1979 — Aug 30-Sep 6, Hurricane David, Puerto Rico (Aug 30-31), East Coast –21-22
–2,068+ direct. Wikipedia. “Hurricane David.” 8-15-2014 modification.
–2,000 Dominican Republic. Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, V108, 984.[1]
— 56 Dominica Island. Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, V. 108, p. 983.
— 7 Puerto Rico. Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, V. 108, p. 984.
–21-22 U.S. Mainland.
United States (21-22)
— 22 Direct and indirect, Puerto Rico and U.S. mainland. (Hebert, p. 984.)[2]
–15 Mainland. Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, Vol. 108, p. 984.
— 5 Direct.
–10 Indirect.
— 7 Puerto Rico. Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, Vol. 108, p. 984.
— 21 Blanchard tally from breakouts below.
–10-20 Lawrence. Preliminary Report. Hurricane David, August 25-September 7, 1979. p.5.[3]
— 19 The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland. “Hurricane Hugo death toll rises to 34.” 9-23-1989, 4.
— 16 Mainland (apparently).[4]
— 13 AP. “The Nation’s Weather.” Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. 9-6-1079, p. 5.[5]
— >12 AP. “David Proved Tough Hurricane When It Came To Predicting Path.” 9-10-1979.[6]
Florida ( 6)
— 6 State. Ironwood Daily Globe (AP), MI. “David Now Just a Storm.” 9-5-1979, p. 1.[7]
— >5 Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “David draws a bead on Charleston, S.C.” 9-4-1979, 4.
— 5 Longshore. Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (New Ed.). 2008, 120.
— ~3 Our translation of “several people died” in NCC, Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, 3.
Identified Causes of Death:
— 1 Drowning; surfer “attempting to ride David’s dangerous swells.”[8]
— 1 Electrocution; Key Largo, Sep 2; male (Fred Nicholson). (Barnes and AP)[9]
— 2 Heart attacks “while making storm preparations.”[10]
— 1 Traffic accident. Man killed when car overturns “on a rain-swept portion of I-95.”[11]
— 1 Traffic accident. Elderly female struck by van while walking to Fort Lauderdale shelter.[12]
Georgia (2)
— 2 Off Jekyll Island, Sep 4. Drowning in heavy surf. (Lawrence, p. 4.)[13]
Maryland (1)
— 1 Baltimore vic., Jones Falls Expy., Sep 6. Drowning, car swept away, flood water; female.[14]
New York (1)
— 1 Brooklyn, Sep 6. Factory worker, flying glass from window blown out by wind gust.[15]
North Carolina (1)
— 1 Charlotte, Sep 4-5. Drowning; male, flooded creek.[16]
Virginia (1)
— 1 Great Falls, Fairfax County, Sep 5. Tornado. Tree toppled onto house, killing male.[17]
West Virginia (1)
— 1 ~Capon Bridge., Hampshire Co., Sep 5. Drowning; male, 73, swept away by flood water.[18]
Puerto Rico (7)
–16 AP (David L. Langford). “David left his mark.” Odessa American, TX. 9-9-1979, p. 14B.
— 7 Hebert. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” MWR, V. 108, p. 984.
— 7 Lawrence. Preliminary Report. Hurricane David, August 25-September 7, 1979. Page 3.
–4 Electrocution (three in Toa Baja and one in Guaynabo). (Lawrence, p. 3.)
–1 Tree fall at San Sebastian. (Lawrence, p. 3.)
— 7 National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 8, Aug 1979, p. 17.
–2 Drowning near Vega Baja. Father and son swept away by swollen Cibuco River.
–2 Electrocution; Toa Baja. Power cable falls into a puddle of water.
–1 Electrocution at Moca.
–1 Tree fall in San Sebastian hits a car killing male.
–1 Falling rocks. Man directing traffic around a landslide hit by falling rocks.
