30 Continued from previous page Winds, air movement is deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere: all things being equal. Even when there were close brushes, Barbados misses the strongest winds which are normally in the northern eyewall, said the late professor William Gray. He also explained that if Barbados takes a direct hit, it is likely to be very bad not only because of those northern winds but because systems which are likely to hit the island will be strong given the location of formation and direction they will travel. Best concurred that systems forming close to Barbados posed greater risks, though if they formed too close they are not that severe because there is not much time for development of the strong winds, though rainfall would be a factor. He agreed that the storms likely to hit Barbados were the ones forming between 8¼° and 11¼° North and as long as they were east of Barbados, they were always a threat. "As long as they form east of Barbados my advice to the public is: be alert but be extra careful if they form east-south-east of Barbados," said Best. There have been major hurricane impacts since colonisation in Barbados: 1660, December: Hurricane. Vessels ran aground. 1674, August 10: Very strong hurricane. 300 buildings destroyed; 200 dead; no sugarcane for two years. 1675, August 31: Strong hurricane. Island devastated 1694, October 17: Weak hurricane passes. Ships thrown ashore. 1780, October 10: Slow moving hurricane. Barbados battered for 48 hours. 4,326 dead; £1 million damage. 1786, September: Severe gale. Every vessel driven ashore. Great damage to homes and crops. Many people killed. 1813, July 22: Tropical storm passed north. Ships damaged. 1815, September 29: Hurricane passed north of island. Gale force winds experienced. 1816, September 15: Hurricane passed north. Heavy rains; severe flooding; stores damaged. 1817, October 21: Passing hurricane damaged ships. 1819, October 13: Hurricane. Two dead; heavy rains; Foster Hall landslides; ships wrecked. 1822, December 19: Hurricane passed north; winds from south and west; very heavy seas. 1831, August 10: Severe hurricane. Over £2 million damage; 1,525 dead. 1837, July 9: Tropical storm hit island. Vessels thrown ashore; one church destroyed; chimneys blown down. Continues on next page
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