 |
 Hurricane Hugo approaching the Lesser Antilles on 15 September | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 16–21 September 1989 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 46 |
| Damage | $4.01 billion (1989 USD) |
| Areas affected | Lesser Antilles,Virgin Islands,Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic |
Part of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Hugo brought major devastation to the Caribbean during the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season.
Barbados served as a staging area for disaster response in the Caribbean due to its strategic position in the region and distance away from Hugo's forecast impacts. [1] Several relief agencies had convened in Barbados earlier in 1989 to coordinate hurricane response plans. These agencies were mobilised ahead of Hugo's arrival in the Lesser Antilles. They were joined by additional teams from the United States Agency for International Development and the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Additional relief teams from the OFDA,Pan American Health Organization,Red Cross,and United Nations Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator were pre-positioned in Antigua to survey the damage and prioritise aid in Hugo's aftermath. [2] : 1 Civil defence officials in Dominica and Guadeloupe prepared shelters to house evacuees. Non-critical patients at Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau,Dominica were sent home beginning on 15 September to free space for possible hurricane victims. The government of Dominica urged its citizens to take emergency precautions. The Dominican Ministry of Public Works prepositioned earthmoving equipment around Dominica to clear landslide debris. A curfew in Guadeloupe mandating that streets be clear of pedestrians and vehicles came into effect at 6 p.m. AST on 17 September. Leading up to the curfew,residents rushed hardware stores and supermarkets to stock up on supplies. Many on the Atlantic-facing side of Guadeloupe evacuated farther inland. [3] Cable television played a significant role in keeping residents of Martinique updated on the hurricane's approach. [4] Though no formal evacuation order was enacted for Martinique,the prefect of Martinique recommended the evacuation of the low-lying Kinsale area on 16 September. Twenty-four evacuation shelters were opened throughout the island. [5] Disaster preparedness plans were set into motion by Martinique's government ministries,dispatching crews to board windows and secure buildings. [6] Air France cancelled its three Martinique-bound flights from Paris scheduled for 18 September; [3] flights to the Lesser Antilles were largely cancelled by the afternoon of 16 September. Most buildings in Antigua were shuttered by noon on 17 September and all local ships were brought to their moorings. V. C. Bird International Airport closed and the island's electric grid was turned off. [3] [7]
Across both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,217 shelters were opened;over 161,000 people sought refuge in these shelters. [8] Although warnings from the NHC afforded ample time for preparations,shelters were required to be provisioned longer than in typical hurricanes. [9] Some of these shelters took heavy damage during Hugo,and one required evacuation by civil defence authorities after its windows gave way to the wind. [10] Shelters in Saint Croix housed 1,000 evacuees. [11] Operations at Cyril E. King Airport in Saint Thomas were suspended on the afternoon of 17 September. [12] Banks,courts,government offices,and schools were also closed throughout the region. [13] Evacuations in Puerto Rico began at dawn on 17 September and were completed in eight hours. [10] Most of the 166 shelters opened in Puerto Rico were public schools. [14] More than 2,000 troops from the United States National Guard were mobilised in Puerto Rico; [15] in San Juan,National Guardsmen and volunteers drove around the city issuing emergency instructions over loudspeakers. [11]
At least 30,000 people evacuated in Puerto Rico,making it one of the largest evacuations in the territory's history;government and media representatives described the evacuation as "the best coordinated weather event they could recall." [16] [8] Three thousand people evacuated from southeastern Puerto Rico and five thousand evacuated from San Juan neighbourhoods. [17] However,many were initially reluctant to leave. [18] La Perla was evacuated for the first time in living memory. [19] Hundreds of evacuees were brought to a stadium in Mayagüez. [11] The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport terminated all scheduled flights at 6 p.m. AST on 17 September. All international airlines evacuated their aircraft from Puerto Rico,though one Airbus A300 owned by American Airlines was left behind for emergency use. [11] Tourists left en masse on departing flights before the airport terminated operations. [20] Cruise ships with San Juan as their port of call were rerouted elsewhere. One person was killed in Utuado,Puerto Rico,after being electrocuted by a power line while preparing for the storm. [11] [21] : A5 On 18 September,Puerto Rican Governor Rafael Hernández Colón ordered a shutdown of the island's electric grid to mitigate damage. [14] A state of emergency was declared in the Dominican Republic on 18 September. [22] : 1A Four international airports were closed that day and businesses began to fortify against Hugo's effects. Civil defence officials aided preparations in Puerto Plata and evacuated a beach there. [23] : 14A A Boeing 727 charter evacuated 135 vacationers from the city. [24] : A-1
Buildings were boarded up in Nassau,Bahamas,and classes were cancelled at The College of The Bahamas on 18 September. [25]
Hugo was the strongest storm to traverse the northeastern Caribbean since Hurricane David in 1979. [3] [11] The Sea,Lake,and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model estimated that storm surge from Hugo led to coastal water levels 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) above normal tidal heights along Saint Croix and the eastern end of Puerto Rico. [26] These equated to storm surge heights of around 7–8 ft (2.1–2.4 m). [27] Water levels of 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m) above normal were estimated to have occurred along the northern coast of Puerto Rico. [26] Rainfall on the Caribbean islands averaged between 5–10 in (130–250 mm). [15] The NHC's preliminary report on the hurricane enumerated 28 fatalities in the eastern Caribbean while media reports tallied over 30. [26] [28] As many as 100,000 people may have been left homeless throughout the region as a result of Hugo. [28]
