Hurricanes and Storms
Hurricanes and Storms
August 21, 1991
Passage of Hurricane Through Harbor Leaves a Broad Trail of Wrecked Boats
It was the Vineyard’s first resort season hurricane and Edgartown harbor paid dearly for its popularity Monday afternoon.
The last great tropical storm to wrack the Edgartown harborfront came in 1944. Then, the town was still mostly a fishing village, and the lumber on the beaches was made up of timber piers and the shacks of working men.
August 21, 1991
Damage in Millions; Worst Destruction Is Seen on Harborfront
The earliest hurricane in New England history roared up the East Coast Monday, plowing across Martha’s Vineyard with harbors full and seasonal population at its peak. Hurricane Bob lashed the Island with winds officially clocked at 98 miles per hour and reported in places as high as 110.
October 1, 1985
Hurricane Gloria Slams Westward; Vineyard Damage Is Minimal
Hurricane Gloria swept past the Vineyard Friday, veering west and north and carrying less force than predicted, but nonetheless left splintered trees and toppled power lines in her wake.
The storm, billed as potentially one of the most dangerous in history, caused no serious injuries on the Vineyard and only minimal property damage, Island officials reported.
By Saturday evening most of the felled tree branches were cleared or pushed to the side of roads and electricity was restored to Island homes.
August 10, 1976
Furious Hurricane Belle Blows in; the Vineyard Battens Down
High winds, high tides, and heavy rains battered the Island last night as hurricane Belle swept destruction across New England.
Packing winds 100 miles per hour or better and rainfall in excess of five inches, and traveling at 25 miles per hour, the hurricane was a powerhouse, even if it was little - only 75 miles across.
September 8, 1972
Storm Floods the Island on Sunday
Tropical storm Carrie, packing winds , of nearly 70 Moles an hour, overran the Vineyard Sunday, drenching the Labor Day holiday spirit, flooding streets, and cellars, scattering tree limbs and leaves in her path, and generally ruining the last happy weekend of the 1972 summer season.
September 22, 1961
High Seas Not Very High Winds Not Very Strong
Vineyarders awoke this morning thoroughly bored with a hurricane called Esther.
September 16, 1960
Donna, the Freak, Strikes Hard Blow
Donna, the “freak” hurricane, swept the Vineyard on Monday, bringing winds of varying velocity, some hard rain-squalls, and spreading miner disaster. Miner, as to individual examples although the list of damage seemed endless. A few boats ashore, literally hundreds of trees split, twisted off and in a few cases, uprooted, and paralysis of the Island’s electrical system for hours, but not crippling the telephone system as badly.
September 17, 1954
Hurricane Strikes the Island with its Full Force
It happened again to the Vineyard. New England’s second tropical hurricane, with the code name Edna, struck the Island with its full force on Saturday, inflicted some further damage although not nearly so great as the first storm of the season, and left much restoration work to be begun all over again.
September 13, 1954
Harbor View Weathers Storm Without Hardship
Earnest G. Friez Jr., manager, said that he thought that the Harbor View Hotel had weathered the Tuesday weather in comparatively good shape. “We were very fortunate,” he said, “compared to the trouble some were in.” One chimney fell on the ell of the main hotel, over employees’ quarters, and smashed through the roof into a room on the third floor. Other than that the damage was confined to a few chairs, windows and shutters and shingles.
September 3, 1954
Menemsha Creek, Edgartown and Vineyard Haven Harbors Lead the Long Roll of Damage
The Vineyard’s third hurricane roared over the Island Tuesday, reached the high mark of a flood sea in some places exceeding that of 1938, and left a scene of destruction as the wind abated and the seas fell. The high of the tidal flood came about noon. All the serious damage was inflicted between mid-morning and a little past noon.