Dominican Republic (1)
— 1 U.S. Marine Corps Ch-53 helicopter crash flying a relief mission, Sep 7; pilot killed.[19]
General Narrative
Lawrence: “David moved inland just north of Palm Beach at approximately 1600 GMT on the 3rd. At this time the eye diameter was 20 to 30 n.mi. The eye passed over a number of coastal cities in a zone from Jupiter in Martin County northward to New Smyrna Beach (just south of Daytona Beach), where it moved off shore. Since the storm was moving almost due north at about 10 knots, some locations were within David’s eye for periods of about two hours….Highest surface winds experienced in Florida were gusts to 75 knows at South Melbourne Beach and a 74 knot gust at Jupiter. Heavy surf and rainfall amounts in the 5-10 inch range accompanied the storm….
“Changing very little in intensity, David made its final landfall just south of Savannah Beach, Georgia, during the afternoon of the 4th. Savannah reported 50 knot sustained winds….Two people were drowned in the heavy surf off Jekyll Island. To the north gusts along the coast ranged from 50 to 60 knots. Charleston [SC] reported 49 knot gusts. Several tornadoes occurred between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Rainfall was heavy in some areas with Savannah receiving 6.86 inches. There were reports of up to 10 inches in interior South Carolina. Flooding was light to moderate. However, in North Carolina major flooding was reported on the Lumber River.
“The storm accelerated to the north, then to the northeast as it moved across the middle Atlantic states into New England. Sustained winds gradually decreased to near 40 knots. Raleigh and Greensboro [NC] reported gusts to 31 knots. To the east Elizabeth City was drenched by 8.52 inches of rain. Tornadoes touched down in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware recorded a 46 knot gust, while winds at Richmond gusted to 39 knots. Wind and rain were responsible for widespread power outages all along the eastern seaboard. In the New York metropolitan area, 2.5 million people were without electricity.
“David lost its tropical characteristics on September 6th, by the time it reached New England. A an extratropical storm it moved across New Brunswick and Newfoundland on the 7th and into the far North Atlantic by the 8th.
“Fatality estimates in the United States range from 10 to 20 [on the website the words “range from 10 to 20 are lined through with a pencil and “5 deaths” is handwritten immediately above]….”
Puerto Rico
NCC: “Islandwide [Aug] 29-31…7 [killed]…Hurricane David entered the Caribbean on a west-northwest trajectory passing between Dominica and Martinique, Windward Islands about noon on the 29th and continued moving along this track passing about 100 miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico early on the afternoon of the 30th. By morning of the 31st the storm veered north and entered the southern coast of the Dominican Republic near the capital city of Santo Domingo.
“The effects of Hurricane David’s passage south of Puerto Rico were primarily from flooding along the coastal plains from torrential rains in the upper watersheds, coastal flooding, wave action and wind damage primarily to agriculture. In general, rainfall over the island began during the early morning hours of the 30th and continued into the early afternoon of the 31st. The entire island was put under Hurricane and Flood Warnings on the evening of the 29th. Significant flooding began on the evening of the 30th and early morning hours of the 31st. At the height of the flooding there were over 40,000 people in shelters across the island…. Rainfall amounts for the period 30 August to September [1st?] (measured at 8:00 AM EST) reached a maximum of 19.75 inches at Cidra in La Plata River basin with another maximum area in the south western portion of 19.19 inches at Nagueyes Island. The highest 24-hour total amount measured at Cidra at 8:00 AM AST on the 31st was 15.05 inches. Amounts of 12 to 14 inches were generally common along the southern slopes of the central cordilleras.
“Although sustained hurricane force winds did not reach the island there were unofficial reports of gusts of 100 mph at San Sebastian and Humacao, and 79 mph in Guaynabo….Sustained winds generally measured between 40 to 50 mph Islandwide.
“Damages to island roads, highways and bridges were extensive, with numerous landslides on the interior roads generally leaving a good part of the exterior lane completely lost. Wave action and coastal flooding along the southern portions from Naguabo to Cabo Rojo destroyed many sections of coastal road. The Transportation and Public Works Department estimates damages to state and municipal roads and highways at $7.0 millions. Eight highways and 22 roads remained closed immediately after the storm passage.
“Damages to housing, household goods and general family possessions were particularly high in those areas where both legal and illegal construction had encroached into the flood plain….
