Hurricanes have long been a fact of life in the Bahamas. With extensive exposed coastlines jutting out of the Atlantic and uniquely flat lands and shallow coastal waters, these islands had seen many tempests before there was a Bahamas as we know it today. Hurricanes have shaped the islands landscape and, in a sense, their people as well. In the history of the Bahamasoften considered a patriarchal society in which the hurricanes traditionally bore the names not of women, but of the islands they devastated-- the storms have impacted all aspects of everyday life. A growing number of studies covering many aspects of hurricanes have examined their social impacts. Even so, the historical ramifi cati ons of the hurricanes of the Bahamas and of the wider realm of the Caribbean have rarely been approached. The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1899 and the Great Abaco Hurricane of 1932 hold special places in the archives of Bahamian history. These hurricanes were two of the worst natural disasters the country had experienced at the time, and even to this day these storms are considered among the top ten most destructive Bahamian storms of all time. These two notable and very destructive Bahamian hurricanes resulted in the deaths of over 334 Bahamians in 1899 and 18 in 1932. Learn why as author Wayne Neely explores the breadth and depth of each disasternot only how they impacted the society at the time, but how they impacted the progression of history.
The Bahamas is ideally located directly in the path of hurricanes in the North Atlantic. These massive tropical cyclones have been ravaging the Bahamas since the Lucayan Indians blessed these islands with their presence. Now for the very first time, these greatest and deadliest Bahamian hurricanes have been presented and documented in book-form. Such named storms include Hurricanes Andrew, Floyd, Donna, Dorian, David, Matthew, Betsy, Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma. While other unnamed storms include, The Great Nassau Hurricane of 1926, The Great Abaco Hurricane of 1932, The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1866, The Great Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, and The Great Andros Island Hurricane of 1929. The Bahamas hurricane season, which lasts from June to November, has seen plenty of catastrophic storms throughout history. Here's a look at some of the greatest and deadliest storms that have hit the Bahamas over the past five centuries.
Hurricane Dorian is a heartbreaking tale for The Bahamas. It was one of the strongest North Atlantic hurricanes and the strongest Bahamian hurricane and caused about $3.4 billion in damages to the Bahamian economy. Hurricane Dorian struck Abaco and Grand Bahama with wind speeds of 185 mph and had the highest wind speeds for a North Atlantic landfalling hurricane. The storm caused the death of 74 people in The Bahamas. In addition, more than 75 percent of all homes on Abaco were either damaged or destroyed. In East End, Grand Bahama, satellite data suggested that 76 to 100 percent of the buildings were destroyed. This book includes the meteorological history, records broken, compelling personal recollections, its impact on each island affected, a chapter on climate change and its effects on hurricanes, the benefits of hurricanes, and why we need them on planet Earth. This book is a must-read!
With modern weather forecasting, we can monitor, track, and predict the path of hurricanes like never before. But all you have to do is look at pictures of the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina or research the massive cleanup costs of Hurricane Sandy to realize that these storms can still have devastating consequences. Wayne Neely, a meteorologist at the Department of Meteorology in Nassau, Bahamas, and a leading authority on hurricanes, reveals the science behind hurricanes as he examines some of the most terrifying and devastating storms of the Caribbean and the Americas. Spanning more than five centuries and drawing on extensive archival research from Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, Neely emphasizes the continuing role of race, societal inequality, and economic ideology in the shaping of our responses to hurricanes. With the prospect of hurricanes becoming fiercer and more destructive, he offers a much-needed opportunity to understand and study these freaks of nature. Whether youre a historian, amateur meteorologist, student, or someone who wants to be prepared in case of a massive storm, youll be impressed with the forces of nature revealed in The Greatest and Deadliest Hurricanes of the Caribbean and the Americas.
"The Great Hurricane of 1780," also known as Hurricane San Calixto II, is one of the most powerful and deadliest North Atlantic hurricanes on record. Often regarded as a cataclysmic hurricane, the storm's worst effects were experienced on October 10, 1780. In "The Great Hurricane of 1780," author Wayne Neely chronicles the chaos and destruction it brought to the Caribbean. This storm was likely generated in the mid Atlantic, not far from the equator; it was first felt in Barbados, where just about every tree and house on the island was blown down. The storm passed through the Lesser Antilles and a small portion of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16 of 1780.Because the storm hit several of the most populous islands in the Caribbean, the death toll was very high. The official death toll was approximately 22,000 people but some historians have put the death toll as high as 27,500. Specifics on the hurricane's track and strength are unclear since the official North Atlantic hurricane database only goes back as far as 1851. Even so, it is a fact that this hurricane had a tremendous impact on economies in the Caribbean and parts of North America, and perhaps also played a major role in the outcome of the American Revolution. This thoroughly researched history considers the intense storm and its aftermath, offering an exploration of an important historical weather event that has been neglected in previous study.
