Hurricane Hugo Anniversary

Just pointing it for those who might not have clicked and read the link, since the information about deaths is not the same as what you had posted. Your source did not indicate the number of deaths in the Virgin Islands.

Islandjoan, I did read the link, as I read many, thus my earlier response.

Just pointing it for those who might not have clicked and read the link, since the information about deaths is not the same as what you had posted. Your source did not indicate the number of deaths in the Virgin Islands.

Islandjoan, I did read the link, as I read many, thus my earlier response.

It didn't register deaths in the USVI via Hugo because there were none. There were two or three deaths directly attributable to Marilyn's hit on STT when sailors opted to ride out the storm. One I knew personally.

While I can certainly agree with the time during the storm raging around your home is scary and unsettling - I was in my house for both - the days, weeks and months following a storm of that magnitude are unimaginable in the effect on your life as well. Very uncomfortable at the very least and absolutely life changing no matter what, especially if your home is shredded apart, all your belongings strewn across the hillsides, daily trying to console your children or family who are experiencing nightmares, continuous sorrow as you sort through the rubble of your former life with widely disparate emotions as you discover each article, losing irreplaceable family memories - the same if your business or job is stricken, and the community around you is suffering in so many different ways as well. It is a terrible life experience post storm -- no matter what level of damage you personally are dealing with .

Wanting to experience the onset of a strong hurricane " just because I am a weather geek"is a NAIVE statement - if you are unfortunate to ever have it happen to you it is not something trivial --- it is not like an exciting amusement park ride that ends with 'exit this way' signs.

It didn't register deaths in the USVI via Hugo because there were none.

(tu) There were rumors, and one person that I know died of a heart attack the next day, but you can't blame a heart attack on an event.

I would never wish that kind of event on anyone. However, the event will happen whether I want to experience it, from a "bomb proof" home, or not. Naive? Not so much. People make careers out of experiencing the wildest weather the planet has to offer. I just wouldn't mind experiencing it personally, if for no other reason than to experience the awesome power of nature,.....and to be there to help afterwards.

As always, OT you seem to know everything!

If there were no deaths in the USVI via Hugo, then why did the source article say:
published accounts indicate that anywhere from two to five people on St. Croix died from causes directly related to the hurricane.

It didn't register deaths in the USVI via Hugo because there were none. There were two or three deaths directly attributable to Marilyn's hit on STT when sailors opted to ride out the storm. One I knew personally.

I was here for both Hugo and Marilyn.

I was almost 4 when Hugo came and I still remember a lot that happened during that night. Our entire roof went and we had to seek refuge at our neighbors when the calm of the eye was passing. Their glass doors were smashed and we had to navigate through a flooded living room and glass. I was scared of Hurricanes ever since.

Marilyn was bad but Hugo left a mark. Category Fives are no joke.

ONLY good that comes out of a bad storm: everyone is extremely nice and caring after.

Until the looting starts...

Until the looting starts...

Widespread looting was really only after Hugo.That's why there's curfews etc. I'm talking about in general.

I knew 2 of the sailors that died during Marilyn, personally.
Rick was found in a tree, in the mangroves.
He was living on his sailboat in the lagoon and rode out the storm there.
Dennie's houseboat disintergrated and neither he nor his dog's (Boofus) bodies were ever found. When we went to the hospital a few days after, to give his description to the morgue, hoping he'd been found, we were told by the attendant that he was not amongst the 8 dead awaiting identification.

Many people were lulled by the small size of Marilyn, the fact that we had Hurricane Louis the previous week which had tracked north at the last minute, were tired of the Chinese fire drill they'd just done for that storm (which devastated Anegada) and forecasts predicted it to be a minimal
Cat 1 hurricane. Boy, were they WRONG!

Thankfully, Marilyn was not the size nor the 18 hour duration of Hugo but she had the strength and she caused as much damage. Things started getting bad by 10pm but by light then next morning, she was gone and devastation lay before us, as well long months before power would be restored. I got power back shortly before Christmas, (Marilyn hit us Sept. 15) phone service the following April and it was almost 2 years before cable TV was back up.

There were many deaths in Culebra during Hugo.
I'll never forget the chilling VHF maydays of that night nor the 10 days we had to spend there afterwards before we could leave because there were so many sunken boats, of all sizes, littering the bottom and the channel nor the rescue divers looking for and finding bodies. It was heartbreaking.
Finally coming home to STT was equally mind boggling. But my phone still worked and my roof was still on, tho there was damage. This was before most people had hurricane shutters and generators.

My niece in FL shipped my sister and I each a 5000W generator.
They cost $300 in FL at the time when people here were selling the same thing for $1000. Still have the generator which still runs but the house I live in has a whole house diesel system with an auto transfer switch. I keep it as a backup and service it annually.

I never want to experience the likes of Hugo or Marilyn, ever again.

I can remember the stress island-wide on STX in the few days before Louis (the one right before Marilyn). It was the first "real" storm forecast after Hugo, and seems like anyone who had dealt with Hugo was REALLY stressed. Buying plywood, moving things, emptying homes, all sorts of prep. Lots were just frantic. The plane tickets for the night before L were going on the market for big $$, with folks who wanted to get off the island. Then the storm passed without a big deal...so we took down the plywood, re-furnished the rooms that had been emptied this time as they had been destroyed in Hugo, and set everything up as normal. So little prep done before Marilyn, and the damage we suffered from that was different from what we had gotten in Hugo...the forces came from different directions, so the building damage was so different...and the prep we did centered around what Hugo had done...so different roof areas, different rooms and different condos in the properties where we owned at the time were damaged...The roof that blew off our house had gone into the sea in Hugo, but wound up on east end road from Marilyn...

There was a documentry made about Hurricane Hugo a few years back. I believe it was a "20 years after" kind of thing where STX residents who were around in 88/89, recollect their experiences.
I've searched around for it, but have never been able to find it posted anywhere. Does anyone know where it might be found on-line?

Was it a documentary or a special Daily News edition?

I think this was it, and I think it was aired on Channel 2

The longest night

Was it a documentary or a special Daily News edition?

This was also interesting reading, Lee Carle's memories of Hugo.

memories of hugo

I think this was it, and I think it was aired on Channel 2

The longest night

Was it a documentary or a special Daily News edition?

The film clips in the interview on his website include Chris Hanley and clips from his video.
Don't see any way to get the complete documentary.

Scubadoo, yeah, sorry I should have stated that the documentary is not there, but the link I provided tells you about the documentary and who filmed + produced it. I would think you would be able to contact him to buy a copy. I did briefly search youtube and googled and could not find a link to view the documentary itself.

"The Longest Night".
Thats the one I was referring to. There was also a "preview" on YouTube awhile back, but I can't find that anymore either.
Looked very intresting.

Single fin, the link I posted has a link to the filmmakers website and on his website is a trailer of the film.