Storm history › Atlantic › 1996 season
Hurricane Hortense (1996)
Hortense was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic season. It was tracked from September 3, 1996 to September 16, 1996, about 13 days, and covered 4,529 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 935 mb.
It made 2 landfalls, the first near Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Its closest pass to a major city was 27 miles from Halifax, Canada.
- Peak wind
- 140 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 935 mb
- Strongest
- Category 4 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 2
- Duration
- 13 days
- Track length
- 4,529 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 21.8
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10, 1996 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| 2 | September 15, 1996 | Musquodoboit Harbour, Canada | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Halifax, Canada | 27 mi (43 km) |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | 61 mi (97 km) |
| Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic | 89 mi (143 km) |
| Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic | 92 mi (148 km) |
| Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 95 mi (153 km) |
| Santo Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic | 99 mi (160 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 110th highest of 2,017 Atlantic storms on record, tied with Hurricane Gabrielle (2025), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Fiona (2022) and 20 more.
- Lowest pressure: 85th lowest of 1,294 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Hurricane Ike (2008), Hurricane Frances (2004), Hurricane Luis (1995) and 1 more.
- Energy: 13% of the 1996 Atlantic season's ACE.