The unnamed hurricane of 1879
Aug 13, 1879 to Aug 20, 1879Peak 115 mph971 mb
The unnamed hurricane of 1879 passed within 50 miles of 61 counties in 10 states. It was strongest near Onslow County, NC, as a Category 3 on August 18, 1879.
- Major hurricane
- Hurricane
- Tropical storm
- Post-tropical
Unnamed hurricane · 1879
How it happened
Follow the storm’s path, strength and milestones.
The storm
- Peak strength
- Category 3
- 115 mph, 100 kt
- Lowest pressure
- 971 mb
- Over the whole track
- Counties within 50 miles
- 61
- CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NC, NJ, NY, RI, VA
- Counties within 100 miles
- 166
- CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA
- Landfalls recorded
- 2
- Anywhere on the track
Every county it passed
Closest approach to each county boundary, with the storm’s strength at that moment.
| Tyrrell County | NC | 0.0 | Category 2 |
| Carteret County | NC | 0.0 | Category 3 |
| Hyde County | NC | 0.0 | Category 3 |
| Barnstable County | MA | 1.1 | Category 1 |
| Currituck County | NC | 1.4 | Category 2 |
| Dukes County | MA | 3.1 | Category 1 |
| Craven County | NC | 5.3 | Category 3 |
| Dare County | NC | 6.4 | Category 2 |
| Camden County | NC | 7.1 | Category 2 |
| Pamlico County | NC | 8.6 | Category 3 |
| Bristol County | MA | 11.2 | Category 1 |
| Beaufort County | NC | 11.5 | Category 3 |
| Plymouth County | MA | 12.4 | Category 1 |
| Virginia Beach city | VA | 12.7 | Category 2 |
| Washington County | NC | 14.4 | Category 2 |
| Perquimans County | NC | 15.2 | Category 2 |
| Pasquotank County | NC | 16.3 | Category 2 |
| Washington County | RI | 17.0 | Category 1 |
| Northampton County | VA | 17.5 | Category 2 |
| Newport County | RI | 17.9 | Category 1 |
| Accomack County | VA | 18.8 | Category 2 |
| Chesapeake city | VA | 19.1 | Category 2 |
| Onslow County | NC | 20.3 | Category 3 |
| Chowan County | NC | 20.8 | Category 2 |
| Suffolk County | NY | 22.6 | Category 1 |
| Worcester County | MD | 25.4 | Category 2 |
| Nantucket County | MA | 26.0 | Category 1 |
| Jones County | NC | 26.5 | Category 3 |
| Bristol County | RI | 29.1 | Category 1 |
| Norfolk city | VA | 30.2 | Category 2 |
| Gates County | NC | 32.7 | Category 2 |
| Bertie County | NC | 33.1 | Category 2 |
| Sussex County | DE | 33.6 | Category 2 |
| Pender County | NC | 34.2 | Category 3 |
| Martin County | NC | 34.7 | Category 3 |
| Kent County | RI | 35.1 | Category 1 |
| New London County | CT | 35.8 | Category 1 |
| Portsmouth city | VA | 36.5 | Category 2 |
| Suffolk city | VA | 37.0 | Category 2 |
| Providence County | RI | 37.3 | Category 1 |
| Brunswick County | NC | 37.5 | Category 3 |
| Somerset County | MD | 37.8 | Category 2 |
| Wicomico County | MD | 38.3 | Category 2 |
| Atlantic County | NJ | 38.3 | Category 1 |
| Hampton city | VA | 38.3 | Category 2 |
| New Hanover County | NC | 38.9 | Category 3 |
| Ocean County | NJ | 39.5 | Category 1 |
| Poquoson city | VA | 41.3 | Category 2 |
| Cape May County | NJ | 41.5 | Category 2 |
| Norfolk County | MA | 42.0 | Category 1 |
| Hertford County | NC | 42.1 | Category 2 |
| Pitt County | NC | 43.1 | Category 3 |
| Newport News city | VA | 43.1 | Category 2 |
| York County | VA | 46.0 | Category 2 |
| Burlington County | NJ | 46.8 | Category 1 |
| Mathews County | VA | 47.0 | Category 2 |
| Washington County | ME | 47.5 | Tropical storm |
| Isle of Wight County | VA | 47.9 | Category 2 |
| Windham County | CT | 48.0 | Category 1 |
| Middlesex County | CT | 49.5 | Category 1 |
| Gloucester County | VA | 50.0 | Category 2 |
| Suffolk County | MA | 51.4 | Category 1 |
| Duplin County | NC | 52.3 | Category 3 |
| Middlesex County | VA | 52.4 | Category 2 |
| Lenoir County | NC | 52.7 | Category 3 |
| Lancaster County | VA | 53.0 | Category 2 |
| Hancock County | ME | 53.1 | Tropical storm |
| Monmouth County | NJ | 53.5 | Category 1 |
| Cumberland County | NJ | 53.6 | Category 2 |
| Knox County | ME | 54.8 | Tropical storm |
| Essex County | MA | 55.1 | Category 1 |
| Worcester County | MA | 55.8 | Category 1 |
| Northumberland County | VA | 56.4 | Category 2 |
| New Haven County | CT | 56.4 | Category 1 |
| Nassau County | NY | 57.3 | Category 1 |
| James City County | VA | 57.6 | Category 2 |
| Middlesex County | MA | 58.5 | Category 1 |
| Southampton County | VA | 59.6 | Category 2 |
