Dixie - In Memoriam
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Not the terror attacks, but the worst hurricane to ever make landfall in
Alabama? 9/11/1979 Hurricane Frederic... This marks the first hurricane
responded to by FEMA, that should make it noteworthy enough for anniversary celebration. Before Jimmy
Carter made FEMA an agency, the responsibility for disaster relief in
America was sketchy. Now, we fully understand, if the federal government isn't there to save us, it's because of the president.
It's interesting, five years after 9/11, and we're told "it's too soon" to see movies about 9/11, yet the very same people will rush to show footage of Katrina, and re-live it for a week on prime time. It's almost as if they have a 'political agenda' or something.
In honor of our recently found need to celebrate the anniversaries of
hurricanes, I felt compelled to note a few other hurricanes we should add to
the 'calendar of events' in the coming days. MSNBC and CNN could actually do
a special each night, on their anniversaries....
Sept. 1- Hurricane Carol (1954) --Struck the NE coast with 120 m.p.h.
winds, leaving dozens of fatalities in her wake. In 1990 dollars, the total
storm damage from Carol was $2,370,215,000, the 10th costliest hurricane in
U.S. history.
Sept. 2- Labor Day Hurricane 1935-- The full life history of the hurricane
that devastated some of the Florida Keys on the afternoon and night of Labor
Day, September 2, 1935, covers almost 2 weeks. It is believed to be the
lowest recorded Mb level in the western hemisphere, but instruments were not
always accurate in that time.
Sept. 3, 1821: One of the most violent hurricanes on record. The eye passed over Norfolk,VA then moved northeast along the New Jersey coast onto Long Island. The effects of this storm, actually formed the Hatteras and Oregon
Inlets in North Carolina.
Sept. 4- Hurricane Donna (1960) --Donna holds the record for retaining "major hurricane" status (category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) in the Atlantic Basin for the longest period of time on record. For nine days, September 2 to September 11, Donna consistently had sustained winds of at least 115 mph. From the moment it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days. While crossing the Atlantic Donna briefly achieved Category 5
strength. It effected every single state on the eastern seaboard of the US.
Sept. 5- Unnamed Hurricane (1667)-- According to the writing of Virginia colonists, The Chesapeake Bay rose 12 feet, probably widening the Lynnhaven River. Jamestown saw 10,000 houses blown down and the storm washed away the foundation of Fort George at Old Point Comfort. Twelve days of rain was said to have followed this storm.
Sept. 6- Hurricane 'Dog' (1950) While crossing the Lesser Antilles,
Hurricane Dog brought strong winds and rain. The islands of Antigua and
Barbuda reported $1 million in damage to houses, roads, trees, and power
lines. 2 people were killed when their boat sank. Though it never made
landfall in New England, passing over 100 miles away, its strong winds still
caused 12 casualties, 11 by sinking boats. Damage amounted to $2 million.
Sept. 7- Hurricane Easy (1951) The fifth hurricane in the season and was
described by literature at the time as the Cedar Keys Hurricane. It
developed over the western Caribbean Sea from a trough of low pressure left
behind by Baker. It formed on September 1 south of the western tip of Cuba,
and drifted northeastward, crossing Cuba on the 3rd as a minimal hurricane.
The next day, it strengthened to a major hurricane while moving
north-northwest, which was followed by a tight loop where Easy reached its
peak of 130 mph winds. Easy again moved to the northeast, approaching the
coast of Florida. It again looped, this time near Cedar Key, Florida. It
slowly moved southeastward through Florida, weakening to a tropical storm on
the 6th. Easy finally moved northwestward through the state, and on the 9th,
it dissipated over extreme eastern Arkansas. It caused $3.3 million dollars
in damage (1950 USD) and 2 deaths. The low damage was due to the sparse
population of the area it hit.
And finally.... culminating in the Grande Finale...
Sept. 8- The Great Galveston Hurricane (1900) Galveston, TX destroyed
completely. Massive loss of life, bodies washed ashore for weeks... they burned the corpses in pyres... it was total inexperience and incompetence on part of the new
government weather agency, NOAA, and Isaac Cline would be the only person
anyone tried to lay the blame on, a couple of months after this, the
Republican president, William McKinley, was re-elected to a second term, and
Democratic challenger, William Jennings Bryan, never even thought about
blaming the president for failing to act.
It's a shame I didn't realize we were celebrating hurricane anniversaries
earlier, I could have thrown a party for Camille on August 17th! At 190 mph
and under 27 mb, it was the most intense hurricane to ever make landfall in
the US.
There are several reasons these hurricanes deserve recognition over Katrina.
In every instance listed, the state and local government dealt with the
responsibility, not the Federal Government. Most of these hurricanes took
place in a time before our country felt compelled to blame the president for
the lack of federal response, it was assumed the state and local officials
would work to evacuate their people and be prepared for these disasters.
Charity has always been huge in America, and people have always given to
those in need, and indeed, our government began disaster relief in the wake
of fires that destroyed cities in 1800's, but the government never has
assumed responsibility for the safety and welfare of persons in a state,
this responsibility has always resided with state and local government, as the
first responders.
The storms listed also have something in common over Katrina... none of them were responded to by presidential issuance of disaster declaration, the day before they made landfall. This happened for the first time in history, under President Bush. With several of the hurricanes listed above, there was no federal assistance at all. Not to be callous, but the Constitution makes no such provision for federal disaster relief, and until recently, it wasn't expected until way after the disaster. Thanks to Jimmy Carter, we can now expect the federal government to take care of us in a hurricane. If it fails to do so, we can blame the president... whoever it is at the time. And if they don't protect us, we can throw annual celebrations of the anniversary, make a big deal out of it, and use it for political advantage. No more, blaming it on the Weather Guy!
