Port-au-Prince, Haiti's History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Port-au-Prince most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 21st and September 27th

Years within 60 miles

1873brm
1876tsbdbr
1878-2
1883bdbr
1886
1886ts
1887tsbr
1894
1898tsbr
1899bdtsbr
1899
1901tsbr
1901ts
1908
1909
1910br
1928br
1930tsbd
1931tsbd
1932tsbd
1933ts
1948ts
1954br
1955tsbr
1958br
1958ts
1963m
1964brm
1966m
1967br
1979brm
1998
2003tsbr
2007-2ts
2008ts
2008br
2012ts
2015ts
2016br
2020bdts
2021tsbr

43 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (E and G storms most likely to impact the area)

Katie
Ella
Gerda
Flora
Cleo
Beulah
Inez
Beulah
David
Georges
Odette
Noel
Olga
Fay
Gustav
Isaac
Erika
Matthew
Laura
Elsa

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 22, 51.16%
H = 21, 48.84%

only 12.20% of all tropical systems affecting Port-au-Prince are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

17 years 1910-1928

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 3.56 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for a few hours)

Once every 15.3 years. (10 hits)

Average years between major hurricane hits.

Once every 76.5 years. (2 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

91 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2025

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2021 July 3rd Tropical Storm Elsa brushed 82 miles to the south with 65 mph winds.

This area's hurricane history

1878 September 4th, a number of people killed in Aux Cayes. 80 mph from the southeast
1878 September 25th, 80 mph from the south
1886 August 15th, 85 mph from the east-southeast
1894 September 22nd, 90 mph from the east-southeast
1899 September 1st, 80 mph from the south
1908 September 28th, 80 mph from the southeast
1909 August 23rd, 75 mph from the east-southeast
1963 October 3rd Hurricane Flora passes just southwest by 54 miles with 145 mph winds. News video
1966 September 29th Hurricane Inez hits with 115 mph winds from the east-southeast killing 750 in Haiti. Air Force recon reports pressure of 29.15 inHg just west of Port-au-Prince on evening of 29th, a rise of 60mb uncertain as a major hit for Haiti. Newspaper headline
1998 September 23rd, Hurricane Georges passes to the north with 80 mph winds from the east, heavy rain kills over 100 in haiti. North coast reports heavy flooding. NHC report

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......