Guadeloupe and Montserrat were hardest-hit among the Leeward Islands,and collectively suffered over $1 billion in damage and recorded 21 fatalities. [26] [29] [30] Though less severe,widespread damage was also inflicted by Hugo across the remainder of the Leeward and Windward Islands. Extensive flooding occurred on Antigua,and power outages befell the island after utility poles were uprooted by the storm. [11] The damage was heaviest towards the southern portions of the island as the center of Hugo passed 50 mi (80 km) south. [2] : 3 There were two deaths and 181 injuries. Another 509 people were left homeless following damage wrought to 15 percent of homes. [31] Partial damage was documented on 1,500 homes and total loss was documented on 106. Thirty per cent of fishing vessels were also damaged by the hurricane,equating to thousands of boats. [2] : 3 [28] The total cost of damage reached nearly EC$200 million. [31] Hugo's damage toll in Saint Kitts and Nevis amounted to $46 million, [32] largely sustained by shoreline structures and crops. [29] This equated to 32 percent of the country's gross domestic product. [33] Homes,government buildings,and trees were damaged by the storm. [28] [34] A fifth of the country was rendered homeless and the entire populace lost power and water. [32] Ninety per cent of the residents of Nevis lost their homes. One person was killed after a wall collapsed upon him. [28] [35]
Dominica was most affected among the Windward Islands. [36] Hugo ruined 80 percent of the island's banana crop and interrupted water supplies. [29] Coastal roads were damaged by the hurricane's choppy seas;a washout along a primary thoroughfare isolated the village of Dubique. [28] Bridges and storm drains also took heavy damage. [37] Landslides isolated towns for many days. [29] The damage toll in Dominica totalled $20 million. [33] Winds in Martinique reached 60 mph (97 km/h) on the Caravelle peninsula. Some banana plantations near Macouba were damaged,though wind-related damage in Martinique was otherwise minimal. Moderate rains,peaking at 5.67 inches (144 mm) in La Médaille,led to some mudslides. Rough seas flooded parts of Fort-de-France and damaged piers along the Alfassa Boulevard. Beach erosion also occurred along Martinique beaches. [38]
The hurricane moved near the Virgin Islands and made two landfalls in Puerto Rico as it egressed the Caribbean,causing considerable destruction. Estimates of the damage toll in this region vary but include over $50 million each for the British Virgin Islands and Netherlands Antilles,$2 billion for Puerto Rico,and $500 million for Saint Croix. [28] [10] [39] [40] Hugo's center was 85 mi (137 km) southwest of Sint Maarten at its closest approach;a station there reported a maximum sustained wind 46 mph (74 km/h) and a peak gust of 78 mph (126 km/h). [26] These winds unroofed homes and uprooted trees and power lines. [21] : A5 Roughly 25 sailboats sustained severe damage and one boat with four people went missing. [28] Sint Eustatius and Saba of the Netherlands Antilles lost much of their vegetation. Many homes,piers,and public buildings suffered severe damage on the two islands. [41] Eleven people were killed in the Netherlands Antilles and caused $50 million in damage there. [40] The damage toll in the British Virgin Islands exceeded $50 million,with the loss of at least half of the islands' agriculture. Around 30 percent of homes were unroofed. [28] Power outages affected the British Virgin Islands. The Associated Press reported "numerous injuries" and "scores of homes destroyed" on Tortola,the largest island in the BVI. [34] A third of the island's private homes were wrecked. [28] The hurricane also caused widespread power outages in the Dominican Republic while tracking northwest towards the continental United States. [22] : 4A
Guadeloupe sustained the heaviest impacts among the Leeward Islands from Hugo. [11] The hurricane made landfall on the island at 05:00 UTC on 17 September (01:00 a.m. AST) as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds at 140 mph (230 km/h). [26] This made Hugo the strongest hurricane to strike Guadeloupe since a hurricane each in 1899 and 1928. [29] [42] A minimum air pressure of 941.1 mbar (hPa;27.79 inHg) was recorded at La Désirade and 943 mbar in Raizet, [26] [43] with a 97-mile-per-hour (156 km/h) wind gust documented in the last weather observation transmitted from Pointe-à-Pitre. [44] A ship in the wharf at Pointe-à-Pitre estimated a gust of 184 mph (296 km/h). [45] Though unmeasured,French meteorological service Météo-France estimates that wind gusts may have reached 200 mph (320 km/h). [38] The effects of Hugo lasted for about 12 hours in Guadeloupe,with the strongest winds occurring within a 3-hour window. Rainfall totals ranged from 3.1 inches (79 mm) along the southern part of Guadeloupe to 13.8 inches (350 mm) in more mountainous areas. [43] Hourly rainfall rates averaged roughly 2 inches (51 mm) per hour in the core of the hurricane. [45] A station in Gardel documented 3.66 inches (93 mm) of rain in one hour. [38] Along Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin,storm surge from Hugo elevated the seas from 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) above mean sea level. [43]
Telecommunications were knocked out by the storm throughout Guadeloupe as winds brought down power and telephone lines. [11] [15] The island of La Désirade completely lost radio contact with the outside world. Three thousand houses,predominantly wooden shanties,were unroofed. [15] Approximately half of Pointe-a-Pitre,Guadeloupe's largest city,was destroyed. [44] Part of the control tower at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport was wrecked and the airport's radio antenna was knocked down. [46] [47] : 12A Lower sections of Sainte-Rose were inundated by storm surge,resulting in considerable damage. [45] However,the storm's trajectory relative to Guadeloupe prevented a more damaging surge event from occurring. [45] [48] Saint-François was largely destroyed,with nearly half of houses remaining. Several tourist hotels there sustained heavy damage. Two people were killed in Le Moule,that been damaged at nearly 80 percent. [11] The entirety of Guadeloupe's banana crop and most of its coconut palms and sugar cane crops were ruined by Hugo. The storm also wiped out most of the island's fishing fleet, [29] and many ships were grounded by 24-foot (7.3 m) waves. [28] Debris blocked 70 percent of roads. [49] There were 11 fatalities attributed to Hugo in Guadeloupe. [44] Another 107 people were injured and 35,000 were rendered homeless. The damage toll in Guadeloupe amounted to $880 million. [29]
Although Montserrat was struck by many significant storms in the 18th and 19th centuries,the last major hurricane to strike the island before Hugo occurred in 1928. [50] The right-front quadrant of Hugo's eyewall moved over Montserrat on 17 September,raking the island with sustained winds of 140 mph (230 km/h). [29] The island may have also experienced wind gusts up to 240 mph (390 km/h). [51] The hurricane exacted a heavy toll over the course of 14 hours. [52] Hugo was the costliest hurricane in Montserrat's history,inflicting $260 million in damage. [29] Entire villages were destroyed by the storm and vegetation was stripped bare. [2] : 4 Most houses on the island were razed or seriously damaged,displacing 11,000 of Montserrat's 12,000 residents. [29] At least minor damage was dealt to nearly every building on the island,with severe damage inflicted on half of all buildings. [52] Approximately ninety per cent of homes suffered either major to total roof loss, [53] with the most severe damage occurring in the Kinsale and St. Patrick's areas. Impacts on upscale hotels contributed to the overall loss of 88 percent of hotel rooms on the island. [51] Structural and water damage was sustained by hotels. [28]
