1931 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1931 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1931. The 1931 season was average in terms of tropical cyclone formation, but below average in number of hurricanes. 13 tropical cyclones formed during the year, but only three reached hurricane status, and one reached major hurricane status. The season's only major hurricane, the 1931 Belize hurricane, was a Category 4 hurricane that caused severe devastation in Belize, killing approximately 2,500 people. The other hurricane of the season struck Puerto Rico and mainland Mexico as a Category 1 causing some moderate damage.
Timeline
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Systems
Tropical Storm One
Around 12:00 UTC on June 24, the season's first tropical cyclone developed just offshore the Yucatán Peninsula. It moved slowly north and intensified into a tropical storm six hours later in accordance with data from a nearby ship. After attaining peak winds of 50 mph early on June 25, the storm struck the Yucatán Peninsula and subsequently emerged into the Gulf of Mexico. It did not intensify while over water, instead making a second landfall on the southern Texas coast at 22:00 UTC on June 27, with winds of 45 mph. The system weakened to a tropical depression eight hours later, dissipating over southern Texas after 18:00 UTC on June 28.High tides in Boca Chica Village, Texas, in advance of the storm swept over a highway and bridge. Officials undertook evacuations along the coastline. Localized but significant rainfall fell across South Texas, maximized at in Runno, inundating some streets in Corpus Christi to a depth of. Winds there peaked at 39 mph. Rising creeks and rivers throughout Kleburg County inundated the cotton and feed crops, and farther west in Hebbronville, hundreds of acres of land were flooded. Rising water along the Texas Mexican Railway inundated some tracks, delaying trains for several hours.
Tropical Storm Two
Another tropical depression formed in the western Caribbean around 06:00 UTC on July 11, this time about 75 miles northeast of the Honduras–Nicaragua border. It moved west-northwest without development, striking near Chetumal, Quintana Roo, late on July 12 as a tropical depression. As the cyclone progressed across the Yucatán Peninsula, it developed into a tropical storm early the next day as supported by surface observations. The storm banked north once in the Gulf of Mexico and attained peak winds of 70 mph late on July 14, although it remains possible it was briefly a hurricane. Some weakening occurred before the system made landfall along the coastline of central Louisiana with winds of 60 mph. The cyclone moved north-northwest, weakening to a tropical depression on July 16 and ultimately dissipating south of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after 06:00 UTC the following morning.The storm caused marginal damage to the Louisiana coast, snapping some trees and flooding some streets following about of rain. At Frenier, a small town along the western coast of Lake Pontchartrain, 100 head of cattle were lost to storm surge. The rough surf atop the tide generated along the Mississippi coast damaged some piers and sank several small boats. In the Bay St. Louis area, telephone and telegraph connections were severed by the storm. A boxcar traversing the Illinois Central Railroad at Gulfport was derailed into the sea after part of the track was impacted by storm surge. Further west, the cyclone enhanced the high tide at Caplen, Texas and Gilchrist, Texas, resulting in the evacuation of a hundred people.
Tropical Storm Three
A tropical depression developed between Saint Vincent and Saint Lucia around 18:00 UTC on August 10. It intensified into a tropical storm twelve hours later. As the cyclone turned to the west from the west-northwest, it continued to intensify, reaching winds of 60 mph late on August 12. It made landfall a short distance south of Belize City, Belize, around 20:00 UTC on August 15 with slightly weaker winds of 50 mph. While the system fell to tropical depression intensity while over land, it intensified into a tropical storm over the Bay of Campeche early on August 17, regaining peak strength as it made landfall north of Veracruz, Veracruz, just after 12:00 UTC on August 18. It quickly weakened once inland and dissipated after 00:00 UTC on August 19.Tropical Storm Four
A tropical depression developed about 70 miles north of Barbados around 06:00 UTC on August 16. It moved northwest through the Leeward Islands over the next few hours. While officially recognized as a tropical storm beginning at 06:00 UTC the next morning, there are no conclusive indications that the system ever attained winds of 40 mph ; the lack of substantive evidence simply prevented a downgrade during reanalysis. Nevertheless, the weak cyclone progressed through the U.S. Virgin Islands and into the southwestern Atlantic, where it fell to tropical depression intensity early on August 18. The cyclone curved to the north-northeast and dissipated after 06:00 UTC on August 21. A station at the Dominica Botanical Gardens in Roseau, Dominica, recorded of rainfall, accompanied by gusty, albeit non-damaging winds.Tropical Storm Five
As part of the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project, a previously unidentified tropical cyclone was found to have developed just north of the Leeward Islands by 00:00 UTC on September 1, although this could have occurred sooner. It moved nearly due west throughout its lifespan, intensifying to a tropical storm early on September 3 and making landfall along the coastline of northeastern Hispaniola around 14:00 UTC that day with winds of 45 mph. Weakening ensued over the island, and the system degenerated into an open trough after 00:00 UTC on September 4. The remnants of the cyclone were later absorbed by a frontal system off the U.S. East Coast after September 9.Downpours associated with the system caused a flood disaster in Puerto Rico. According to reports, up to in 24 hours caused many rivers to overflow their banks. The normally dry Portugués River was transformed into a torrent of water that carried many small houses and huts downstream, crashing them into a bridge leading to the harbor front in Ponce. There, 90 houses were destroyed and an additional 120 were damaged; this included the Residencia Jacobo Cabassa, considered one of the finest buildings on the island. The flood, in conjunction with landslides, caused significant damage to roads and bridges. Adjacent to Ponce, the Río Inabón caused damage to warehouses. Considerable loss was imposed upon the growing sugarcane crop in Puerto Rico's valleys. Initial reports feared up to 200 people were killed. In the immediate wake of the storm, 30 bodies were recovered, though swollen rivers prevented access to hard-hit locations and that number was expected to increase. Governor Theodore Roosevelt ordered all government departments to assist in search and rescue, while the Red Cross cared for 250 homeless in Ponce.
