Grand Bahama Island's history with tropical systems
current weather
(br)=brush (ts)=Tropical Storm (bd)=Back Door,meaning coming from over land from opposite coast.Not all names are noted,also storms before 1950 were not named.Not every stat on every storm description is given(since 1871).



Years within or near core1871m,1871,1873ts,1876ts,1877ts,1878br,1879br,1880br,1881tsbr,1881br,1883,1885br,1886,1887br,1887m,1888brm,1888ts,1888tsbr,1892ts,1893-2m,1893ts,1895ts,1895,1896brm,
1898-2ts,1899m,1899,1901tsbr,1903br,1906,1906brm,1906,1908ts,1908,1909ts,1909,1916ts,1916xtropts,1924ts,1926,1926brm,1926ts,1926m,1927tsbr,1928,1928m,1932m,1933,1933-2m,
1935m,1935,1936ts,1937-2ts,1938ts,1939ts,1946,1947m,1947ts,1947bd,1948bdbr,1948,1949m,1951,1953-2ts,1959ts,1964bdbrm,1965brm,1966br,1974subts,1979br,1984tsbr,1987ts,
1991xtropst,1995,1996br,1998tsbr,1999m,2004,2004m,2005ts,2005bd,2011br,2012br,2016m,2017bdbr,2019m,2020ts,2020tsbr,2022
94 times in 152yrs end of 2023






Names from list above
Able,Judith,Isbell,Betsy,Inez,David,Isidore,Floyd,Erin,Bertha,Mitch,Dennis,Floyd,Frances,Jeanne,Katrina,Wilma,Irene,Sandy,Matthew,Irma,Dorian,Isaias,Eta,Nicole,

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio
TS=36, 38.30% H=58, 61.70%

Longest gap between storms
7years 1916-1924 & 1966-1974

How often this area gets affected?
brushed or hit every 1.62 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)
(38h)once every 4 years

Average years between major hurricane hits.(17)
once every 8.94 years

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on advisories sustained winds, not gusts)
114 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next
before the end of 2024

Last affected by
2022 November 9th Nicole becomes a hurricane while passing over moving west with 75mph winds.

This areas hurricane past
1871 Aug 15th,a hurricane hits direct from the east with 115mph winds. Hit map
1871 Aug 24th 105mph from the ESE
1883 sept 9th a hurricane hits from the SSE with 105mph winds 106 killed in Bahamas
1886 Aug 23rd 95mph from the south
1887 Aug 22nd 125mph from the East
1893 Aug 26th 120mph from the ESE Hit map
1893 Oct 12th 120mph from the ESE while passing just north Hit map
1895 Oct 22nd ,105mph from the SSW
1899 Aug 13th 120mph from the SSE
1899 Oct 30th, 95mph from the south
1906 June 17th, 85mph from the S.W
1906 Oct 18th, 110 mph from the SW passes just west of here
1908 Oct 1st, 110mph from the WSW passes just east of here
1909 Oct 11th ,95mph from the WSW
1926 July 27th a hurricane passes just SW while moving NW with 105mph winds.Police dock swept away & bridge at Howks Bill creek destroyed.
1926 Oct 21st 115mph from the S.W
1928 Aug 7th ,95mph from the S.E passes just east of here
1928 sept 17th a 150mph hurricane passes just west while moving N.W.Roads completely washed out,most homes destroyed or severely damaged.
1932 Sept 6th 155mph winds from the south hits east side of Island on way out to sea.
1933 July 29th 85mph from the ESE
1933 Sept 3rd, 130mph from the ESE just south of here
1933 Oct 5th 150mph from the S.W passes just SE of here
1935 Sept 29th 115mph from the S.W
1935 nov 3 rd 80mph,from the north press 28.46 heavy damage
1946 Sept 12th, 75mph from the S.W passes just east
1947 Sept 17th,160mph up from 125 (revised hurdat)in hope town maximum wind gusts were estimated at 160mph in sept causing heavy damage.
1947 Oct 12th, 75mph (hurdat2)from the S.W after hitting Florida passes just north.
1948 oct 6th,95mph from the S.W wind gusts estimated at 110mph
1949 Aug 26th 150mph from the ESE passes just south
1951 May 18th,hurricane able hits from the north with 85mph winds(hurdat) & loops near the island before heading north again,hit area as a cat 1.
1995 Aug 2nd,from the ESE,hurricane Erin stays over the island as a cat 1 for several hours with 85mph winds pressure 29.12 minor damage.NHC report
1999 Sept 14th,140mph from the S.E hurricane Floyd just east of east end Grand Bahama causes minor damage here due to eye wall reforming & being on weaker west side,some storm surge flooding did occur. NHC report
2004, Sept 4th Hurricane Frances hits with 105mph winds,a 12 to 15 ft ft storm surge reported,many evacuated but 1 man drowns in storm surge.Freeport Crowne plaza resort hotel glass windows blown out. photo | Radar animation(Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) |
2004,Sept 25th Hurricane Jeanne moves just north with 120mph winds.In 8 Mile Rock, the largest community on Grand Bahama Island, over 75 percent of the homes have suffered serious structural damage, with roofs partially or completely torn off. All shelters in 8 Mile Rock sustained structural damages and/or flooding. An unknown number of families were relocated and remain in shelters. The eastern half of the island has been cut off by storm surges and reports indicate significant flooding of homes, particularly along the coastline. In the city of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, the airport was flooded but was reopened on Sunday. Six people on island had major injuries.sat image | Models 3 days before hitting
2005,Oct 24th Hurricane Wilma passes by to the north by 60 miles from the SW with 110mph winds while moving quickly N.E. 96mph with gusts to 119mph with a storm surge sweeping away buildings & roads on bay side up to 15ft. Two hundred homes reported destroyed on island leaving 1500 homeless.Radar animation(Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | NHC report
2016,Oct 6th ,Hurricane Matthew passes over west end with 140mph winds while moving N.W. causing heavy damage. On western Grand Bahama Island, it is estimated that 95% of the homes in the townships of Eight Mile Rock and Holmes Rock sustained severe damage (per NHC) Radar courtesy of Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School | Damage shot | Matthew timeline | NHC final report
2019, Sept 2nd Hurricane Dorian hits the entire island with 165mph winds while moving very slowly then stalling hitting the island hard for over 24 hrs. At Settlement Point on the western tip of Grand Bahama Island measured a water level of 6.4 ft above Mean Higher High Water 11 people lost live on Grand Bahama. The Bahamas Weather Service also reported that there were 245 people missing at the time of their report.(per NHC)Our coverage as it happened | Radar animation(Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School).Final av model error | Wayne Neely's book on Dorian | NHC report
2022 November 9th Nicole becomes a hurricane while passing over moving west with 75mph winds. Radar animation


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Stat sources: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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