Hurricane Gilbert 1988
The storm made its first landfall on the east coast of Jamaica at 10:00 am on Monday, September 12. As it began its passage over the island the eye measured about 15 miles across. Wind speeds averaging 75 mph gusting to 127 mph, were recorded in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. As the eye exited western Jamaica at 6 p.m., it intensified further (888mb) and was identified as a Category 5 Hurricane, the most severe.
Jamaica’s last experience of a direct hit was in 1951-Hurricane Charlie. Hurricane Gilbert differed from Charlie in several respects. Unlike Charlie, Gilbert, traversed the entire length of the country. The eye passed over the Kingston Metropolitan Area . The loss of life with Gilbert was less than Charlie (Charlie 150 vs Gilbert 45) but the extent of damage done by Charlie pales into virtual insignificance compared with the horrendous destruction wrought by Hurricane Gilbert
After the hurricane there was no electricity anywhere and the factories were idled by this; few places had running water or telephone service. For miles in some areas it was easier to count the few utility poles that were up, thank the scores that were down. In some places, you could not even get around the count, because the utility poles and miles and miles of cables blocked the road, along with assorted pieces and roofs and fences, billboards and trees of all sizes. It blew the roofs off 80 % of the nation’s 500,000 houses, 100,000 of which could not be repaired. IT wrecked Jamaica Economically. The then Prime Minister estimated damage at 5,500 million JMD (UD 1,000 million.) UNDRO (1988) estimated damage at over 800 million USD.
Hurricane Gilbert was the seventh named storm of 1988.
- Hurricane winds lasted approximately 10 to 12 hours with the eye passing directly over the country
The storm made its first landfall on the east coast of Jamaica at 10:00 am on Monday, September 12. As it began its passage over the island the eye measured about 15 miles across. Wind speeds averaging 75 mph gusting to 127 mph, were recorded in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. As the eye exited western Jamaica at 6 p.m., it intensified further (888mb) and was identified as a Category 5 Hurricane, the most severe.
Jamaica’s last experience of a direct hit was in 1951-Hurricane Charlie. Hurricane Gilbert differed from Charlie in several respects. Unlike Charlie, Gilbert, traversed the entire length of the country. The eye passed over the Kingston Metropolitan Area . The loss of life with Gilbert was less than Charlie (Charlie 150 vs Gilbert 45) but the extent of damage done by Charlie pales into virtual insignificance compared with the horrendous destruction wrought by Hurricane Gilbert
After the hurricane there was no electricity anywhere and the factories were idled by this; few places had running water or telephone service. For miles in some areas it was easier to count the few utility poles that were up, thank the scores that were down. In some places, you could not even get around the count, because the utility poles and miles and miles of cables blocked the road, along with assorted pieces and roofs and fences, billboards and trees of all sizes. It blew the roofs off 80 % of the nation’s 500,000 houses, 100,000 of which could not be repaired. IT wrecked Jamaica Economically. The then Prime Minister estimated damage at 5,500 million JMD (UD 1,000 million.) UNDRO (1988) estimated damage at over 800 million USD.
Hurricane Gilbert was the seventh named storm of 1988.
- Hurricane winds lasted approximately 10 to 12 hours with the eye passing directly over the country
