Impact
The total death toll was at least 74, including 28 in Cuba.
| Rank | Hurricane | Season | Landfall pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 892 mbar (hPa) |
| 2 | Camille | 1969 | 909 mbar (hPa) |
| 3 | Katrina | 2005 | 920 mbar (hPa) |
| 4 | Andrew | 1992 | 922 mbar (hPa) |
| 5 | "Indianola" | 1886 | 925 mbar (hPa) |
| 6 | "Florida Keys" | 1919 | 927 mbar (hPa) |
| 7 | "Okeechobee" | 1928 | 929 mbar (hPa) |
| 8 | "Great Miami" | 1926 | 930 mbar (hPa) |
| 9 | Donna | 1960 | 930 mbar (hPa) |
| 10 | Carla | 1961 | 931 mbar (hPa) |
The storm hit the coast of Texas on August 20, wreaking property destruction in a number of towns, and resulting in a number of deaths.
In Texas, the hurricane obliterated the town of Indianola that was only just recovering from a powerful 1875 hurricane on the same location. At Indianola a storm surge of 15 feet from Matagorda Bay overwhelmed the town. Every building in the town was either destroyed or left uninhabitable. When the Signal Office was blown down, a fire started which took hold and destroyed several neighboring blocks. The fire destroyed all but two of the town's buildings and killed a large number of citizens. The storm also destroyed two and half miles of railroad track, making communication with Indianola very difficult and complicating rescue efforts. This storm caused fewer fatalities however (46 in Indianola, compared to 400 in the 1875 storm),largely because the storm struck during the day and residents had time to take shelter. The hurricane also ended a severe drought in Texas.
The village of Quintana, at the mouth of the Brazos River was also destroyed. At Houston the bayou rose between 5-6 feet on August 19. The storm reached Victoria, Texas at about 7 AM, destroying or damaging most of the buildings in the city. An estimated 75 houses were destroyed and another 118 were damaged. The town's jail and high school were both damaged while the freight station, Masonic hall, and certain sections of town were "almost literally swept from the earth." No deaths were reported in the town, but the initial damages were estimated at $100,000 (1886 USD) and the citizens of the town declared the hurricane "the most terrible storm ever known in Victoria."
In Galveston, Texas, the storm capsized a forty-ton schooner, the Liviona Perkins, killing three crew members. The storm also damaged roads, railways and houses leading to an estimated $200,000 in damage (1886 USD).
Read more about this topic: 1886 Indianola Hurricane
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