1856 Last Island Hurricane

Track map, landfall & timeline · Atlantic · August 9–12, 1856

Peak wind

150 mph

241 km/h · Aug 10

Peak category

Cat 4

Saffir–Simpson

Lowest pressure

934 mb

Landfalls

Louisiana

Lifetime

3.3 d

Aug 9 – Aug 12

Distance

714 mi

1,149 km

ACE

11.8

storm energy

TD TS Cat 1 2 3 4 5 · dashed = post-tropical / remnant low. Click any point or table row to jump there.

01 · The story

What happened with 1856 Last Island Hurricane

The 1856 Last Island Hurricane was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1856 Atlantic season. It formed on August 9, 1856, 136 mi WNW of Key West, Florida, reached its peak of 150 mph (241 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 934 mb on August 10, 1856, and made landfall 36 mi SW of Houma, Louisiana on August 10, 1856 as a Category 4 hurricane (150 mph). It rapidly intensified by 46 mph in 24 hours (to 127 mph on August 10, 1856). The storm lasted 3.3 days and travelled about 714 miles (1,149 km).

02 · Intensity

Wind and pressure, hour by hour

Maximum sustained wind (mph) — hover or drag to scrub the map

03 · Impact

Landfall and cities in the path

Landfall (UTC)	Where	Strength	Pressure
August 10, 1856 · 18:00 UTC	36 mi SW of Houma, Louisiana	Cat 4 150 mph	934 mb

Closest approach to major cities

City	Distance to center	When (UTC)	Storm strength then
Lafayette, Louisiana	direct hit	Aug 11 · 11:00 UTC	TS 73 mph
Baton Rouge, Louisiana	37 mi	Aug 11 · 20:00 UTC	TS 54 mph

Distance from the city to the storm’s center, interpolated hourly between official fixes. Damaging winds, surge and rain reach far beyond the center.

04 · Timeline

Every official fix 14 positions

Date · UTC	Status	Wind	Pressure	Position	Nearest place
Aug 9 00:00	Cat 1	81 mph	—	25.0°N 83.9°W	136 mi WNW of Key West, Florida
Aug 9 06:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	25.7°N 85.1°W	open ocean
Aug 9 12:00	Cat 2	104 mph	—	26.3°N 86.5°W	open ocean
Aug 9 18:00	Cat 3	115 mph	—	27.0°N 87.8°W	open ocean
Aug 10 00:00	Cat 3	127 mph	—	27.7°N 89.1°W	167 mi SSE of New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 10 06:00	Cat 4	138 mph	—	28.2°N 89.8°W	111 mi SSE of Houma, Louisiana
Aug 10 12:00	Cat 4	150 mph	—	28.7°N 90.5°W	63 mi SSE of Houma, Louisiana
Aug 10 18:00	Cat 4 LANDFALL	150 mph	934 mb	29.2°N 91.1°W	36 mi SW of Houma, Louisiana
Aug 11 00:00	Cat 3	127 mph	—	29.7°N 91.6°W	25 mi SSE of New Iberia, Louisiana
Aug 11 06:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	30.0°N 91.8°W	near New Iberia, Louisiana
Aug 11 12:00	TS	69 mph	—	30.3°N 91.9°W	near Lafayette, Louisiana
Aug 11 18:00	TS	58 mph	—	30.6°N 91.8°W	17 mi ENE of Opelousas, Louisiana
Aug 12 00:00	TS	46 mph	—	30.9°N 91.6°W	32 mi WNW of Zachary, Louisiana
Aug 12 06:00	TS	46 mph	—	31.3°N 91.0°W	30 mi SE of Natchez, Mississippi

⬇ Download track data (CSV) · public-domain NOAA best track

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When and where did 1856 Last Island Hurricane make landfall?

1856 Last Island Hurricane made landfall once: 36 mi SW of Houma, Louisiana on August 10, 1856 at 18:00 UTC, as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds.

What category was 1856 Last Island Hurricane?

At its peak on August 10, 1856, 1856 Last Island Hurricane was a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h) and a central pressure of 934 mb. At its first landfall it was a Category 4 hurricane.

How long did 1856 Last Island Hurricane last?

3.3 days, from August 9, 1856 to August 12, 1856, including 60 hours at hurricane strength (36 as a major hurricane). It travelled about 714 miles.

Where can I download the track data for 1856 Last Island Hurricane?

The 6-hourly positions, winds, pressure and wind radii are available as CSV on this page (track.csv) — they come from the NOAA National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database and are in the public domain.

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