Hurricane Six
A tropical wave emerged from Africa on August 28, and there are inconclusive indications that a tropical cyclone may have existed in the eastern Atlantic in the final days of the month. Given the absence of abundant evidence beforehand, a tropical depression is assessed to have developed about 65 miles west of Grenada by 18:00 UTC on September 6. The system moved west-northwest through the Caribbean, becoming a tropical storm six hours after formation and a hurricane late on September 18. Still intensifying, it reached peak strength as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph before making a devastating landfall around Belize City, Belize, at 20:00 UTC on September 10. It fell to tropical storm intensity before crossing the Bay of Campeche, where its exact intensity is unknown given sparse data. The system ultimately made landfall north of Tampico, Tamaulipas, early on September 13 as a minimal tropical storm. It dissipated after 12:00 UTC that day.The approach of the hurricane in Belize coincided with celebrations for the Battle of St. George's Caye. Local residents gathered in the street and were apathetic to the cyclone, both because warnings from U.S. ships in the region may have been withheld, and because residents believed local reefs would stunt the impact of any approaching storm. St. George's Caye was reportedly left in ruin. Upon landfall on the mainland, the system delivered winds up to 132 mph and a large storm surge in Belize City, inundating streets to a depth of. Seventy percent of the city was destroyed. All agricultural plantations within the vicinity of Belize City, as well as along the Belize River, were razed. The mouth of the Belize River was obstructed by the wreckage of numerous small boats, including six Honduras schooners and a 200-ton dredge. Overall damage throughout Belize was estimated at $7.5 million. The number of dead reportedly ranged from 1,500–2,500, signifying one of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record in the Atlantic basin.
Hurricane Seven
A tropical storm was first noted about 455 miles northeast of Barbados around 18:00 UTC on September 8. It intensified on a west-northwest course, becoming a hurricane early on September 10 prior to moving through the U.S. Virgin Islands. It made subsequent landfalls along the northern coastline of Puerto Rico and later in the Dominican Republic as a minimal hurricane early the next day. The cyclone weakened to a tropical storm as it moved south of due west across Haiti, Jamaica, and the western Caribbean. At 19:00 UTC on September 14, it made another landfall north of Belize's border with the Yucatán Peninsula as a strong tropical storm. The cyclone emerged into the Bay of Campeche and quickly strengthened to its peak as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph, making a final landfall just east of Veracruz, Veracruz, at 06:00 UTC on September 16 at that intensity. It rapidly weakened once inland and dissipated after 18:00 UTC.As the system traversed the Caribbean Islands, it produced maximum winds of 60 mph on St. Thomas. The hurricane continued into Puerto Rico, defying initial projections that it would pass safely north. Due to its small stature, damage was chiefly confined to the San Juan district, and in fact, many residents across the island were unaware a hurricane had occurred. A total of 200 homes were unroofed in the hardest-hit areas, and flooding from the previous disaster just days earlier was exacerbated. The home of the governor sustained water damage. Fruit, coffee, grapefruit, and coconut districts were most severely impacted, though the coffee suffered only minor losses. Two people were killed—a woman was electrocuted by a fallen wire while a waterfront watchman was crushed by a roof. In the immediate wake of the storm, motorcycle police reported a number of people drowned, but no concrete figure was given. Along the coastline, small craft were pushed onshore. The Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano dumped 2,500 cases of garlic into the San Juan Harbor and suffered two small holes through her plates after being battered by the storm. The steamer Cerrito was swept onto a reef as well. Two people were hurt in vessels along the coast, including one who sustained a broken ship while being knocked into a ship's railing. Eight people across thirteen towns were injured in total, including the head of the Weather Bureau who fell from an anemometer tower during a lull in the cyclone. Communication lines were severed across Puerto Rico. In the neighboring Dominican Republic, Pan-American Airways reported that the Santo Domingo power plant was disabled.