10. The Barrier Islands Hurricane of 1893
The hurricane which struck the coast of Georgia and South Carolina in 1893 is known by different names, including the Sea Islands Hurricane, the Savannah Hurricane, and others. Nearly all that is known of the storm is in the form of estimates and conjecture, until it reached the United States East Coast. It was likely at Category 3 strength when it made landfall near Savannah, Georgia after crossing the Sea Islands on August 26, moving north along the coast before returning to the Atlantic after crossing into Canada. During its journey up the American coastline it retained its strength as a Category 3 storm, with communities which it encountered on its way reporting that it may have strengthened as it went. Charleston, South Carolina was struck by a second Category 3 storm while struggling to recover in October.
When the storm reached the New York region it was just days after another hurricane had preceded it, and it added more devastation in the wake of the first storm. Because of the additional damage to property and loss of life, accurate accounts of the number of deaths in each storm were impossible to gather. At least one thousand Americans lost their lives as a result of the Sea Islands hurricane, and some estimates put the number killed at around 2,000. New York City saw a storm surge over the sea wall at the Battery on the tip of Manhattan. Several boats were destroyed in the Hudson River, leading to further deaths. Pennsylvania and upstate New York saw crops destroyed by high winds and heavy rains which occurred just as they were ready to be harvested.