Unnamed hurricane of 1861 (AL051861)
Unnamed hurricane of 1861 (AL051861) was a Category 1 hurricane at its peak, with 81 mph winds, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Modeled winds reached tropical-storm force (39 mph) at 6 of the cities we track; the strongest was Norwich, CT, with a modeled peak gust of 58 mph.
- Peak strength81 mph winds (1-minute)
- Category 1
- Cities with tropical-storm-force windsModeled, of the cities we track
- 6
- LandfallsFirst September 27, 1861
- 1
- Lowest pressure
- Not recorded
Track, wind field and cities
Select a piece of the track or a city for details.
- Depression or weaker
- Tropical storm
- Hurricane, Category 1 or 2
- Major hurricane, Category 3 to 5
- Landfall
- City (larger ring, stronger modeled gust)
- Modeled wind field, 39 to 111 mph sustained (darker, stronger; orange 111 mph+)
The shaded areas are where our model puts Unnamed hurricane of 1861 (AL051861)’s sustained winds over open land at 39 mph or more (tropical-storm force), 58, 74 (hurricane force) and 111 mph (major hurricane force) at some point along its track. Modeled, not measured. How we model hurricane winds
Landfalls
- September 27, 1861, Category 1 at 81 mph, about 34 miles from Wilmington, NC
Modeled winds at cities (6)
Estimated peak winds for open, flat ground at each city’s center. Not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
| City | Peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich, CT | 58 mph | 48 mph | 39 miles | Sep 28, 1861, 12:33 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Providence, RI | 57 mph | 47 mph | 47 miles | Sep 28, 1861, 1:48 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 57 mph | 46 mph | 15 miles | Sep 27, 1861, 7:18 PM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Boston, MA | 57 mph | 46 mph | 32 miles | Sep 28, 1861, 2:18 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 54 mph | 44 mph | 13 miles | Sep 27, 1861, 3:03 PM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Wilmington, NC | 48 mph | 39 mph | 24 miles | Sep 27, 1861, 10:33 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
Best track (7 positions)
| Time | Status | Wind | Pressure | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 06:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 28.5°N, 77.5°W | |
| Sep 27, 12:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 31.7°N, 78.0°W | |
| Sep 27, 17:00 UTC (landfall) | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 34.5°N, 77.4°W | |
| Sep 27, 18:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 69 mph | 35.2°N, 77.1°W | |
| Sep 28, 00:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 69 mph | 39.0°N, 75.1°W | |
| Sep 28, 06:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 58 mph | 42.0°N, 72.6°W | |
| Sep 28, 12:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 58 mph | 45.0°N, 67.5°W |