Hurricane David Facts: Find Out How Deadly It Really Was

Hurricane David caused huge damage to the banana crop, the pillar of the island's economy, and also carried off the topsoil of the island that washed out the agricultural base of the island.

Hurricane David was known as one of the strongest tropical storms of the century that hit the Atlantic ocean. Hurricane David was the only major hurricane with the intensity of Category 5 to make landfall in this century in the Dominican Republic.

As it was initially forecasted that the hurricane would not hit Dominica but would affect Barbados, the people of the island were not prepared.

Later, when it seemed like moving closer to the island, the hurricane had shifted to Dominica. Though it was evident that the hurricane would be a direct hit to Dominica, the people of the island did not take the situation seriously, which resulted in the major damage and loss of property and life.

Also, there were no radio warnings and no disaster management systems in place due to which the heavy destruction occurred.

Hurricane David caused huge destruction and fatalities, due to which this name was retired and will never be used again for any of the hurricanes occurring in the Atlantic ocean. David is the first male hurricane name to retire in the Atlantic Ocean. The name David was replaced with Danny for the season of 1985.

Areas Affected By Hurricane David

Hurricane David started from the Dominican Republic and spread to the islands in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and Dominica. In the United States it also affected Florida, Georgia, New England, and the Southeast coast. Hurricane David also affected Atlantic Canada.

Hurricane David, a tropical storm, first occurred in the Dominican Republic, which turned into a landfall of category five and then moved towards the northwest with wind gusts in Santo Domingo. This major hurricane caused heavy rainfall and torrential flooding sweeping away the villages and communities.

More than 70% of crops were damaged, around 2000 people died, others escaped with few injuries, and around 20,000 were left homeless.

The major damage due to Hurricane David was to the Commonwealth of Dominica, where it made a Category 5 landfall. The southwest part of the island was the most damaged, especially the capital city of Roseau.

After the storm surge subsided, the city looked like an air bomb invasion. Power lines were completely disrupted, which resulted in disturbance to the water system also.

The agricultural industry suffered huge damage, especially 75% of the coconut trees and banana crop. David Hurricane killed around 56 people and left 180 people injured in Dominica.

Hurricane David, though it did not directly hit Puerto Rico, affected the southern part of the island due to strong winds while it was passing through Puerto Rico. During its course, Hurricane David also caused heavy rainfall in this region and the island was officially declared as a disaster area by FEMA after Hurricane David hit.

There was huge agricultural and property damage of around $70 million, and seven people died.

On September 1, 1979, Hurricane David struck the Bahamas and Florida, resulting in $60 million in damages. From Florida, the hurricane shifted to South Carolina, which was heavily hit by the storm and also experienced flooding in and around Virginia and New York.

The east coast of America thankfully experienced a relatively weakened side of Hurricane David. Around 400,000 people were evacuated in the United States, which is inclusive of 300,000 people from southeastern Florida alone, due to the predicted landfall that was expected to occur.

The Magnitude Of Damage Caused By Hurricane David

Hurricane David caused huge damage to many countries including Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Florida, Carolina, and the United States. After the storm hit Dominica, disruption of power lines resulted in no communication at all with the outside world, making it impossible to seek assistance or notify nearby countries of the extent of the storm.

The hurricane created huge damage and loss to agriculture. It destroyed many significant landmarks, including some parts of Fort Young's ruins, which had been there since the 1770s.

More than 200,000 people were left homeless, and around 2000 people died as a result of the damaging weather. The hurricane caused huge damage to the forests of the southern part of Dominica Island.

The country's economy was ruined, roads damaged, and bridges were blocked. Hurricane David created havoc in the United States as well, with damage of around $320 million.

Consequent to landfall, a storm surge of 2-4 ft (0.6 to 1.2 m) came in as it lacked strengthening in Florida.

The total amount of damage that occurred in Florida was around $95 million. Two reporters who followed the progress of the hurricane witnessed strong winds from South Florida to Cocoa.