| Greene County | NC | 60.4 | Category 3 |
| Surry County | VA | 60.9 | Category 2 |
| Franklin city | VA | 61.1 | Category 2 |
| Kent County | DE | 62.0 | Category 2 |
| Dorchester County | MD | 62.2 | Category 2 |
| Edgecombe County | NC | 63.0 | Category 3 |
| Williamsburg city | VA | 63.8 | Category 2 |
| Columbus County | NC | 64.0 | Category 3 |
| Halifax County | NC | 64.8 | Category 2 |
| Northampton County | NC | 66.4 | Category 2 |
| Tolland County | CT | 66.6 | Category 1 |
| Caroline County | MD | 67.2 | Category 2 |
| Queens County | NY | 67.3 | Category 1 |
| Camden County | NJ | 67.5 | Category 1 |
| Horry County | SC | 67.5 | Category 3 |
| Lincoln County | ME | 68.3 | Tropical storm |
| Bladen County | NC | 68.4 | Category 3 |
| Hartford County | CT | 69.0 | Category 1 |
| Gloucester County | NJ | 69.4 | Category 1 |
| King and Queen County | VA | 69.6 | Category 2 |
| Kings County | NY | 70.8 | Category 1 |
| Richmond County | VA | 71.2 | Category 2 |
| Fairfield County | CT | 71.4 | Category 1 |
| St. Mary's County | MD | 71.7 | Category 2 |
| Sussex County | VA | 72.3 | Category 2 |
| Salem County | NJ | 72.5 | Category 2 |
| Sampson County | NC | 72.8 | Category 3 |
| Wayne County | NC | 73.1 | Category 3 |
| Charles City County | VA | 74.6 | Category 2 |
| New Kent County | VA | 74.6 | Category 2 |
| York County | ME | 75.0 | Category 1 |
| Rockingham County | NH | 75.2 | Category 1 |
| Middlesex County | NJ | 75.3 | Category 1 |
| Wilson County | NC | 76.7 | Category 3 |
| Mercer County | NJ | 76.9 | Category 1 |
| Essex County | VA | 77.4 | Category 2 |
| King William County | VA | 77.5 | Category 2 |
| Waldo County | ME | 77.6 | Tropical storm |
| Talbot County | MD | 78.4 | Category 2 |
| Richmond County | NY | 78.8 | Category 1 |
| Georgetown County | SC | 79.1 | Category 3 |
| Prince George County | VA | 79.2 | Category 2 |
| Westmoreland County | VA | 80.1 | Category 2 |
| Greensville County | VA | 80.2 | Category 2 |
| Hampden County | MA | 80.4 | Category 1 |
| Bronx County | NY | 80.7 | Category 1 |
| New York County | NY | 81.2 | Category 1 |
| Sagadahoc County | ME | 81.7 | Tropical storm |
| Hudson County | NJ | 82.6 | Category 1 |
| Westchester County | NY | 82.6 | Category 1 |
| Charleston County | SC | 82.7 | Category 3 |
| Bucks County | PA | 83.3 | Category 1 |
| Hillsborough County | NH | 83.7 | Category 1 |
| Union County | NJ | 84.6 | Category 1 |
| Essex County | NJ | 86.1 | Category 1 |
| Bergen County | NJ | 86.4 | Category 1 |
| Calvert County | MD | 86.4 | Category 2 |
| New Castle County | DE | 87.9 | Category 2 |
| Somerset County | NJ | 88.2 | Category 1 |
| Strafford County | NH | 88.7 | Category 1 |
| Cumberland County | ME | 88.7 | Tropical storm |
| Queen Anne's County | MD | 88.9 | Category 2 |
| Nash County | NC | 89.4 | Category 3 |
| Litchfield County | CT | 91.2 | Category 1 |
| Philadelphia County | PA | 91.4 | Category 1 |
| Passaic County | NJ | 92.5 | Category 1 |
| Penobscot County | ME | 92.9 | Tropical storm |
| Rockland County | NY | 93.1 | Category 1 |
| Hampshire County | MA | 93.3 | Category 1 |
| Kent County | MD | 93.5 | Category 2 |
| Johnston County | NC | 93.5 | Category 3 |
| Delaware County | PA | 93.7 | Category 1 |
| Emporia city | VA | 93.8 | Category 2 |
| Berkeley County | SC | 94.0 | Category 3 |
| Hopewell city | VA | 94.8 | Category 2 |
| Henrico County | VA | 95.1 | Category 2 |
| Dinwiddie County | VA | 95.3 | Category 2 |
| Marion County | SC | 95.3 | Category 3 |
| Hunterdon County | NJ | 95.8 | Category 1 |
| Chesterfield County | VA | 96.2 | Category 2 |
| Montgomery County | PA | 96.4 | Category 1 |
| Cumberland County | NC | 96.7 | Category 3 |
| Hanover County | VA | 96.9 | Category 2 |
| Petersburg city | VA | 96.9 | Category 2 |
| Morris County | NJ | 97.5 | Category 1 |
| Putnam County | NY | 98.5 | Category 1 |
| Kennebec County | ME | 98.7 | Tropical storm |
| Cecil County | MD | 99.8 | Category 2 |
Distances are measured from hourly positions interpolated between the National Hurricane Center’s six-hourly fixes to each county boundary. Strength is shown only where the storm was still tropical. Methodology.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2. Storm totals cover the Atlantic and Northeast and Central Pacific basins.