The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1929, also known as the Great Andros Island Hurricane of 1929, was the only major hurricane during the very inactive 1929 North Atlantic hurricane season. The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1929 was perhaps one of the greatest and deadliest hurricanes to impact the Bahamas and is often regarded as the greatest Bahamian hurricane of the twentieth century. It was the only storm on record to last for three consecutive days over the Bahamas, with pounding torrential rainfall and strong, gusty winds. The storm killed 134 persons in the Bahamas, mostly mariners and sponge fishermen, as it directly hit the islands of Nassau and Andros. This thoroughly researched history considers this intense storm and its aftermath, offering an exploration of an important historical weather event that has been neglected in previous study. Also included is a harrowing account of a dog called Speak Your Mind who rescued a sponge fisherman at sea. Through unique historical photographs of actual damage, author and veteran meteorologist Wayne Neely shows the widespread devastation left in the wake of this tremendous storm. Drawing upon many newspaper accounts, ship reports, and Family Island Commissioners reports from throughout the Bahamas, the author provides a fascinating glimpse of this hurricane and the devastation it caused the Bahamas.
The Major Hurricanes to Affect The Bahamas-Personal recollections of some of the Greatest storms to affect the Bahamas-highlights historical Hurricanes that have impacted the Bahamas and because of last year's record breaking Hurricane season and the record breaking damages that these hurricanes have inflicted to us here in The Bahamas and the region as a whole it is a very timely book. Through vivid pictures of actual damages from these storms of the past and present day, it shows the damages that these storms have inflicted on the country of The Bahamas and the need to be prepared for these storms. This book highlights all of the major hurricanes to affect The Bahamas from 1500 to present day Hurricanes like Andrew, Wilma, Frances and Jeanne and even Katrina. It further states the damages that all of these individual hurricanes inflicted to The Bahamas on an Island by Island basis. What is also included in the book, are actual amazing pictures of all of the major hurricane damages from most of these storms including the Hurricanes of 1886, 1926, 1929, Betsy, Donna, David, Andrew, Floyd, Michelle, Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. Also included in this book is an introspective look at Hurricanes-how they are formed? What makes them work, the anatomy of a hurricane, the origins of a hurricane and where the name hurricane originated and what the future hold for Hurricanes by experts in the Field of Meteorology here in the Bahamas, The Caribbean and the United States, Like Professor William Gray, Max Mayfield(Director of The National Hurricane Center in Miami) Kathy Caesar(Tropical Meteorologist Lecturer at The Caribbean Meteorological Institute)and Michael Stubbs(Chief Climatologists at The Department of Meteorology here in Nassau) and others who all have highlighted the need to be prepared for these storms and the damages that these storms are capable of inflicting on coastal communities. Also included is the track of each of the major storms that moved through The Bahamas. Finally, also included are amazing and heart-rending personal recollections and experiences of most of the major hurricanes to affect the Bahamas. Included in these recollections are, Crystal Pintard who explained how she lost her baby in Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Sir Orville Turnquest on his experiences with hurricanes and touring respective islands and being amazed by the damages that Hurricane Andrew had inflicted to these islands just after they had won the election. Also included are residents who lived though the Hurricane of 1926 like, Mr. Conrad Knowles on how the hurricane destroyed his father's home in Long Island and Mrs. Viola Collie told how she lost two of her sisters to this deadly storm living on the island of Acklins. Mrs. Francita Rolle who recalls on how her fisherman father Prince Rolle was saved from sure death when he was caught at sea in the Hurricane of 1929 and was rescued by a dog called Speak your Mind' who swam him into land on his back and then caught a crab for him to eat when they got into the land. There is also an account from the present Governor General of the Bahamas Hon A.D. Hanna and his experiences with hurricanes growing up on the island and living in Nassau. Also included a
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Selected Papers from the 14th Estuarine and Coastal Modeling Conference" that was published in JMSE
Every year, hurricanes seem to be increasingly severe and unpredictable, ensuring that they remain one of the most frequent topics of conversation in our everyday lives. The Great Bahamian Hurricanes of 1926 provides the perfect introduction to the complexities and dynamics of hurricanes. It focuses on how they develop, what causes them to be so powerful, the history behind them and how hurricanes affect us all. Wayne Neely tells the story of three of the worst natural catastrophes in the history of the Bahamas. However, this is not just the story of three big storms, but also of the many Bahamians who had to endure them. The individual stories of heroism and cowardice; tragedy and redemption vividly bring these storms to life. Each hurricane season brings with it a reminder that we are constantly subject to natural occurrences over which we have no control. Through unique historical photographs of actual damages from these three storms, this book shows the widespread devastation that these storms inflicted on the Bahamas. Drawing upon many newspaper accounts, ship reports and Family Island Commissioners reports from throughout the Bahamas, the author provides a fascinating glimpse of these hurricanes as they devastated the Bahamas.