In spite of the damages and casualties caused by Hurricane David, the effect of the tropical storm was not as bad in the United States as in other countries, especially South Florida, that narrowly escaped with a very slight impact of the storm.

Because of this, the then NHC Director Neil Frank was subject to accusations for causing panic among people even before the hurricane actually hit. Some of the psychiatrists said that this kind of experience would make people less worried in the future when storm announcements were made.

As the hurricane occurred near the coastline, it did not create huge damage to Florida. There were four deaths in Broward County, out of which two were direct, and two were indirect.

Over 70,000 people near West Palm Beach were cut off from electricity because of the falling of trees that affected more than half of Florida's power lines.

Tides of the sea were abnormally high, and these tides destroyed the docks and piers. Many boats were capsized, crops were damaged, and the total destruction to the county was estimated to be around $30 mn.

Hurricane David also hit Georgia and made a landfall that brought a storm surge of 3-5 ft (0.9 - 1.5 m). Though there was no huge damage to Savannah, power lines were damaged here as well because of heavy winds and the falling of trees. In some places, for up two weeks, people were left without power.

Hurricane David's wind force remained the highest when it entered South Carolina. This storm caused five tornadoes, four of which caused huge damage.

The first tornado occurred in Georgetown, destroying five homes and severely destructing eight other houses and a condominium complex. On the whole, the damage was relatively less in most of the areas though it was spread across many areas.

Relief Measures Established

The outcome of one of the deadliest hurricanes in the Atlantic ocean was unimaginable.

Authorities brought in several relief efforts to restore the normal lives of the people. In Dominica, the government was forced to start food rationing as there was a huge agricultural loss.

A batch two-county class navy destroyer HMS Fife was returning to the United Kingdom when Hurricane David hit, and this destroyer was retained for providing emergency help to the island.

Fife was the only source from which the island received outside help for many days.

The crew of this ship arranged for medical assistance for the people on the island and focused on recovering power and water and on revamping the hospitals and other important buildings.

A helicopter from the HMS Fife carried medical assistance and other necessities to the people who were stranded and could not reach for help because of the fallen trees.

The ship, with the help of its radio systems, broadcasted news to the people on the island to let them know about what relief measures were being done and the sources to get help.

In the Dominican Republic, immediately after the hurricane struck, around 200,000 people who lost their homes were given refuge in churches and other public buildings. A week after Hurricane David, another tropical storm called Frederic hit the Dominican Republic, which hampered the relief efforts for Hurricane David.

International organizations like Church World Service (CWS), Care International (CARE), the Peace Corps, and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) provided help through the Dominican Republic's Civil Defense Secretariat to around 1.8 million people.

The United Nations, European Economic Community, World Food Programme, World Bank, and other intergovernmental organizations came forward to donate, which totalled around $139 million in both cash and kind. Red Cross agencies from throughout the world also contributed in the form of cash and relief supplies. The total contribution from all the non-governmental organizations was nearly $200 million.

FAQ's

Q. Has there ever been a Hurricane David?

A. Yes. Hurricane David was a major hurricane that occurred in 1979.

Q. How many Hurricane David's have there been?

A. There had been four tropical cyclones with the name David across the world.

Q. Which was the worst hurricane in history?

A. The Galveston hurricane was the worst hurricane ever in history.

Q. What category was Hurricane David when it hit Savannah GA?

A. Hurricane David was a category four hurricane when it hit Savannah GA.

Q. Has there ever been a hurricane named David?

A. Yes. There were four hurricanes with the name David.

Q. Where did Hurricane David make landfall in Florida?

A. Hurricane David made landfall near West Palm Beach in Florida.

Q. When did Hurricane David hit the Caribbean?

A. Hurricane David hit the Caribbean on August 27, 1979.

Q. Was Hurricane David bad?

A. Hurricane David was one of the deadliest natural disasters causing major damage.

Q. How long did Hurricane David last?

A. Hurricane David started on August 25, 1979, and lasted till September 8, 1979.