All government buildings and schools in Montserrat were impacted. [54] The headquarters of the Montserrat government lost much of its roof. Air traffic control facilities at W. H. Bramble Airport were destroyed and the airport terminal was seriously damaged. [51] The 180-foot (55 m) stone jetty at Plymouth was destroyed by Hugo's 20-foot (6.1 m) waves. [29] Livingstone's port was destroyed. [52] Damage to the fishing sector,including ships,buildings,and equipment,totalled US$5.1 million. [2] : 4 The island's power grid was left entirely dysfunctional following the storm across both high and low voltage distribution networks. [53] All supply lines and the generator operated by Molec,Montserrat's electricity company,were incapacitated. [52] All major communications facilities were destroyed. [51] Heavy rainfall with accumulations of up to 7 in (180 mm) triggered mudslides;one at the foot of Chances Peak wrecked 21 homes. [29] Radio and microwave transmission towers atop the mountain were toppled and twisted by the hurricane. [51] Strong winds also downed thousands of trees and utility poles. [55] Ten people were killed in Montserrat and 89 others were injured. [2] : 4 [29]
Hugo was the first significant hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico region since Hurricane Betsy in 1956. [13] Hugo tracked through the Virgin Islands on 18 September and destroyed 30 percent of homes in the archipelago. [26] [56] Generally 6–9 in (150–230 mm) of rain fell across the Virgin Islands,peaking at 11.2 in (280 mm) at Hams Bluff Light in northwestern Saint Croix. [57] However,most rain gauges in the Virgin Islands were destroyed by the hurricane. [58]
The eye of Hugo passed over Saint Croix at 06:00 UTC on 18 September (02:00 a.m. AST). [26] Hurricane-force winds lasted for an unusually long time,battering the island from the late evening of 17 September to the morning of 18 September. [59] Peak sustained winds in Hugo at the time were estimated at 140 mph (230 km/h),making it a Category 4 hurricane. [26] The winds unroofed homes and knocked out power in Saint Croix and Saint Thomas. [11] No official wind measurements were taken on Saint Croix as weather observers evacuated their post at Alexander Hamilton International Airport (now known as Henry E. Rholsen International Airport);the extent of the damage suggested that the entire island was within the envelope of the hurricane's strongest winds. [60] Anemometers on two U.S. Navy workboats recorded peak gusts of 161 and 168 mph (259 and 270 km/h). Unofficial reports alleged that Saint Croix experienced gusts in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h),but these were inconsistent with the severity of damage or were otherwise unsubstantiated. [12]
Hugo killed three people and left 3,500 homeless on Saint Croix. Private and government property damage exceeded $500 million. [39] Electricity,power,and water services were cut by Hugo across the island. More than 90 percent of buildings were damaged and vegetation was stripped bare throughout the island. [60] Seventy per cent of buildings were destroyed and as many as 75 percent of homes lost their roofs. [23] : 14A [24] : A-4 Many neighbourhoods were completely reduced to rubble. [61] : 14-A Surveys equated the severity of damage to that caused by an F1 or F2 tornado on the Fujita scale. In some areas,microbursts and the local topography may have amplified the winds,producing more extreme damage. [60] The heaviest damage on Saint Croix was inflicted upon its northern coast from the mouth of the Salt River to the island's eastern end. These coastal extents were directly exposed to intense rainbands associated with Hugo. The sloping terrain near Christiansted accelerated winds near the surface by as much as 20 percent,enhancing the damage wrought. [12] Stores were damaged in Christiansted. [11] Power and water distillation facilities operated by the Virgin Islands Water &Power Authority west of the city were disabled by the storm. The rupture of a fuel oil tank on the facility grounds caused an oil spill in the Christiansted harbour. [14] Severe damage occurred in south-central Saint Croix near the Hovensa oil refinery and Alexander Hamilton International Airport. [14] Oil tanks at the refinery were damaged,leaving the entire facility incapacitated. [28] The control tower,associated weather instrumentation,and aircraft at the airport were badly damaged. [12] [14] A loose steel fuel tank collided into and destroyed a U.S. Customs shed. [61] : 14-A A UH-1 helicopter and two heavy trucks belonging to the National Guard were destroyed by debris. [61] : 14-A Less severe damage occurred in southwestern Saint Croix near Frederiksted. [12] Rough surf damaged the city pier,tearing away parts of its concrete decking. [14]
Saint Thomas experienced hurricane-force winds and sustained widespread damage to property and vegetation;damage was less severe than on Saint Croix due to Saint Thomas's position farther away from the core of Hugo. [60] A field survey conducted by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that gusts of up to 121 mph (195 km/h) occurred on the island. [12] Homes were unroofed and boats were heavily damaged or set adrift. [37] The antenna,tower,and transmitter of television station WBNB-TV in Charlotte Amalie were destroyed;the station would not return to the air because of the damage and the owner's inability to afford repairs. [62]
