The Hurricane That Was So Powerful It Affected The American Revolution In a Big Way
The deadliest hurricane in history
Hurricanes have been a part of Earth’s climate for millions of years. These storms have been around long before the invention of radar and satellites. Back in the day, people did not name or track these storms. Sometimes a settlement would get a warning from a fishing boat or naval vessel that would dock and warn of high winds. Most of the time these storms were a surprise, their power a mystery. That combination often led strong hurricanes to inflict death and destruction on a much greater scale than we see today.
One such hurricane appeared in 1780 and raked the Caribbean with deadly ferocity. In fact, the Great Hurricane of 1780 would go down in history as the deadliest hurricane on record in the Atlantic and the damage it caused was so extensive it severely weakened the British regional efforts during the American Revolution.
A likely Category 5 hurricane
The hurricane made landfall at the British island of Barbados on October 10th, 1780, and caused significant damage. Reports at the time claimed to have clocked wind speeds of 200 mph making this hurricane one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic and easily a Category 5 on the modern…
