Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Early Devastating Hurricanes in Barbados

From as early as 1666, considered 'The year of the Devil', the island of Barbados has been experiencing bouts of utter disturbances as a result of hurricanes making landfall. In this very year, in the vicinity of Ragged Point, a very intense hurricane completely submerged a heavily gunned British warship. The area of Carlisle Bay was quite a hive of activity as reports indicated that at least eight ships were severely damaged on the many coral reefs along that particular bay.

Another record of hurricane activity on the island of Barbados is recorded in August of 1674 when a hurricane struck the island causing wide-spread damage that resulted in the loss of hundreds of houses, people and ships.

In late September 1694, what might have been considered to be a lucrative venture, was brought to a screeching halt as a fleet of 26 British merchant ships, weighed down with sugarcane, was soon overwhelmed by the fury of a hurricane that smashed Carlisle Bay. Efforts to save the vessels by offloading the ships' valuable cargo and cannon, proved futile as the winds of this hurricane were too furious to contend with. As a result, all was lost by way of submersion or the act of being catapulted. 

Over 200 lives were lost as a result of a hurricane in October 1749 which caused a great number of British merchant ships to run aground near Barbados' capital city, Bridgetown.

A 12 foot storm surge associated with a hurricane in August 1765, engulfed an entire village on the northern end of Barbados.

The surrounding Bridgetown Harbour area, came under threat when the Great Hurricane of October 10, 1780, completely destroyed several hundred buildings in that vicinity. Throughout the course of that same storm, an army transport of military weapons, food and a couple hundred sailors was displaced and run aground near Carlisle Bay's entrance.

More than 1500 people lost their lives and an estimated $7 million in property damage tallied as Barbados suffered an equally destructive hurricane on August 10-11, 1831.

In 1955, Barbados was struck by Hurricane Janet. Severe flooding and mudslides claimed 24 lives and left another 22,000 people homeless.

When Hurricane Marilyn visited Barbados' shores on September 14, 1995, though its damage was felt, it wasn't as sever as some of the other previous hurricanes. This hurricane downed power lines and damaged a few houses in the process. Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded.

Between 1786 and 1837, Barbados weathered two or more hurricane strikes in quick succession. On October 10, 1780, a considerably less intense hurricane came ashore thre weeks after the Great Hurricane of 1780 ravaged thecountry. In September 1818, two destructive storms made landfall within one week's time. In 1835, two hurricanes came ashore in July and September and during the 1786 and 1837 seasons, three hurricanes struck the island.

During the twin 1837 hurricanes, the first coming ashore between July 9-10 and the other  on July 26, widespread destruction of the island's many houses, sugar mills and granaries caused lingering food shortages and several hundred deaths.