“The total death toll is set at seven. Two, considered directly related to the flooding, occurred when a father and his son tried to wade across the swollen Cibuco River near Vega Baja and were swept away by the current. Two electrocutions occurred to Toa Baja from a power cable falling in a puddle of water with another electrocution in Moca. One man was killed in San Sebastian when his car was crushed by a falling tree and one man died while directing traffic around a landslide when he was struck by several rocks.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 8, Aug 1979, p. 17.)
Florida
NCC: “Florida Peninsula [Sep] 3-4…0 [killed]…Hurricane David. After devastating the Dominican Republic with winds that exceeded 165 MPH, a much-weakened Hurricane David moved up the Florida east coast on Labor Day. Total damage was estimated by state officials at 95 million dollars, most of which occurred in the middle east coastal counties. Although several people died in storm related activities, no deaths were directly attributed to David in Florida…. Strongest winds recorded in Florida were gusts of 95MPH at the Fort Pierce Coast Guard Station in St. Lucie County….At one time during Labor Day afternoon, David’s winds created a water level differential of over 8 feet on Lake Okeechobee, lowering the water level to 9 feet on the northend of the lake while raising it to 17.5 feet in the Pahokee-Canal Point area. Tides were 3 to 5 feet above normal elsewhere on the Florida east coast….On Anastasia Island, near St. Augustine, 15 foot waves eroded 12 feet of the sea-oat covered sand dunes. Storm rainfall was quite variable with totals mostly 6 to 9 inches near the track of the eye, with a few reports to 11 inches….Some homes, businesses and public buildings were severely damaged or destroyed, but most of the damage, though widespread, was minor….David spawned at least 10 tornadoes in Florida….” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 3.)
South Carolina
NCC: “Eastern and Central S.C. [Sep] 4-5…Center of David entered S.C. near Savannah on evening of 4th and moved north northeast across S.C. reaching N.C. early on 5th. Damage totaled 10 million dollars mostly due to high tides, heavy beach erosion, damage from high winds, heavy rains and resultant flooding.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, V21, N9, Sep 1979, p. 10.)
North Carolina
NCC: “Statewide…[Sep] 4-5…Hurricane David moved north through the piedmont causing extensive local flooding; extensive tree damage; wind damaged buildings at piers along the coast; beach erosion on southern beaches; and crop damage….One man was killed in Charlotte when he got lost in a flooded creek. Main stream flooding on the Lumber, Cape Fear, Neuse, and Tar Rivers.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 9.)
Virginia
NCC: “Statewide [Sep] 5-6…Tropical Storm ‘David’ moved through the western portion of the state during the afternoon and evening of the 5th, reaching eastern Pennsylvania early on the 6th. Although average wind velocities were 45 mph in gusts, a rash of at least 8 tornadoes were responsible for over half of the total dame in the storm…Rainfall averaged between 2″ and 4″ with amounts of 6″ or more reported in the Amelia County and in the Norfolk area….Local flooding was fairly widespread…One fatality and 19 injuries were attributed to tornado activity. Power outages due to the large number of fallen trees amounted to some 80,000 homes over the state. Total damage from tree fall, flooding, high tides, wind and tornadoes was figured at $8,572,000, of which about $5.5 million was from tornado activity….” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 11)
West Virginia
NCC: “Eastern Panhandle [Sep] 5-6…aftn. and morn….Heavy rains fell over eastern panhandle as the remains of Hurricane David moved north through Virginia. Flooding was generally minor with some roads blocked. High winds downed some trees and power lines. A 73 year old man was killed on the afternoon of the 5th outside Capon Bridge in Hampshire county. He was believed to be crossing a small bridge near his home when flood waters washed him off.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 11.)
Delaware
NCC: “Statewide. [Sep] 5-6…Tropical Storm ‘David’ moved on a north northeasterly track from western Virginia the afternoon and evening of the 5th, into eastern Pennsylvania early on the 6th. Being on the east fringe of the storm, Delaware received relatively minor damage. Property damage was light, except for a small section in the north portion of the state [Newcastle County] that experienced a tornado….Maximum wind gusts were recorded up to 45 mph and rainfall totals ranged between one and four inches…” (NCC. Storm Data, V21, N9, Sep 1979, 3.)
