The summer of 1886 was a bad one for hurricanes in the Apalachee Bay area of Florida. Three of them struck the area from Apalachicola to Cedar Key.
The first made landfall near Apalachicola on June 21st. Damage was severe in Florida and southern Georgia. The hurricane had top winds of around 100 mph and produced a significant storm surge, especially at Apalachicola where the lower levels of most buildings were flooded.
On June 30th, a hurricane struck the area east of Apalachicola. Damage was heavy in Tallahassee, as it was in the first hurricane. Several fatalities were reported.
On July 19th, the third hurricane of the early summer struck the area near Cedar Key. Damage along the coast in this hurricane was not especially remarkable because it struck a relatively uninhabited area. The hurricane crossed the Peninsula and exited the coast near Jacksonville. It affected shipping in the Atlantic as it went out to sea.
Early season hurricanes are not uncommon in Florida, but the fact that three full fledged hurricanes struck a relatively small section of coastline within a 30 day period that early in the year is unprecedented.
In addition, several other storms struck the U.S. coastline that busy season. There were a total of twelve named storms during the year. The first ten were hurricanes. Three named storms happened in June, one of only four such years. But this one is unique because all three were hurricanes. This included the first two Florida Big Bend hurricanes and a June hurricane near the Texas/Louisiana border. Another major hurricane struck the same area in October. A total of seven named storms, all hurricanes, struck the U.S. that year, including two that made landfall in South Texas.
The worst hurricane of the year struck the important Texas port city of Indianola in August. It is officially recorded as a Category Four hurricane, but it likely was a Category Five storm. Twenty five people died in the destructive storm. The town was totally destroyed and abandoned after the storm. It was never rebuilt.
