page_title: 1933 Outer Banks hurricane
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: 1933 Outer Banks hurricane / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale TD TS 1 2 3 4 5 English: 1933 Atlantic hurricane 13 track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: The 1933 Outer Banks hurricane lashed portions of the North Carolina and Virginia coasts less than a month after another hurricane hit the general area. The twelfth tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season, it formed by September 8 to the east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved generally to the north-northwest and strengthened quickly to peak winds of 140 mph on September 12. This made it a major hurricane and a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The hurricane remained at or near that intensity for several days while tracking to the northwest. It weakened approaching the southeastern United States, and on September 16 passed just east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina with winds of about 100 mph. Turning to the northeast, the hurricane became extratropical on September 18 before moving across Atlantic Canada, eventually dissipating four days later.
  The threat of the hurricane prompted widespread tropical cyclone warnings and watches along the eastern United States and prompted some people to evacuate. Damage was heaviest in southeastern North Carolina near New Bern, where the combination of high tides and swollen rivers flooded much of the town.
context_section_description: Beginning on September 7, there was an area of disturbed weather near and east of the Lesser Antilles, by which time there was a nearly closed circulation. At 0800 UTC the next day, a ship reported winds of about 35 mph (55 km/h); on that basis, it is estimated a tropical depression developed eight hours earlier and into a tropical storm by the time of the report. The storm tracked generally to the north-northwest, passing about 300 mi (480 km) northeast of Saint Martin. Based on continuity and subsequent reports, it is estimated the storm intensified into a hurricane on September 10. Early on September 12, a ship reported a barometric pressure of 947 mbar (28.0 inHg) in the periphery of the storm while reporting winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). This suggested winds of 140 mph (220 km/h), making it the equivalent of a modern Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
  For over two days, the hurricane remained near peak intensity while tracking to the northwest, and during that time several ships reported low pressure and strong winds. The hurricane weakened as it turned to the north-northwest toward the eastern United States. At around 1100 UTC on September 16, the eye of the hurricane passed over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, around which time a pressure of 957 mbar (28.3 inHg) was recorded. The eye also passed over Diamond Shoals, where a pressure of 952 mbar (28.1 inHg) was recorded. Based on the reading, it was estimated the hurricane remained about 15 mi (25 km) east of the Outer Banks, with winds of about 100 mph (160 km/h) occurring along the coast. By that time, the size of the storm had greatly increased, and hurricane-force winds also extended into southeastern Virginia. The hurricane turned to the northeast, ahead of an approaching cold front, producing tropical storm force winds along the eastern United States through New England. After passing southeast of Cape Cod, the storm increasingly lost its tropical characteristics, and was an extratropical cyclone by 1100 UTC on September 18 when it made landfall on eastern Nova Scotia. Continuing to the northeast, the former hurricane crossed the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and subsequently near Newfoundland, eventually dissipating on September 22 between southern Greenland and Iceland.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
exif: {}