Two people drowned in Puerto Rico during Hugo's passage according to reports from the National Research Council and NHC. [10] Another six were killed in Guayama. [63] The San Juan Star estimated losses in the territory amounted to $2 billion while Storm Data ,a monthly publication from the National Centers for Environmental Information,estimated that damage reached $1 billion;property damage accounted for $900 million while crop damage accounted for $100 million. [39] The outer rainbands of Hugo began moving across Puerto Rico at 5:00 p.m. AST (21:00 UTC) on 17 September. [58] Hugo made two landfalls in the Puerto Rico territory on 18 September—on Vieques and Fajardo—as a high-end Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds estimated at 125 mph (201 km/h). An anemometer on the ship Night Cap registered a wind gust of 170 mph (270 km/h) while harboured at Culebra. The strongest wind recorded on Puerto Rico's main island was documented at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station,which reported a peak sustained wind of 104 mph (167 km/h) punctuated by a 120 mph (190 km/h) wind gust. At Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport,sustained winds reached 77 mph (124 km/h),gusting to 92 mph (148 km/h). [26] The heaviest rain from Hugo in Puerto Rico occurred in the northeastern part of the island due to the hurricane's trajectory and orographic lifting induced by El Yunque. [58] A peak rainfall total of 17.60 in (447 mm) was recorded along the lower Río Blanco. [64] Flooding was mostly limited to the northeastern corner of Puerto Rico and in San Juan where rainfall was heaviest. [58] In these areas,over 10 in (250 mm) of rain fell in 48 hours. [39] The heavy rainfall drained into the Fajardo River and Mameyes River,causing them to set new records for discharge rates; [57] three other rivers reached discharge rates within 10–15 percent of their highest on record. [39] Flash floods occurred near the Pitahaya and Espíritu Santo rivers. [57] Floods impacted areas near Luqillo and low-lying portions of San Juan after water pumps lost power. [65] [58] Two hundred landslides occurred in Puerto Rico,with the largest of these transporting 40,000 m3 (1,400,000 cu ft) of debris into a river. [58]
Culebra and Vieques,two small islands east of Puerto Rico,experienced harsher impacts than the main island; [66] : 1A between the two,Culebra experienced stronger winds and heavier damage. [12] The devastation in both islands was nonetheless thorough and widespread. [39] Hurricane reconnaissance observations and the resulting damage in Culebra suggested that the island was struck by 150-mph (240 km/h) wind gusts. [67] Southeasterly winds were accelerated by the hills on the sides of Ensenada Honda. [68] The homes of 80 percent of Culebra residents were wrecked. [10] A housing development near the Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport was completely destroyed. [12] Many boats in Culebra were damaged, [65] including those that sought refuge in Ensenada Honda. [12] On Vieques,a peak gust of 98 mph (158 km/h) was registered,though the damage suggested that gusts of up to 132 mph (212 km/h) may have impacted the island. [12] The roof of a baseball stadium was pried off by the winds. [22] : 4A A thousand families in Vieques were left homeless. [10]
The worst damage on the principal island of Puerto Rico occurred along its northeast coast at Fajardo and Luquillo,where the angle of attack of Hugo's winds was most favourable for high storm surge. [65] [69] At Luquillo,the storm surge reached 8 ft (2.4 m),with waves atop the elevated waters reaching at least 10 ft (3.0 m). [69] Two ferries were grounded at Fajardo by the storm surge;boats sustained over $50 million in losses while marinas sustained $25 million in damage. [14] An aerial survey from the U.S. Coast Guard found that winds unroofed 80 percent of homes between San Juan and Fajardo. [70] Roosevelt Roads Naval Station took heavy damage and lost power and water service. [71] Practically every building was damaged,though only minor injuries occurred. [72] High waves along the coast of the San Juan metropolitan area destroyed walls and pavements. [69] Condado suffered widespread damage and debris bestrewed its streets. [22] : 4A A mobile home park in Loíza,one of the few in Puerto Rico,was wiped out by the storm surge and strong winds. [69] The winds overturned cars and toppled trees and streetlights around the city. [47] : 1A [23] : 14A Buildings in downtown San Juan suffered partial wall and window failures,though overall damage to buildings in the city was light. [12] Fifty aeroplanes were destroyed at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport; [22] : 4A repairs to the airport would cost $20 million. [66] : 1A
Power outages affected 80 percent of Puerto Rico. [66] : 9A Power and water supplies in San Juan were cut for more than a week in some areas. [65] At Carraízo Dam,San Juan's primary supplier of water,five electric motors in the pumping station were inundated,disrupting water distribution;replacement of these motors cost $200,000. [14] The lake formed by the dam had begun to rise,and floodgates were rendered inoperable by power outages. [22] : 1A Poor maintenance had left the dam vulnerable to a larger catastrophe;however,Hugo's rainfall was ultimately less than forecast. [14] Power distribution systems in San Juan and other communities were severely crippled,leading to power outages affecting thirty-five municipalities. [10] Many power poles in Puerto Rico held a disproportionate number of electrical conductors,resulting in greater power loss than would otherwise be expected for the conditions experienced. A destroyed communications antenna in El Yunque National Forest cut off communication to Vieques and Culebra. [14] Debris in the forest blocked Puerto Rico Highway 191 and strong winds unroofed the local headquarters of the United States Forest Service. [73] Fallen power lines and damage to over 120 homes marooned the mayor of Arroyo and several others; [23] : 14A the municipality had been struck by waves 35 ft (11 m) high. [37] Damage to highways in Puerto Rico amounted to $40 million,though only one bridge required closure for repairs. [14] Crops on the island including banana and coffee sustained widespread losses. [63]
A plane bearing 60 rescue workers and emergency supplies was sent to Guadeloupe from Paris on 19 September,with two more relief aircraft held on standby. [11] The crews were tasked with sheltering the homeless,restoring electricity service,and clearing roads. [46] Doctors were also sent to Guadeloupe from La Meynard Hospital in Martinique. [47] : 12 Emergency supplies from Paris were gathered by Catholic Air and Red Cross. [11] Military aircraft delivered 50 tons (45 tonnes) of supplies and over 500 emergency workers to Guadeloupe,along with Minister of Overseas France Louis Le Pensec; [22] : 4A 3,000 soldiers also accompanied the transport. [37] The total cost of repairs on the island was estimated at over €610 million. [74] Two days after Hugo's passage,an Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma rescue helicopter crashed in La Désirade,killing nine people. [74] The Guadeloupe government held a competition to design homes that would be quickly built to house the island's homeless population;five of thirty models were selected,and the first homes were built five months after Hugo. [75] The banana industry in Guadeloupe required FF466 million to recover,while the island's hotel industry suffered FF152 million in losses. [45]
