Hurricanes and Storms

Tribe Granted Funds to Restore Land Affected by Hurricane Sandy

A recent round of grants will help the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) manage and restore more than 230 acres of land affected by the 2010 hurricane, including the herring run between Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds.

After Rainy Fourth, Hurricane Arthur Blows Past Island

The Vineyard was lashed with wind and drenching rain and ferries were cancelled Friday evening as Hurricane Arthur passed offshore. By daybreak Saturday the storm had passed. Fourth of July festivities will be held in Edgartown tonight.

Distant Sandy Delivers Powerful Blast With Flooding, Erosion

Hurricane Sandy, the historic storm that dealt a knockout blow to New York city and the New Jersey coast early this week spared the Vineyard for the most part. But while the center of the storm stayed hundreds of miles away, the Island experienced near-hurricane conditions throughout the day on Monday, including serious flooding and coastal erosion, forcing school closures, transportation shuts downs and a day indoors for most Islanders, often without power.

Lucy Vincent Beach bench waves

Storm Erodes South Shore, Imperiling Homes

Martha’s Vineyard lost a lot of sand from its beaches, a lot of limbs from its trees, and electricity for varying periods, but otherwise came through Hurricane Irene largely unscathed.

The exception was along the south shore, where erosion brought several homes disturbingly closer to the ocean. Chilmark building inspector Leonard Jason confirmed that one house has become precarious.

Island Crew, Caught in Perfect Storm, Fought for Their Lives in 1991

On Oct. 19, 1991, 11 days before a piece of “the perfect storm” hit Martha’s Vineyard, three people left the Menemsha harbor on their way to the Bermuda. Nine days later, 100 miles from their destination, the three abandoned their sinking sailboat and all of their belongings to climb aboard a mammoth British container vessel that hours before had picked up their faint mayday call.

Floyd Passes Through

Remnants of the year’s worst hurricane passed over the Vineyard last night, delivering both high winds and rain. Hurricane Floyd, a storm that formed in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, began disrupting life on the Island days before it arrived.
 

Hurricane Bonnie Dies South of Vineyard

The storm formerly known as Hurricane Bonnie swerved south and east of the Vineyard this weekend, passing some 120 miles away and bringing little more than a breeze and a bit of rain while the surf on South Beach roared.
 
The distant passage of the storm was good news to a waterfront community that had been preparing all week. As late as Friday afternoon, tired crews continued to remove boats from the water at both Edgartown Marine Associates and Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard.
 

Hurricane Edouard Bashes Vineyard; High Winds and Torrential Rains Cause Property Damage and Power Outages

Hurricane Edouard slowly brushed past Martha’s Vineyard yesterday, battering the coastline with fierce, gusting winds and torrential rains, causing property damage, power outages and rudely interrupting the plans of thousands of Labor Day travelers.
 
The Vineyard was spared the brunt of Edouard - the eye of the hurricane rumbled east of Nantucket early yesterday afternoon - but its blustery, fitful grip upon the Island was long, gloomy and occasionally intense.
 

Damage from Northeaster Is Set at Walloping $3.4 Million

The northeast storm that walloped the Island last week caused an estimated $3.4 million in damages.
 
Martha’s Vineyard fared better than her Cape Cod and Nantucket neighbors. Still the damage incurred was enough for President George Bush to consider Dukes County one of six Massachusetts counties qualifying as a federal disaster area.
 
The storm battered the coastline, eroding cliffs up to 15 feet in some areas and damaging docks, beach stairs, boats and buildings.
 

Coast Guard Launches Air Rescues At Sea During Height of Storm

Five fishermen were stranded on Nomans Land for more than five hours Wednesday, waiting for the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue them.
 
The fishing crew were aboard the Michelle Lane, laden with fish and bound for New Bedford when it ran aground at 1:10 a.m. off the south side of Nomans.
 
The crew contacted the Coast Guard about their predicament. At 9:56 a.m. the fishermen abandoned ship and sought refuge on Nomans.
 
The stranded men were Brandon Chase, Thomas Albee, Mike Train-ham, Mark Wrigley and Mike Mont­gerzero.

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