Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL061881)
Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL061881) was a Category 2 hurricane at its peak, with 104 mph winds and a lowest pressure of 975 mb, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Modeled winds reached tropical-storm force (39 mph) at 5 of the cities we track; the strongest was Wilmington, NC, with a modeled peak gust of 104 mph.
- Peak strength104 mph winds (1-minute)
- Category 2
- Cities with tropical-storm-force windsModeled, of the cities we track
- 5
- LandfallsFirst September 9, 1881
- 1
- Lowest pressure
- 975 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+)
The shaded areas are where our model puts Unnamed hurricane of 1881 (AL061881)’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 9, 1881, Category 2 at 104 mph, about 25 miles from Wilmington, NC
Modeled winds at cities (5)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | 104 mph | 85 mph | 11 miles | Sep 9, 1881, 11:48 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 77 mph | 63 mph | 47 miles | Sep 9, 1881, 1:03 PM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 63 mph | 51 mph | 71 miles | Sep 9, 1881, 1:03 PM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 53 mph | 43 mph | 9 miles | Sep 10, 1881, 3:18 AM GMT-4:56:02 |
| Raleigh, NC | 50 mph | 41 mph | 77 miles | Sep 9, 1881, 3:03 PM GMT-4:56:02 |
Best track (21 positions)
| Time | Status | Wind | Pressure | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 00:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 23.7°N, 69.0°W | |
| Sep 7, 06:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 25.0°N, 70.0°W | |
| Sep 7, 12:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 26.2°N, 71.0°W | |
| Sep 7, 18:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 27.4°N, 72.1°W | |
| Sep 8, 00:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 92 mph | 28.6°N, 73.5°W | |
| Sep 8, 06:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 92 mph | 30.1°N, 75.0°W | |
| Sep 8, 12:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 92 mph | 31.0°N, 75.8°W | |
| Sep 8, 18:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 92 mph | 31.6°N, 76.1°W | |
| Sep 9, 00:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 32.0°N, 76.5°W | |
| Sep 9, 06:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 32.8°N, 77.0°W | |
| Sep 9, 12:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 33.3°N, 77.5°W | |
| Sep 9, 16:00 UTC (landfall) | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 33.9°N, 78.1°W |