Maryland
NCC: “Statewide [Sep] 5-6…Tropical Storm ‘David’ center moved north northeastward out of western Virginia during the afternoon and evening hours of the 5th and reached eastern Pennsylvania early on the 6th. Damage was quite widespread and caused by wind-fallen trees, local flooding and high tides, and about a half-dozen small tornadoes…Baltimore County and City were particularly hard-hit with damage there alone estimated at $50 millions. The one fatality occurred when a Baltimore woman was drowned after being swept out of her car by surging waters on the Jones Falls Expressway, at about 12:30AM on the 6th. In the Mt. Washington section of Baltimore a wall of water 5 to 6 feet high swept through a shopping center, causing substantial losses. High waters also required the evacuation of some 600 or more persons and 140,000 homes were without power for a time….An 8-inch total [rainfall] was reported from Baltimore County and 8.8 inches at Thurmont, on the east slope of the Catoctin Mountains….” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 6.)
New Jersey
NCC: “Coastal Areas…[Sep] 6…Tropical storm David gusted violently through New Jersey breaking up thousands of trees and utility lines and causing power outages to almost 500,000 households….The storm spawned at least one tornado in southern New Jersey injuring one person and destroying at least three homes….” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 8.)
New York
NCC: “Coastal (Extreme Southeast, Nassau, Suffolk Co.) [Sep] 6…abt. 4:30 a….Tropical Storm David lashed through the metropolitan area with gale force winds and heavy rain. Flooding resulted not from rainfall, but because of the unusually high tides brought on by the full moon at perigee. A popular opinion holds that our area was hit by one of the small tornadoes that was said to be proceeding in Great Kills, Staten Island. A Brooklyn factory worker was killed by flying glass from a window blown out by a gust of wind…in Central Park…wind at the rate of 53 miles per hour with gusts to 55 miles per hour at 0745 EDT.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 8.)
Connecticut
NCC: “Statewide. [Sep] 6. All day…Tropical Storm David. Passing to the west of Connecticut David brought southerly wind gusts of 70-80 MPH. Boats were blown from their moorings and smashed against sea walls. Trees were dashed to the ground sometimes crunching houses and automobiles. Electricity was shut off from several hundred thousand people. Though rainfall was much less than expected winds were higher making the overall effect of David very significant assuring it a firm place in weather records.” (NCC. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979. p. 3.)
Massachusetts
NCC: “Statewide [Sep] 6. All Day…Tropical Storm David passed to the west of New England bringing gusts of 70-80 MPH. Rains of 3 inches occurred in western portions of the state, but were nearer one inch elsewhere. Three men were injured by falling trees during cleanup work and three teenagers were hurt as a falling tree hit their moving automobile. Many trees were blown down taking power lines to the ground, and many houses were damaged. Along the shore boats were blown from their moorings as anchor chains parted and anchors dragged….” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 7.)
New Hampshire
NCC: “Statewide. [Sep] 6…Remnants of Hurricane David caused heavy rains which produced minor flooding of streets and basements throughout the state. Wind blew trees over and snapped tree limbs off, which severed numerous utility lines and crashed on dwellings and vehicles. Also, there were numerous storm-related traffic accidents and several boats sunk or destroyed. It was roughly estimated that power outage affected 22,000 households from just a few minutes to as long as 16 hours. The worst was reported by Public Service of New Hampshire when 120 mile stretch of power lines was wiped out between Pittsburg (Coos County) NH to Canaan, VT. So many trees downed that lines had to be rebuilt. Peak winds reported: Mt. Washington, elev. 6,288 ft – 174 mph; Portsmouth (Pease AFB) – 61 mph.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 8.)
Maine
NCC: “Statewide [Sep] 6…Remnants of Hurricane David caused heavy rains which produced minor flooding of streets and basements throughout the state. Winds blew trees over and snapped tree limbs off, which severed numerous utility lines and crashed on dwellings and vehicles. There were many storm-related traffic accidents and several boats sunk or destroyed. It was roughly estimated that up to 15,000 households were affected by power outages. Peak winds reported: Lewiston-Auburn Airport – 70 mph; Portland – 43 mph….” (NCC. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979. p. 6.)