The emergency operations center in Montserrat was formally activated on 18 September to effectively deal with the aftermath of Hugo. As more robust communication systems were destroyed by the storm,communications between the island and the outside world were primarily handled by amateur radio. [76] [2] : 1 Urgent requests for aid were forwarded by ham radio operators to all embassies and foreign missions in Barbados. [37] The island's reduced radio capabilities were augmented by HMS Alacrity when she arrived in Plymouth on 18 September. The ship also brought a helicopter and a crew of 100 sailors that aided in cleaning up roads between Plymouth and W. H. Bramble Airport. [76] [2] : 1 Extensive effort was required to clean up Montserrat's roads due to the prevalence of debris. [2] : 4 Along with the crew of the Alacrity,the Barbados Defence Force and Jamaica Defence Force also assisted in road clean-up operations in Montserrat. [2] : 2 The International Rescue Corps maintained a satellite communications link and provided support for 21 national and international organisations in recovery efforts. Rationing on petroleum was enforced,with a limit of four gallons (15 liters) per person. Waterborne illnesses in Hugo's aftermath proved fatal in Montserrat. A temporary hospital was established at the Montserrat Government House following the destruction of a recently completed hospital. [52]
President Bush declared the U.S. Virgin Islands a disaster area. [28] A temporary air traffic control tower was erected at Alexander Hamilton Airport in Saint Croix six days after the storm. Cyril E. King Airport in Saint Thomas,having suffered less damage,resumed operations within 24 hours. Power was restored in most of Saint Croix and Saint Thomas within three months. The islands' telephone systems were badly crippled by the storm,and only limited service was restored to businesses in December 1989. Some private residences in Saint Croix remained without telephone service until March 1990. [14] Between 300–500 prisoners were freed from prison in Saint Croix after the storm,either by escaping or by release due to food and water shortages in the prison. [28] The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dispatched a C-141 airlifter with government relief workers and communications equipment to Saint Croix. [77] The demographics of the Virgin Islands a year after Hugo reflected the hurricane's impact:roughly 10% of Saint Croix's populace did not return to the island within a year of Hugo. A smaller exodus occurred at Saint Thomas and Saint John. [78]
Three days after the storm hit,the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands Alexander Farrelly asked President Bush for federal assistance in restoring order to the island. [79] On the island of Saint Croix,looting and lawlessness reigned in the aftermath of Hugo. [80] [61] : 1A FBI agents,U.S. marshals,and local police initially maintained a patrol of Frederiksted and Christiansted while the U.S. Coast Guard evacuated tourists from the island; [81] [82] : A1 the USCGC Bear evacuated 40 people and sent personnel onshore to monitor the situation. [82] : A6 However,local law enforcement in Saint Croix was unable to stop widespread looting,with armed gangs reportedly taking root the streets of Christiansted. [70] The Atlanta Constitution reported that some members of the local police and National Guard also took part in looting. [82] For the first time since the Baltimore riot of 1968,American troops were deployed in response to a domestic civil disturbance;with the authorisation of U.S. President George H. W. Bush under the Insurrection Act of 1807,the Pentagon sent 1,100 troops and federal marshals to augment the security presence as local police and the National Guard lost control of the situation. [81] [28] [82] : A1 Among the deployments were 470 troops from the 16th Military Police Brigade,560 troops from the 503rd Military Police Battalion,and three helicopters and medical support. [82] : A6 Dubbed Operation Hawkeye,the operation involved elements of the Army,Navy and the Coast Guard,along with a contingent from the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI,forming Joint Task Force (JTF) 40 for Operation Hawkeye. [79] It also resulted in the first operational deployment of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS),when the New Mexico-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) was deployed to assist in medical care needs of the stricken island. [83] The first contingent arrived in Saint Croix on the morning of 21 September to secure an airfield and devise the command structure for the other arriving troops. [84]
National Basketball Association player Tim Duncan,born in Christiansted and a two-time NBA MVP,of the San Antonio Spurs attributed his basketball career to Hurricane Hugo's destruction. When Tim was 13 years old,he was a competitive swimmer who was considered one of the top United States competitors for the 400-meter freestyle. However,in the aftermath of Hugo,every swimming pool on Saint Croix was destroyed,including the Olympic-size swimming pool. With no pool to practice in,Duncan turned to basketball. Tim Duncan said,"I'm very fortunate to be where I am today. Without Hugo,I might still be swimming." [85] On 4 April 2020,it was announced that Duncan would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on 29 August. [86] [87]
Puerto Rican Governor Hernandez Colón solicited a disaster declaration for Puerto Rico from President Bush after surveying the damage wrought by Hugo. [23] : 1A The U.S. Department of the Interior allocated $500,000 in aid to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. [88] Police were dispatched to retail areas,offices of political parties,and the main San Juan post office to avert looting. [23] : 14A An emergency clinic served in place of the destroyed hospital in Culebra. [37] Governor Colón estimated that the number of those displaced by Hugo in Puerto Rico exceeded 50,000. [70] Over 25,000 people in Culebra and Vieques remained in shelters after Hugo as their homes were destroyed. [10] The Puerto Rican school system was hindered by the damage inflicted on the schools themselves,their use as shelters,and the loss of water and power service. [14] Due to a lack of planning for housing shelter residents,500 schools remained closed weeks after the storm,affecting at least 150,000 students. [10] The loss of water caused two hospitals to refuse patient admission on 20 September. [14]
While power in San Juan was largely restored within 48 hours,many in Puerto Rico remained without power in the days following Hugo. On 24 September,47,500 businesses and homes in Puerto Rico were without power;the San Juan Star reported that a quarter of electricity customers in Fajardo remained without electric service on October 9,three weeks after Hugo struck the island. Residents of Puerto Rico's northeastern coast were encouraged to boil water to curtail the spread of food- and waterborne diseases,though power outages prevented most from doing so. Repair costs for Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority poles and wires amounted to $50 million;some repair efforts may have been undermined by the looting of copper wire in Hugo's aftermath. [14] At least six workers were killed while repairing power lines. [39] Equipment from the continental U.S. for the restoration of Puerto Rican water supplies arrived beginning on 22 September,with the capacity to produce over 200,000 gallons (760,000 liters) of potable water daily. USAF sent power generators,plastic sheeting for repairs,and 200,000 [81] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers distributed over 2 million gallons (7.6 million litres) of water using 33 tank trucks,with the costs subsidised by the U.S. government. [14] U.S. Coast Guard C-130s and two cutters were sent to San Juan to render aid and deliver supplies. From its supply centers in the continental U.S.,the American Red Cross amassed supplies for victims in Puerto Rico and mounted its largest domestic relief effort in four years. [77] [89]
