The 1848 Atlantic Hurricane Season was a below-average season, with four depressions, three tropical storms and two hurricanes. The first storm, Tropical Depression One, formed on June 20, and the last storm, Hurricane Four, dissipated on September 25. The season was hampered by wind shear, so many invests and lows that could've produced storms dissipated before forming. Two notable things happened during the season though. The season's hurricanes were the only landfalling storms. Plus, June produced more storms than the rest of the season. There were also two notable storms, Hurricanes Two and Four. Two made landfall on the Paraguana Peninsula, Venezuela, and the Guajira Peninsula, both as a C2, before weakening and hitting Honduras and Nicaragua as a C1. Four became a C3 with the storm passing Jamaica and Cuba, strengthening and hitting present-day Panama City at peak intensity, dealing massive damage to the area and nearby Pensacola. Four was notable because it hit that same exact area where the city was built.
Systems[]
Tropical Depression One[]
| Tropical depression (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | June 20 – June 21 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 30 mph (45 km/h) (1-min) 1007 mbar (hPa) |
On June 20, 1848, a French cargo ship inbound to French Guiana was hit by a storm several hundred miles southwest of Portuguese Cabo Verde. The ship reported a barometric pressure of 1007 mbar when it landed in Cayenne, which was notified to the NWS in Miami. The NWS gave it the name One. But when a US navy warship arrived at the scene of the storm on June 21, it was gone, and the ship returned to Miami.
Over its lifetime, One caused no injuries or deaths during its passage.
Hurricane Two[]
| Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | June 29 – July 8 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min) 966 mbar (hPa) |
The Punta Espada Hurricane of 1848
On June 29, 1848, a British frigate monitoring a wave of storms recorded a barometric pressure of 1004, and it was dropping quickly. The frigate continued to monitor the storm for the next day until a US ship arrived to take the warships place. The US ship monitored the storm, recording a pressure of 995 mbar on July 1. The ship landed in Martinique to hand the information to a weather station there, which gave it the name Two. The storm continued it westward journey until another recording was made, stating a pressure of 987 on July 3. The new hurricane progressively grew until it made landfall on Venezuela's Paraguana Peninsula as a 105 mph Category 2 hurricane on July 5. The storm did not weaken in the Bay of Venezuela until it hit Colombia's Guajira Peninsula, in which it weakened to a 80 mph Category 1 on July 6. It strengthened one final time to a brief Category 2 hurricane, before making landfall in Nicaragua as a 60 mph TS on July 8. It dissipated less than a day later.
Throughout it's life, Two killed 15 people, including 7 in South America, and caused over 225 million 1848 USD across three countries.
Tropical Storm Three[]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | August 20 – August 24 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min) 991 mbar (hPa) |
On August 29, a cluster of severe thunderstorms was measured by a passing cargo ship. The pressure was 1008 mbar and it was falling quickly, despite the presence of wind shear. The next day, the pressure was measured to be 1005 mbar and it was named Potential Tropical Cyclone Three by the NWS. Three still managed to grow despite the presence of wind shear and it reached Tropical Storm strength the next day. As it got farther north though, wind shear intensified and the storm collapsed two days later. Three caused no damage nor fatalities.
Hurricane Four[]
| Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 14 – September 25 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min) 954 mbar (hPa) |
The Great Florida Hurricane of 1848
On September 13, a strong invest left the coast of Cape Verde. A nearby Portuguese vessel recorded a pressure of 1004 mbar and it was dropping fast. The next day, it was named Tropical Depression Four by the NWS. Four steadily increased in strength, and because wind shear was low, it strengthened slowly. On September 16, Four was named a Tropical Storm as it saw an increase in strength. A day later it hit C1 hurricane strength and intensified to it first peak of 90 mph and a pressure of 986 mbar. Following a passage of Martinique and Dominica, it weakened back to Tropical Storm strength on September 17. About 10 hours later, though, the storm unexpectedly strengthened back to C1 hurricane strength and began a curve to the NNE at 30 mph. The storm strengthened to C2 strength on September 18 and narrowly missed Pinar del Rio, Cuba as it made a pass towards the Gulf of Mexico. It was forecasted on September 19 that the storm would die out before hitting the Territory of Florida, but they were wrong. After a short eyewall replacement cycle, it strengthened to C3 strength on September 20 as it barreled north towards the Emerald Coast and Pensacola. After a brief stop in increasing in strength, it hit a peak of 125 mph and a pressure of 954 mbar directly at the site of present day Panama City, Florida on September 22. The storm rapidly weakened after the landfall at Florida, and, after crossing Georgia, dissipated on September 25.
Impacts.[]
Four caused light damage along its path from the Windwards to Cuba. Five fatalities and 20 million 1848 USD were recorded in the areas, most being in Cuba. Florida was a different story though. With the territory being hit by a C3 peak at landfall, most of the Panhandle was damaged to some extent. Because the buildings at the time weren't as strong as they are today, whole houses were ripped to shreds, collapsed, or just destroyed altogether. In one city, a 3/4 inch plank was found embedded inside of an oak tree. And because of the unpreparedness of the people living there, many were unprepared for the 12 foot waves and 125 mph winds that slammed into the coast. In total, Four killed 3,290 people and caused 809 million 1848 USD.
Gallery of the damage caused by Four.[]
A house damaged by Four. Damage was like this on the Emerald Coast and other areas for miles.
Damage in Pensacola from Four.