical storm intensity. It turned to the west-southwest and re-strengthened to a hurricane on August 4 off the coast of Texas. After peaking with winds of , it made landfall just south of the Mexico–United States border on August 5. The system rapidly dissipated over northern Mexico.
Some islands of the Lesser Antilles experienced light rainfall, abnormally low atmospheric pressures, and gusty winds. While moving over Saint Christopher, the storm killed six people. Heavy rain was reported throughout the Virgin Islands. The hurricane caused the drowning of one person in the Bahamas, and moderate winds produced severe structural damage to the buildings in the archipelago. In Florida, the National Weather Bureau issued storm warnings between Miami to Titusville, while Governor David Sholtz issued a mandatory evacuation for 4,200 residents in vulnerable areas around Lake Okeechobee. Damage in Florida was minimal, limited to minor crops, roofs, and signs. In southern Texas, the hurricane produced moderate damage of $500,000, including disrupted telephone and telegraph lines. The hurricane produced high tides along the coast of Texas, covering parts of South Padre Island, and heavy rains in northern Mexico caused heavy damage.
Hurricane Six