Thread: 20 Years Ago Today St Croix Got Wholloped

20 years ago today, Hurricane Hugoo absolutely WHOLLPED the island of St Croix...

Here is an excerpt about it from Dr Jeff Masters' blog:


Twenty years ago today
As Hurricane Hugo approached the U.S. Virgin Islands in the early morning hours of September 18, 1989, the storm slowed down to 10 mph. The slower speed allowed Hugo to punish the island of St. Croix with the worst beating of any location along the hurricane's destructive path. At 2am local time on September 18, 1989, Hurricane Hugo's eyewall struck St. Croix, bringing incredibly ferocious Category 4 winds, sustained at 140 mph. The hurricane's gusts were remarkably violent, and many residents witnessed tornado-like vorticies barreling across the island as the hurricane raged about them. A storm surge of 2 - 3 feet, topped by battering waves 20 - 23 feet high, assaulted the coast, adding to the destruction. . .

. . . Two people were killed on St. Croix, 80 injured, and 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed. Damage estimates for St. Croix were astronomical, over $1 billion, and the island's entire infrastructure was virtually wiped out. Six weeks after the hurricane, only 25% of the public roads had been cleared, and only 25% of the island had power.

In the same entry, he also uses a quote from a weatherunderground member, who was there at the time:

"Hugo was incredible. Many vortexes came in that night. The roar and intensity of the winds that night were incredible. When the eyewall came over, we were forced to take refuge in the bathroom as the rest of the house came apart. The pressure was so low outside the house that all of the water was sucked out of the toilet and an air draft was created through the toilet. Just when I thought it was as bad as it would get, the intensity of it all dialed up even higher. Dozens and dozens of times, my ears would violently pop due to rapid pressure changes. The next morning, of course, the devastation was unbelievable. In my front yard was a 18-foot boat with an outboard on it, that had been picked up from a marina two miles away. I had lost my house, and job, the Seaplane company I was a pilot for. After a couple months, I had to leave everything behind. In some respects, after 20 years, there an many aspects of the society that have yet to recover".

I live in San Juan and had to deal with Hurricane Hugo. The damage was less than St Thomas and St Croix and if remember right there were no fatalities. Puerto Rico got back on its feet pretty quick but flying aluminum curtains from somewhere landes on top of the roof of my car. Putting a bit dent and a little hole. Big enough for water to enter the interior.
It was kind of funny cause it looed like a big waterbubble.
I to make a little hole so the water can come out.
Anyway 10 years after that there was Hurricane George and now its been 11 years since no big hurrican has hit the island. So Im going to keep

We all hold our breath every season for all of our friends in your area.