The defoliation of mangroves and the introduction of freshwater runoff into brackish waters created anoxic conditions that killed many fish in Guadeloupe's mangrove habitats;fish populations would recover by January 1990. [90] The low species richness of mangrove forests was found to a contributing factor to Hugo's damage upon vegetation. Forests with a greater vertical extent and higher species richness were more protected from the hurricane's effects. [43] Bat populations in Montserrat dropped 20-fold in response to extensive habitat loss and community composition transitioned from one dominated by small frugivores to one dominated by larger frugivores and omnivores. [91] [92] Extensive defoliation was documented in the forests of Dominica,Guadeloupe,Montserrat,and Puerto Rico,where vegetation was stripped bare of their flowers,fruits,and leaves. [93]
A survey of bird populations in Saint Croix observed that Hugo's aftermath may have stressed birds more than the hurricane's immediate meteorological forces. Frugivorous,nectarivorous,and seminivorous bird populations declined most among avian diet groups as a result of vegetation loss. The bridled quail-dove (Geotrygon mystacea) was driven out of its traditional habitats on Saint Croix. Declines in the populations of certain bird species were also noted in Saint John. The destruction of habitats forced the relocation of some avian species such as the pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) and northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis). [94] The populations or habitats of three endangered Puerto Rican birds were affected by Hugo:the Puerto Rican amazon (Amazona vittata),the Yellow-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus),and the Puerto Rican plain pigeon (Columba inornata wetmorei). [93] El Yunque National Forest lost 15 percent of its trees,valued at $5.2 million. However,the increased exposure to sunlight following the loss of tree canopies led to increased diversity of plant species. [73] In Montserrat,the endemic Montserrat oriole (Icterus oberi) was driven out of the South Soufriere Hills after losing much of its habitat. [93]
Hurricane Hugo was a powerful tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. The eleventh tropical cyclone,eighth named storm,sixth hurricane,and second major hurricane of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season,Hugo arose from a cluster of thunderstorms near Cape Verde on September 10,1989. This cluster coalesced into a tropical depression and strengthened into Tropical Storm Hugo as it tracked west across the Atlantic Ocean for several days. On September 13,Hugo became a hurricane and continued to intensify through September 15 when its sustained winds peaked at 160 mph (255 km/h),making it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Between September 17 and 21,Hugo made landfall on Guadeloupe,Saint Croix,Puerto Rico,and lastly South Carolina,with major hurricane strength winds. The storm weakened inland and accelerated north over the Eastern United States,transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on September 23 before it was last noted in the far northern Atlantic on September 25.
Hurricane Hortense was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico since Hurricane Hugo in 1989,and the second most intense hurricane during the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. The eighth tropical cyclone,eighth named storm,and sixth hurricane of the season,Hortense developed on September 3 from a tropical wave in the central Atlantic Ocean. Initially a tropical depression,it headed westward without significant strengthening for four days due to unfavorable upper-level winds. While nearing the Lesser Antilles upper-level winds decreased,allowing the depression to become Tropical Storm Hortense on September 7. Hortense crossed Guadeloupe on September 8 and entered the Caribbean Sea. By on the following day,it was upgraded to a hurricane while curving northwestward. Hortense made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 9 and brushed the Dominican Republic shortly thereafter. After re-entering the Atlantic,Hortense began to substantially strengthen and peaked as a 140 mph (220 km/h) Category 4 hurricane early on September 13. Thereafter,the storm steadily weakened as it tracked rapidly north-northeastward. Early on September 15,Hortense made landfall in Nova Scotia as a minimal Category 1 hurricane. It quickly weakened further to a tropical storm before re-entering the Atlantic to the south of Newfoundland. Late on September 15,Hortense transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and subsequently merged with a frontal system about 24 hours later.
Hurricane Lenny was the strongest November Atlantic hurricane since the 1932 Cuba hurricane. It was the twelfth tropical storm,eighth hurricane,and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny formed on November 13 in the western Caribbean Sea at around 18:00 UTC and went on to form and maintain an unusual and unprecedented easterly track for its entire duration,which gave it the common nickname,"Wrong Way Lenny". It attained hurricane status south of Jamaica on November 15 and passed south of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico over the next few days. Lenny rapidly intensified over the northeastern Caribbean on November 17,attaining peak winds of 155 mph (249 km/h) about 21 mi (34 km) south of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. It gradually weakened while moving through the Leeward Islands,eventually dissipating on November 23 over the open Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Georges was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998,making seven landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh tropical storm,fourth hurricane,and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. It became the most destructive storm of the season,the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and remained the costliest until Hurricane Charley in 2004,and the deadliest since Hurricane Gordon in 1994. Georges killed 615 people,mainly on the island of Hispaniola,caused extensive damage resulting in just under $10 billion in damages and leaving nearly 500,000 people homeless in St. Kitts and Nevis,Puerto Rico,Hispaniola and Cuba.