Sources
Associated Press (David L. Langford). “David left his mark.” Odessa American, TX. 9-9-1979, p. 14B. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=185671792&sterm
Associated Press (Miami). “David Proved Tough Hurricane When It Came To Predicting Path.” Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA, 9-10-1979, p. 5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=112126318&sterm
Associated Press. “The Nation’s Weather.” Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. 9-6-1079, p. 5. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=112126263&sterm
Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998.
Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “David draws a bead on Charleston, S.C.” 9-4-1979, p. 4. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=7732429&sterm=florida+hurricane+david
Hebert, Paul J. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979.” Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 108, pp. 973-990. Accessed 9-9-2014 at: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/mwr_pdf/1979.pdf
Ironwood Daily Globe, MI. “David Now Just a Storm.” 9-5-1979, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=84317724&sterm=florida+hurricane
Lawrence, Miles. Preliminary Report. Hurricane David, August 25-September 7, 1979. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, NOAA, 10-17-1979 (five pages). At:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/david/prelim01.gif
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/david/prelim02.gif
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/david/prelim03.gif
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/david/prelim04.gif
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1979-prelim/david/prelim05.gif
Longshore, David. Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (New Edition). New York, NY: Facts on File, 2008. 468 pages. Google preview accessible at: http://books.google.com/books?id=8kXwskQHBLoC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 8, August 1979. Asheville, NC: NCC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 9-10-2014 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-0A18667C-AE9A-473A-9255-72BD59DEEBF4.pdf
National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, September 1979. Asheville, NC: NCC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 9-9-2014 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-662ADE88-B21D-470A-8D63-DF6FA0AFA304.pdf
The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland. “Hurricane Hugo death toll rises to 34.” 9-23-1989, p. 4. At: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19890923&id=ejFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4057,2070693
United Press International, Haina, Dominican Republic. “3 killed as helicopter crashes on relief mission.” Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. 9-8-1979, A-3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=7732682&sterm
Wikipedia. “Hurricane David.” 8-15-2014 modification. Accessed 9-10-2014 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_David
[1] Lawrence writes that “Floods were the great killer [p. 3].”
[2] Other than noting direct as opposed to indirect deaths, there is no information on identifiable fatalities (location, date, cause of death, etc.).
[3] On the website the words “range from 10 to 20 are lined through with a pencil and “5 deaths” is handwritten immediately above]….” We speculate this might be a “direct” death reference.
[4] “Nicholson [Key Largo, FL] was the first of 16 Americans who would die in the path of Hurricane David…” (AP. “David left his mark.” Odessa American, TX. 9-9-1979, 14B.)
[5] “David spawned tornadoes from Virginia to New Jersey Wednesday, killing three and bringing…toll to 13.
[6] From Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA, p. 5.
[7] “Six deaths, ranging from heart attacks to car accidents were blamed on the storm in that [Florida] state.”
[8] Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998, pp. 247-248.
[9] Was moving his sailboat to safer mooring when “The mast snagged an overhead high-tension wire.” According to the article he was the first American fatality. (AP. “David left his mark.” Odessa American, TX. 9-9-1979, 14B.)
[10] Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998, p. 248.
[11] Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998, p. 248.
[12] Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill and London: UNC Press, 1998, p. 248.
[13] An AP report from Savannah noted that “two students from France…went swimming after the hurricane passed and were missing today, apparently dragged out to sea by strong currents.” (Ironwood Daily Globe, MI. “David Now Just a Storm.” 9-5-1979, p. 1.)
[14] National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 6.
[15] National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 8.
[16] National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 9.
[17] National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 11.
[18] Male “was believed to be crossing a small bridge near his home when flood waters washed him off.” (National Climatic Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 9, Sep 1979, p. 11.)
[19] In addition, a Dominican Navy Colonel was killed as well as a Dominican pediatrician. (UPI, Haina, Dominican Republic. “3 killed as helicopter crashes on relief mission.” Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. 9-8-1979, A-3.)