 The third and final hurricane known to have existed prior to reanalysis formed in the south @-@ central Gulf of Mexico . Ludlum ( 1963 ) describes the storm along the Gulf Coast , but a reconstruction of its track further south , including its intensification , was made possible by ship reports . In particular , a schooner along the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula encountered stormy conditions around September 30 with southeasterly winds and was driven northward through the Gulf . The storm moved toward the north for a few days , reaching its peak with winds of 105 mph ( 169 km / h ) early on October 2 . It likely made landfall on the Atchafalaya Basin around noon on October 2 before passing west of New Orleans , weakening to a tropical storm before moving into central Mississippi . Strong winds at New Orleans lasted more than 24 hours . 
