What was the first hurricane?

No one knows when the first hurricane took place. Christopher Columbus wrote the first record of a hurricane in 1494 when he described a storm that struck the island of Hispaniola. The first recorded hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland took place in August 1635. read more

Thus science took the first step toward a basic understanding of hurricanes. 1749 -- Storm alters Virginia shoreline A hurricane destroys Fort George, site of present Fort Monroe, Va., and creates Willoughby Spit in Norfolk. According to one record, "A sand spit of 800 acres was washed up." 1752 -- Hurricane devastates Charleston, S.C. read more