Hurricane in Martinique in the harbor and on the city of Saint-Pierre in the 19th...

Hurricane in Martinique in the harbor and on the city of Saint-Pierre in the 19th century. In the 19th century, four cyclones were ahead of the Caribbean coast: On September 3, 1804, a raz de maree caused by a cyclone hit the Martinique coast. At Saint-Pierre, seventeen boats sink or are thrown at the coast. At Fort de France, seven ships disappeared in the harbor. On July 23, 1813, a hurricane blowing from the northwest passed north of Martinique. The churches of Robert and Macouba were destroyed as well as many houses. In Saint-Pierre, warehouses and shops set up on the seafront are carried away by the waves. In the harbor about 40 boats are sinking. On the night of September 4 to 5, 1883, a new cyclone hit Martinique. At Saint-Pierre, twenty boats were thrown off the coast and many roofs were torn by the wind. At Morne Rouge, most buildings are damaged. In St. Mary the roof of the church is partly washed away, and from Carbet to Lamentin the plantations are either flooded or torn by the wind. On the night of August 18 to 19, 1891, a powerful cyclone ravaged Fort de France and much of the island. More than 400 people lost their lives during this cyclonic episode and more than 60,000 are homeless, more than one third of the population of the period (175,000 inhabitants). Economically, the cyclone is a disaster. Banana and sugar cane plantations were ravaged, as were most of the sugar and rum production plants - engraving of 1883 -