Hurricane Donna,known in Puerto Rico as Hurricane San Lorenzo,was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season,and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles,the Greater Antilles,and the East Coast of the United States,especially Florida,in August–September. The fifth tropical cyclone,third hurricane,and first major hurricane of the season,Donna developed south of Cape Verde on August 29,spawned by a tropical wave to which 63 deaths from a plane crash in Senegal were attributed. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Donna by the following day. Donna moved west-northwestward at roughly 20 mph (32 km/h) and by September 1,it reached hurricane status. Over the next three days,Donna deepened significantly and reached maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) on September 4. Thereafter,it maintained intensity as it struck the Lesser Antilles later that day. On Sint Maarten,the storm left a quarter of the island's population homeless and killed seven people. An additional five deaths were reported in Anguilla,and there were seven other fatalities throughout the Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico,severe flash flooding led to 107 fatalities,85 of them in Humacao alone.
Hurricane Frederic,known in Latin America as Federico,was an intense and damaging tropical cyclone that carved a path of destruction from the Lesser Antilles to Quebec,in particular devastating areas of the United States Gulf Coast. Though only five were killed directly,the US$1.77 billion in damage accrued by Frederic made it the Atlantic basin's costliest tropical cyclone on record at the time. Prior to its final landfall,the threat that Frederic imposed on areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast triggered a mass exodus from the region larger than any other evacuation in the past. While the storm primarily impacted the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama,lesser effects were felt throughout the Greater and Lesser Antilles,as well as inland North America.
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998,and the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2004. It was the tenth named storm,the seventh hurricane,and the fifth major hurricane of the season,as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida. After wreaking havoc on Hispaniola,Jeanne struggled to reorganize,eventually strengthening and performing a complete loop over the open Atlantic. It headed westwards,strengthening into a Category 3 hurricane and passing over the islands of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama in the Bahamas on September 25. Jeanne made landfall later in the day in Florida just two miles from where Hurricane Frances had struck a mere three weeks earlier.
Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989,and the third such tropical cyclone in roughly a two-week time span to strike or impact the Leeward Islands,the others being Hurricane Iris and the much more powerful and destructive Hurricane Luis. The thirteenth named storm,seventh hurricane and third major hurricane of the extremely active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season,Marilyn formed on September 12 as a tropical depression from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on September 7. After formation,the storm quickly became a tropical storm,and steadily intensified into a hurricane by the time it struck the Lesser Antilles on September 14 at Category 1 strength. Entering the northeastern Caribbean Sea,rapid intensification ensued and it peaked on September 16 north of Puerto Rico as a Category 3 hurricane shortly after it had impacted the U.S. Virgin Islands. A Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight reported hail,which is unusual for tropical cyclones. After heading north past Bermuda,Marilyn weakened and became extratropical on September 22. The remnant circulation wandered the Atlantic Ocean from September 23 –October 1,just south of Nova Scotia.
Hurricane Erika was the strongest and longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed from a tropical wave on September 3 and moved west-northwestward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean,steadily intensifying until it attained hurricane status on September 4,becoming the fifth named storm and third hurricane of the season. Erika passed a short distance to the north of the Lesser Antilles,and later turned to the north in response to an approaching trough. The hurricane quickly strengthened to become the only major hurricane of the season,reaching maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (201 km/h) on September 8;after maintaining its peak strength for 24 hours,Erika began to weaken as it passed over cooler waters. It turned to the east,weakened to a tropical storm,and became extratropical after passing near the Azores archipelago.
Hurricane Betsy,known as Hurricane Santa Clara in Puerto Rico,was the first North Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico in 24 years. The third tropical cyclone of the 1956 Atlantic hurricane season,Betsy developed from a tropical wave on August 9 to the east of the Lesser Antilles. It rapidly developed into a 120 mph (190 km/h) major hurricane before striking Guadeloupe. There,Betsy heavily damaged 1000 houses and left severe crop destruction,and there were 18 deaths in the territory. As Betsy continued into the northeastern Caribbean,it capsized a ship,killing its crew of two.
Hurricane Jose was the fourteenth tropical cyclone,tenth named storm,and seventh hurricane of the annual hurricane season that caused moderate damage in the Lesser Antilles in October 1999. Jose developed from a tropical wave several hundred miles east of the Windward Islands on October 17. The depression intensified and was subsequently upgraded to Tropical Storm Jose on October 18. The storm tracked northwestward and was upgraded to a hurricane the following day as it approached the northern Leeward Islands. Jose briefly peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) on October 20. However,wind shear weakened the storm back to a Category 1 hurricane before it struck Antigua. Further deterioration occurred and Jose weakened to a tropical storm before landfall in Tortola on October 21. While located north of Puerto Rico on October 22,the storm turned northward,shortly before curving north-northeastward. Wind shear decreased,allowing Jose to re-intensify into a hurricane while passing east of Bermuda on October 24. However,on the following day,wind shear increased again,while sea surface temperatures decreased,causing Jose to weaken and quickly transition into an extratropical cyclone.
Tropical Storm Claudette was a 1979 tropical cyclone which was the third-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the contiguous United States. The storm caused significant flooding in eastern Texas and western Louisiana in July 1979. The eighth tropical cyclone and third named storm of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season,Claudette developed from a tropical wave located east of the Windward Islands on July 16. It gradually strengthened and was upgraded to a tropical storm on July 17 and crossed the northern Leeward Islands later that day. As it neared landfall in Puerto Rico early on July 18,upper-level winds weakened it back to a tropical depression. Claudette remained disorganized and the National Hurricane Center operationally reported that it degenerated back into a tropical wave after crossing Puerto Rico. Late on July 18,the depression struck Dominican Republic,emerged into the Caribbean Sea on the following day. Claudette struck western Cuba on July 21,shortly before reaching the Gulf of Mexico and "regenerating" into a tropical cyclone. By July 23,Claudette regained tropical storm intensity and turned northward toward the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border late on July 23 as a moderately strong tropical storm. It weakened slowly and drifted over land,lasting until dissipation in West Virginia on July 29.
