Hurricane Marilyn

Since we’re on the topic of the islands this week – courtesy of holdfast – I’d like to reminisce about my experience surviving Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. At the time the storm hit I was between boat gigs living on Water Island. A little context...Marilyn originated from a tropical wave that crossed from the west coast of Africa to the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean on September 7. She hit the U.S. Virgin Island during the afternoon and night of September 15th as a strengthening Category 2, nearly Category 3, hurricane. The Hurricane Hunters reported hail, an unusual occurrence for tropical cyclones. They noted an eye of 20 nautical miles in diameter. The strongest part of the hurricane, the eyewall to the east and northeast of the center, passed directly over St. Thomas.

Maximum one-minute surface winds at that time were close to 95 knots.

The bitch surely blew us...it's something I'll never forget. Stay tuned for some recollections.