EARLY JUNE 3-4 HURRICANE OF 1825

During a hurricane on June 4, more than 25 unidentified ships were wrecked north of Ocracoke Inlet on the Outer Banks.

Forming ahead of what is now considered hurricane season, a severe tropical storm tormented the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to New York City. It was first sighted near Santo Domingo on May 28th and moved across Cuba on June 1st. Gales began at St. Augustine as the cyclone approached U.S. soil on the 2nd, and at Charleston on the 3rd. 

In North Carolina, the tide rose six feet at New Bern and 14 feet at Adams Creek. More than 25 vessels were driven ashore at Ocracoke, 27 near Washington and a number at New Bern. Coastal plantations were inundated near the South River and there was heavy loss of crops and livestock. There was considerable damage near the waterfront in New Bern.

It raked Norfolk with "undiminished violence" for 27 hours from the morning of the 3rd, as the storm passed by to the east. The wind came in "flaws". Trees were uprooted. At noon on the 4th, stores on the wharves were flooded up to five feet in depth. High winds howled through Washington D.C.. Along with a cold rain, winds leveled crops. The storm then moved northeast past Nantucket on the 5th. 

An account of the storm was given by Ann Waller Tazewell, wife of the then governor of Virginia in a letter to her son. She describes the storm as such 

"....The rain commenced on Friday morning (3rd), and continued pretty steadily all day, at night the wind blew so hard that this house rocked considerably. I was so much alarmed as to be unable to sleep but very little - I thought of my flowers, but could not expect anyone so much as to look after my cows or anything, as the rain fell in torrents, and the wind came in flaws, which made it like thunder yesterday (4th) the storm continued until five in the evening, there was a strong northwest wind all day, and the highest tide I ever saw in my life. The wind and tide together tore down all our enclosures at the other lot, upset our cow-house and then dashed it to pieces, tore up some of the wharf logs, upset the Temple there, and drifted it into the flower garden........We sat at the front windows witnessing the destruction all the time it was going on. Our front lot was two thirds covered by the tide. Some vessels that we saw pass rapidly by, were driven ashore at the Hospital Point (Portsmouth) ...."

She later compares the storm to the great gale of September 1821 in this following passage: " ... Such a storm was never experienced here before, by anyone that I have heard speak of it. It is thought to have been far worse than the September gale of 1821." Mrs. Tazewell's letter also mentions that they could not prepare dinner since the tide level was even with the kitchen floor.

An account of the storm as given by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald described the storm as such. It is interesting to note the contrasting opinions between the Norfolk and Portsmouth Ledger and the letter from Mrs. Tazewell regarding the comparisons between this storm and the September gale of 1821: 

" ... It is uncommon to hear of violent storms and hurricanes on any part of our extensive coast in the month of June; but we have to notice a visitation of stormy weather, which commenced about 9 o'clock on Friday night (3rd), rarely if ever equaled within the life span of the oldest inhabitant. The storm of the 3rd of September 1821 was perhaps more violent but it only lasted three or four hours, while this storm continued with undiminished violence, from the hour we have stated until 12 o'clock on Saturday night (4th), or about 27 hours. The wind at the commencement of the storm was northeast and so continued until about 12 o'clock on Saturday, when it began to haul gradually to the northwest and westward, and held up at southwest ..."