Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas' History with Tropical Systems

Current Weather | Grand Bahama Island Hurricane History Video

(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)

Grand Bahama most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 14th and September 20th

Years within or near core

1871m
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
1998bdts
1999m
2004
2004m
2005ts
2005bd
2011br
2012br
2016m
2017bdbr
2019m
2020ts
2020tsbr
2022
2024bdbr
2025ts not in stats below

95 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (I storms most likely to impact the area)

Able
Judith
Isbell
Betsy
Inez
David
Isidore
Floyd
Fabian
Erin
Bertha
Mitch
Dennis
Floyd
Frances
Jeanne
Katrina
Wilma
Irene
Sandy
Matthew
Irma
Dorian
Isaias
Eta
Nicole
Milton
Imelda

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 36, 37.89%
H = 59, 62.11%

24.47% of all tropical systems affecting Grand Bahama are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

7years 1916-1924 & 1966-1974

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 1.61 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 4.03 years. (38 hits)

Average years between major hurricane hits.

Once every 9 years. (17 hits)

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

108 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

hit in 2025

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2025 Sept 29th tropical storm Imelda passes east by 37 miles with 60mph winds while moving north.

This area's hurricane history

1871 August 15th, a hurricane hits direct from the east with 115 mph winds. Hit map
1871 August 24th 105 mph from the east-southeast
1883 September 9th a hurricane hits from the south-southeast with 105 mph winds 106 killed in Bahamas
1886 August 23rd 95 mph from the south
1887 August 22nd 125 mph from the East
1893 August 26th 120 mph from the east-southeast. Hit map
1893 October 12th 120 mph from the east-southeast while passing just north. Hit map
1895 October 22nd, 105 mph from the south-southwest
1899 August 13th 120 mph from the south-southeast
1899 October 30th, 95 mph from the south
1906 June 17th, 85 mph from the southwest
1906 October 18th, 110 mph from the southwest passes just west of here
1908 October 1st, 110 mph from the west-southwest passes just east of here
1909 October 11th, 95 mph from the west-southwest
1926 July 27th a hurricane passes just southwest while moving northwest with 105 mph winds.Police dock swept away & bridge at Howks Bill creek destroyed.
1926 October 21st 115 mph from the southwest
1928 August 7th, 95 mph from the southeast passes just east of here
1928 September 16th a 150 mph hurricane passes just west while moving northwest. Roads completely washed out, most homes destroyed or severely damaged.
1932 September 6th 160 mph winds from the south hits east side of Island on way out to sea.
1933 July 29th 85 mph from the east-southeast
1933 September 3rd, 130 mph from the east-southeast just south of here
1933 October 5th 150 mph from the southwest passes just southeast of here
1935 September 29th 115 mph from the southwest
1935 November 3 rd 80 mph, from the north pressure 28.46 heavy damage
1946 September 12th, 75 mph from the southwest passes just east
1947 September 17th, 130 mph, in hope town maximum wind gusts were estimated at 160 mph in September causing heavy damage.
1947 October 12th, 75 mph (HURDAT2)from the southwest after hitting Florida passes just north.
1948 October 6th, 95 mph from the southwest wind gusts estimated at 110 mph
1949 August 26th 130 mph from the east-southeast passes just south
1951 May 18th, hurricane able hits from the north with 85 mph winds (HURDAT) & loops near the island before heading north again, hit area as a cat 1.
1995 August 2nd, from the east-southeast, Hurricane Erin stays over the island as a category 1 for several hours with 85 mph winds pressure 29.12 minor damage. NHC report
1999 September 14th, 140 mph from the southeast 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, September 4th Hurricane Frances hits with 105 mph 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, September 25th Hurricane Jeanne moves just north with 120 mph 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, October 24th Hurricane Wilma passes by to the north by 60 miles from the southwest with 110 mph winds while moving quickly northeast. 96 mph with gusts to 119 mph 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, October 6th, Hurricane Matthew passes over west end with 140 mph winds while moving northwest 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 animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Damage shot | Matthew timeline | NHC final report
2019, September 2nd Hurricane Dorian hits the entire island with 165 mph 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 Average model error | Wayne Neely's book on Dorian | NHC report
2022 November 9th Nicole becomes a hurricane while passing over moving west with 75 mph winds. Radar animation

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......