Alabama? 9/11/1979 Hurricane Frederic... This marks the first hurricane
responded to by FEMA, that should make it noteworthy enough for anniversary celebration. Before Jimmy
Carter made FEMA an agency, the responsibility for disaster relief in
America was sketchy. Now, we fully understand, if the federal government isn't there to save us, it's because of the president.
It's interesting, five years after 9/11, and we're told "it's too soon" to see movies about 9/11, yet the very same people will rush to show footage of Katrina, and re-live it for a week on prime time. It's almost as if they have a 'political agenda' or something.
In honor of our recently found need to celebrate the anniversaries of
hurricanes, I felt compelled to note a few other hurricanes we should add to
the 'calendar of events' in the coming days. MSNBC and CNN could actually do
a special each night, on their anniversaries....
Sept. 1- Hurricane Carol (1954) --Struck the NE coast with 120 m.p.h.
winds, leaving dozens of fatalities in her wake. In 1990 dollars, the total
storm damage from Carol was $2,370,215,000, the 10th costliest hurricane in
U.S. history.
Sept. 2- Labor Day Hurricane 1935-- The full life history of the hurricane
that devastated some of the Florida Keys on the afternoon and night of Labor
Day, September 2, 1935, covers almost 2 weeks. It is believed to be the
lowest recorded Mb level in the western hemisphere, but instruments were not
always accurate in that time.
Sept. 3, 1821: One of the most violent hurricanes on record. The eye passed over Norfolk,VA then moved northeast along the New Jersey coast onto Long Island. The effects of this storm, actually formed the Hatteras and Oregon
Inlets in North Carolina.
Sept. 4- Hurricane Donna (1960) --Donna holds the record for retaining "major hurricane" status (category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) in the Atlantic Basin for the longest period of time on record. For nine days, September 2 to September 11, Donna consistently had sustained winds of at least 115 mph. From the moment it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days. While crossing the Atlantic Donna briefly achieved Category 5
strength. It effected every single state on the eastern seaboard of the US.
Sept. 5- Unnamed Hurricane (1667)-- According to the writing of Virginia colonists, The Chesapeake Bay rose 12 feet, probably widening the Lynnhaven River. Jamestown saw 10,000 houses blown down and the storm washed away the foundation of Fort George at Old Point Comfort. Twelve days of rain was said to have followed this storm.
Sept. 6- Hurricane 'Dog' (1950) While crossing the Lesser Antilles,
Hurricane Dog brought strong winds and rain. The islands of Antigua and
Barbuda reported $1 million in damage to houses, roads, trees, and power
lines. 2 people were killed when their boat sank. Though it never made
landfall in New England, passing over 100 miles away, its strong winds still
caused 12 casualties, 11 by sinking boats. Damage amounted to $2 million.
Sept. 7- Hurricane Easy (1951) The fifth hurricane in the season and was
described by literature at the time as the Cedar Keys Hurricane. It
developed over the western Caribbean Sea from a trough of low pressure left
behind by Baker. It formed on September 1 south of the western tip of Cuba,
and drifted northeastward, crossing Cuba on the 3rd as a minimal hurricane.
The next day, it strengthened to a major hurricane while moving
north-northwest, which was followed by a tight loop where Easy reached its
peak of 130 mph winds. Easy again moved to the northeast, approaching the
coast of Florida. It again looped, this time near Cedar Key, Florida. It
slowly moved southeastward through Florida, weakening to a tropical storm on
the 6th. Easy finally moved northwestward through the state, and on the 9th,
it dissipated over extreme eastern Arkansas. It caused $3.3 million dollars
in damage (1950 USD) and 2 deaths. The low damage was due to the sparse
population of the area it hit.
And finally.... culminating in the Grande Finale...
Sept. 8- The Great Galveston Hurricane (1900) Galveston, TX destroyed
completely. Massive loss of life, bodies washed ashore for weeks... they burned the corpses in pyres... it was total inexperience and incompetence on part of the new
government weather agency, NOAA, and Isaac Cline would be the only person
anyone tried to lay the blame on, a couple of months after this, the
Republican president, William McKinley, was re-elected to a second term, and
Democratic challenger, William Jennings Bryan, never even thought about
blaming the president for failing to act.
It's a shame I didn't realize we were celebrating hurricane anniversaries
earlier, I could have thrown a party for Camille on August 17th! At 190 mph
and under 27 mb, it was the most intense hurricane to ever make landfall in
the US.
There are several reasons these hurricanes deserve recognition over Katrina.
In every instance listed, the state and local government dealt with the
responsibility, not the Federal Government. Most of these hurricanes took
place in a time before our country felt compelled to blame the president for
the lack of federal response, it was assumed the state and local officials
would work to evacuate their people and be prepared for these disasters.
Charity has always been huge in America, and people have always given to
those in need, and indeed, our government began disaster relief in the wake
of fires that destroyed cities in 1800's, but the government never has
assumed responsibility for the safety and welfare of persons in a state,
this responsibility has always resided with state and local government, as the
first responders.
The storms listed also have something in common over Katrina... none of them were responded to by presidential issuance of disaster declaration, the day before they made landfall. This happened for the first time in history, under President Bush. With several of the hurricanes listed above, there was no federal assistance at all. Not to be callous, but the Constitution makes no such provision for federal disaster relief, and until recently, it wasn't expected until way after the disaster. Thanks to Jimmy Carter, we can now expect the federal government to take care of us in a hurricane. If it fails to do so, we can blame the president... whoever it is at the time. And if they don't protect us, we can throw annual celebrations of the anniversary, make a big deal out of it, and use it for political advantage. No more, blaming it on the Weather Guy!
