▁upon ▁land fall ▁were ▁estimated ▁to ▁measure ▁ 1 2 5   m ph ▁( 2 0 0   km / h ), ▁correl ating ▁with ▁the ▁upper - end ▁of ▁a ▁Category   3 ▁rating ▁on ▁the ▁modern - day ▁S aff ir – Sim pson ▁h urr icane ▁wind ▁scale . ▁Near ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁land fall , ▁the ▁h urr icane ▁was ▁documented ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁central ▁pressure ▁of ▁ 9 5 2   m bar ▁( h Pa ; ▁ 2 8 . 1 2   in H g ) ▁at ▁Tul ane ▁University . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁lowest ▁pressure ▁ever ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Using ▁this ▁measurement , ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁re analysis ▁project ▁calculated ▁that ▁the ▁h urr icane ▁struck ▁Louisiana ▁with ▁a ▁lower ▁pressure : ▁ 9 4 4   m bar ▁( h Pa ; ▁ 2 7 . 8 8   in H g ). ▁Analysis ▁of ▁on sh ore ▁observations ▁also ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁storm ▁made ▁land fall ▁with ▁concent ric ▁e y ew alls . ▁Although ▁the ▁mo ist ▁sw am pl and ▁of ▁the ▁Louis ian an ▁Ac ad iana ▁allowed ▁the ▁h urr icane ▁to ▁maintain ▁strength ▁longer ▁than ▁what ▁would ▁otherwise ▁be ▁expected , ▁the ▁storm ▁would ▁eventually ▁succ umb ▁to ▁land ▁interaction . ▁Rap id ▁weak ening ▁en su ed ▁as ▁the ▁cy clone ▁moved ▁in land , ▁de grad ing ▁back ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm ▁within ▁twelve ▁hours ▁of ▁land fall .