Put Cloudbreak on your portfolio.

Leave your email and we’ll reach out within one business day.

Prefer to talk? Call 940-391-3558.

Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL051881)

Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL051881) was a Category 2 hurricane at its peak, with 104 mph winds and a lowest pressure of 970 mb, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Modeled winds reached tropical-storm force (39 mph) at 6 of the cities we track; the strongest was Savannah, GA, with a modeled peak gust of 109 mph.

Peak strength104 mph winds (1-minute)
Category 2
Cities with tropical-storm-force windsModeled, of the cities we track
6
LandfallsFirst August 28, 1881
1
Lowest pressure
970 mb

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+)
Source: NOAA/NWS National Hurricane Center best track (HURDAT2). City winds and the wind field are modeled.

The shaded areas are where our model puts Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL051881)’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

  1. August 28, 1881, Category 2 at 104 mph, about 22 miles from Savannah, GA

Modeled winds at cities (6)

Estimated peak winds for open, flat ground at each city’s center. Not measurements. How we model hurricane winds

CityPeak gustSustainedClosest passPeak
Savannah, GA109 mph89 mph19 milesAug 27, 1881, 6:48 PM GMT-4:56:02
Hilton Head Island, SC107 mph87 mph40 milesAug 27, 1881, 6:48 PM GMT-4:56:02
Charleston, SC67 mph54 mph100 milesAug 27, 1881, 5:33 PM GMT-4:56:02
Jacksonville, FL61 mph50 mph98 milesAug 27, 1881, 6:48 PM GMT-4:56:02
Columbus, GA53 mph43 mph26 milesAug 28, 1881, 2:03 PM GMT-4:56:02
Augusta, GA51 mph41 mph100 milesAug 28, 1881, 1:03 AM GMT-4:56:02

Best track (37 positions)

TimeStatusWindPressurePosition
Aug 21, 00:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph17.6°N, 57.0°W
Aug 21, 06:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph17.7°N, 58.0°W
Aug 21, 12:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph17.7°N, 59.0°W
Aug 21, 18:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph17.7°N, 59.9°W
Aug 22, 00:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph18.0°N, 60.9°W
Aug 22, 06:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph18.2°N, 62.0°W
Aug 22, 12:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph18.6°N, 63.0°W
Aug 22, 18:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph18.9°N, 63.9°W
Aug 23, 00:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph19.2°N, 64.9°W
Aug 23, 06:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph19.6°N, 65.9°W
Aug 23, 12:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph20.1°N, 67.0°W
Aug 23, 18:00 UTCTropical storm69 mph20.7°N, 68.0°W
Show all 37