How a Rare November Hurricane Nearly Changed the American Civil War
Stay vigilant — for the past 200 years, at least one November hurricane has caused significant damage every 50 years.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30. However, November hurricanes are rare on the U.S. Southeast and Gulf Coasts. This article discusses key aspects of the Atlantic hurricane season, provides the top five hurricanes to hit the U.S. Southeast Coast, and describes one of the major November hurricanes that nearly changed the direction of the US Civil War over 150 years ago. The bottom line is that hurricane season isn’t over until it’s over.
November Hurricanes Are Rare
By November, the number of hurricanes diminishes significantly due to several factors.
1. Cooling Ocean Temperatures
Hurricanes rely on warm sea surface temperatures to fuel their growth. By November, waters in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico have typically cooled enough to reduce the likelihood of tropical cyclone development.
2. Wind Shear
Higher wind shear (stronger winds at different levels of the atmosphere) in November can disrupt the structure of tropical systems, making it harder for them to intensify into hurricanes.
3. Changes in Weather Patterns
The shift in seasonal weather patterns, such as cold fronts moving further south, can steer tropical systems away from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts or weaken them before they make landfall.
U.S. Gulf Coast vs. U.S. Southeast Coast in November
November hurricanes are rare for the Gulf and the U.S. Southeast Coast. The Gulf tends to have a slightly higher chance due to lingering warm waters and its geographical positioning near tropical storm breeding grounds.
Five Notable November Hurricanes Along U.S. Southeast Coast
- Hurricane Nicole in 2022 — Category 1 at Vero Beach, Florida
- Hurricane Gordon in 1994 — Category 1 and T.S. at 3 landfalls in Florida
- Hurricane Kate in 1985 — Category 2 Mexico Beach, Florida
- 1925 Florida Tropical Storm — Officially a tropical storm, killing 73 people from Florida to Maine
- The Expedition Hurricane of 1861 — Category 1 in Florida and damage along U.S. eastern coast
The American Civil War
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a pivotal conflict between the Union (the northern states) and the Confederacy (southern states that seceded from the U.S.). The conflict began with the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in April 1861.
The American Civil War had a devastating impact on the United States. One number that stands out is that a significant percentage of Southern men were either killed or severely injured. It is estimated that around 20 to 25 percent of the white male population of military age in the Confederacy (approximately ages 18 to 45) were either killed in combat, died from disease, or were severely wounded.
The war left entire communities with missing generations and had long-lasting demographic and economic impacts on the South.
The Hatteras (N.C.) and Port Royal (S.C.) Campaigns
The Hatteras Campaign of 1861 was one of the first significant Union victories in the American Civil War, aimed at securing control of the North Carolina coast. It took place in late August 1861, when a joint naval and army force launched an assault on Confederate-held Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark. Both forts fell on August 29, 1861.
The Great Naval Expedition
Two months later, the Union decided to build on the success with a similar (and larger) joint amphibious assault on Port Royal, South Carolina. The Union fleet was hit by a tropical storm as it assembled and then a powerful hurricane off Cape Hatteras as it got underway. The storm scattered the fleet, causing significant damage to several ships and delaying the operation.
Despite the storm’s destruction, the expedition captured Port Royal on November 7, 1861. The hurricane remains a noteworthy event in Civil War history due to its impact on the Union fleet and the persistence of the Union command in overcoming it to achieve success.
The Hatteras Campaign is the first major amphibious campaign in U.S. history. The Port Royal campaign was regarded as the largest fleet of warships and transports ever assembled.
The Expedition Hurricane
The Saffir-Simpson scale didn’t exist until the 1970s. The Expedition Hurricane of 1861 likely reached the strength of a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane based on historical accounts.
“The gale came upon us most suddenly on the evening of November 1… It increased in violence, and by midnight it blew a perfect hurricane.” — Captain Samuel F. Du Pont, commanding officer of the Union fleet.
Details of the Expedition Hurricane
The hurricane made landfall in eastern North Carolina and proceeded up the coast before crossing eastern Long Island and coming ashore in southern New England. On November 3, its demise marked the end of the 1861 Atlantic hurricane season.
Two storm systems affected the region in the week following October 28, both of which influenced the Port Royal campaign. The first storm, which is not recognized as a tropical cyclone, disrupted the fleet’s initial assembly on October 28.
“At 8 p.m., it was blowing a gale from the southeast, and by midnight it was blowing with such fury that the vessel lay almost on her beam ends… The night was one of great anxiety.” — Captain Charles Steedman, commanding the USS Bienville.
The fleet set sail the next day to attack Confederate forces at Port Royal. On November 2, the expedition encountered the second storm — now known as the Expedition Hurricane of 1861 — which wreaked havoc on the fleet’s organization and sunk two of its vessels. Some other ships were forced to return home for repairs, but most rode out the storm successfully.
“Many ships were in danger of foundering; the sea was running mountains high. I had the pumps worked incessantly to keep the water down.” — Commander Percival Drayton of the USS Pawnee.
A November Hurricane and the American Civil War
While Atlantic hurricanes are rare in November, one such November hurricane nearly changed the direction of the US Civil War. For the past 200 years, one to two November hurricanes have caused significant damage every 50 years. Stay vigilant-as baseball great Yogi Berra is attributed to saying, “It’s not over until it’s over.”
References:
“8 times tropical cyclones devastated the U.S. in November,” by Shelly Lindblade, November 4, 2024, Spectrum 1.
The Civil War, by Bruce Catton, 1982, American Heritage
The Civil War in North Carolina, by John G. Barrett, 1963, UNC Press
Wikipedia
NOAA
Ocean Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School
JD Solomon resides in the Carolinas, where he fishes, sails, and coaches baseball. Professionally, JD Solomon is the founder of JD Solomon, Inc., the creator of the FINESSE fishbone diagram®, and the co-creator of the SOAP criticality method©. JD has weathered many storms, both on land and at sea.
