The Great Bahamian Hurricanes Of 1926

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.

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.

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.

If you live in the Caribbean or Florida, you've probably heard tales about the Great Okeechobee Hurricane, which killed thousands and left behind wide swaths of destruction. Also known as the Saint Felipe (Phillip) Segundo Hurricane, it developed in the far eastern Atlantic before making its way over land and taking the lives of Bahamian migrant workers and Florida residents. This thoroughly researched history considers the storm and its aftermath, exploring an important historical weather event that has been neglected. Through historical photographs of actual damage and personal recollections, author and veteran meteorologist Wayne Neely examines the widespread devastation that the hurricane caused. You'll get a detailed account on: - workers who were caught unprepared on the farms in the Okeechobee region of Florida; - challenges that those involved in the recovery effort faced after the hurricane passed; - personal and community turmoil that took decades to fully overcome. This massive storm killed at least 2,500 people in the United States of which approximately 1,400 were Bahamians migrant workers, becoming the second deadliest hurricane in the history of the United States, behind only the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. To this day, it remains the deadliest hurricane to ever strike the Bahamas.

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!

In October 1866, a powerful Category 4 hurricane struck the Bahamian Islands. With winds well over 140 miles per hour and even higher gusts that toppled trees, sank ships, peeled away rooftops, and destroyed vital infrastructures, the massive storm battered the islands with great ferocity. When the seas finally calmed and the winds died down, the massive storm had killed more than 387 people in the Bahamas alone and left a massive trail of destruction. Author Wayne Neely, a leading authority on Bahamian and Caribbean hurricanes, shares an engaging account of how the hurricane of 1866 not only devastated the islands, but also altered the course of Bahamian history forever. While demonstrating how the hurricane significantly impacted the wrecking and salvaging industry, Neely also educates others about the complex set of weather conditions that contribute to hurricanes. He includes fascinating stories of survival and heroism as the storm's victims struggled to move forward in the midst of tragedy. Hurricanes are no novelty to the Bahamas, but all who were lucky enough to live through the howling winds and the terror of a sky filled with flying debris surely never forgot The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1866.

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