Hurricane Debby caused minor damage in the Greater and Lesser Antilles in August 2000. The seventh tropical cyclone,fourth named storm,and second hurricane of the annual season,Debby developed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles on August 19. Favorable conditions allowed the depression to become Tropical Storm Debby early on August 20,and further strengthening into a hurricane occurred 24 hours later. Sustained winds peaked at 85 mph (137 km/h) on August 21. Debby made three landfalls on August 22,in Barbuda,Saint Barthélemy,and Virgin Gorda,before re-entering the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico. As Debby moved parallel to the north coast of Hispaniola late on August 23,it weakened back to a tropical storm. The storm tracked westward and weakened further,instead of approaching Florida and strengthening into a major hurricane. While south of eastern Cuba on August 24,Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression,six hours before completely dissipating.
Hurricane Dean was a strong tropical cyclone that affected the United States and Atlantic Canada while remaining offshore in early August 1989. The fourth named storm and second hurricane of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season,Dean formed on July 31 and reached tropical storm status the following day east of the Leeward Islands. Dean brushed the northern Leeward Islands as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale,bringing light rain but producing no damage,before turning northward and striking Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane. It continued northward before making landfall in southeastern Newfoundland.
The 1932 San Ciprián hurricane was one of the strongest tropical cyclones in the history of Puerto Rico. The center of the storm traversed the island on an east-to-west path in late September 1932,killing 272 people and inflicting at least $35 million in damage. Winds in San Juan,Puerto Rico,were estimated to have reached at least 120 mph (190 km/h),causing extensive destruction. The storm's origins can be traced back to at least September 25,1932,when it was a tropical storm east of the Windward Islands. Moving west as a compact tropical cyclone,it rapidly intensified as it moved across the Virgin Islands the following day before ultimately making landfall on September 27 in Ceiba,Puerto Rico,at a peak intensity equivalent to that of a Category 4 hurricane on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale. The hurricane diminished for the remainder of its duration,leaving Puerto Rico and brushing the southern coast of Hispaniola. The cyclone passed near Jamaica on September 29 and moved ashore British Honduras on October 1 as a tropical storm,dissipating the next day over southeastern Mexico.
The effects of Hurricane Georges in the Lesser Antilles were minimal in certain islands and major on others. Georges had formed on September 15,1998,off the African coast. It had quickly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale on September 20 when it struck the Lesser Antilles with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds. The islands affected include Antigua,Barbuda,the British Virgin Islands,the United States Virgin Islands,Montserrat,Guadeloupe,Dominica,St. Maarten. St. Kitts and Nevis were also affected and sustained the most damage at US$484 million.
Tropical Storm Christine was the first tropical cyclone to form as far east as longitude 30°W in the Atlantic Ocean since Tropical Storm Ginger in 1967. Forming as a tropical depression over the country of Guinea on August 25,1973,the system tracked nearly due west for several days before intensifying into a tropical storm on August 28. However,the National Hurricane Center did not issue their first advisory on the system until its intensity was confirmed by a reconnaissance aircraft on August 30. Turning slightly northward,Christine gradually intensified,attaining its peak strength on September 2. At that time,the storm had winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mbar,just below hurricane status. Shortly after,increasing wind shear caused the system to quickly weaken. By September 4,Christine had been downgraded to a tropical depression as it tracked through the Leeward Islands. After degenerating into a tropical wave,the cyclone's remnants fully dissipated on September 6.
Hurricane Edith brought flooding and wind damage to portions of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The sixth tropical storm and fifth hurricane of the 1963 season,Edith developed east of the Windward Islands on September 23 from an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) disturbance. Initially a tropical depression,it strengthened into Tropical Storm Edith the next day. Shortly thereafter,Edith reached hurricane status. Edith fluctuated between Category 1 and 2 status as it moved west-northwest. Upon reaching Category 2 intensity on September 25,the storm peaked with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). After striking Saint Lucia on September 25,the storm traversed the eastern Caribbean Sea. Curving north-northwest on September 26,Edith made landfall near La Romana,Dominican Republic,early on the following day as a minimal hurricane. Interaction with land and an upper-level trough caused Edith to weaken to a tropical storm on September 28 and to a tropical depression by the next day. The storm dissipated just east of the Bahamas on September 29.
The 1916 Virgin Islands hurricane was a strong tropical cyclone that inflicted extensive damage across the Virgin Islands in October 1916. It was the region's most destructive storm since at least the 1867 San Narciso hurricane;Consul General Christopher Payne and archaeologist Theodoor de Booy considered the 1916 storm as the archipelago's most damaging. Its peak intensity was equivalent to a Category 3 on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale. The storm began as a tropical depression southeast of Barbados on October 6,though little is known about the storm's origins or its developing stages;by the time its center was first located,the cyclone was already a hurricane and causing damage in the Virgin Islands. After forming,the storm moved northwest into the eastern Caribbean Sea and strengthened quickly. Rough seas were produced in the Windward Islands at Dominica and Saint Kitts as the storm passed nearby between October 7–8,damaging coastal villages.
Hurricane Dorian caused relatively minor damage across the eastern Caribbean in late August 2019. Originating from a westward moving tropical wave,Dorian organized into a tropical cyclone on August 24 and reached the Lesser Antilles on August 26 as a tropical storm. Turning northwest,the system unexpectedly intensified to a hurricane as it struck the Virgin Islands on August 27. Antecedent to the storm's arrival,local governments across the archipelago issued tropical cyclone warnings and watches,readied public shelters,closed airports,and placed emergency crews on standby. Many of the threatened islands were still reeling from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and fears arose over embattled power grids. In the areas first affected,impacts were limited to gusty winds and modest rainfall. Effects were greater in the Virgin Islands where wind gusts reached 111 mph (179 km/h);however,damage was light. Multiple landslides occurred across the islands and Puerto Rico with only a handful of structures suffering damage. One person died in Puerto Rico while preparing for the storm.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.Virtually everything worth stealing was gone within a day. With one exception, all of St. Croix's major grocery stores were sacked. The surviving store's stock remained intact only because 10 armed members of the owner's family kept a vigil on the roof. A senior Virgin Islands police official said he could not reach most of his officers during the 24 hours after the eye of the hurricane struck about midnight. He said he saw several of the officers, members of the National Guard and even a few current and former legislators among looters in downtown Christiansted.