Hurricanes and the Making of Caribbean History
The 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane1899 San Ciriaco hurricane hit Puerto Rico, whose economy relied on coffee. The crop had already been facing problems with a decrease in prices and competing countries, but the hurricane wiped out any chance of rebounding from the losses of the previous years. The winds stripped the berries from the trees and the coffee exports of 1899 were only 10 percent of the average export. The losses amounted to 12 million dollars in revenue from 1899 to 1901. This left a dismal outlook on the future for farmers. Sugar was also affected by the storm, although the results were not as drastic. Only a third of the sugar crop could be harvested in 1899, but the soil was reinvigorated. The storm only affected the older haciendas, which would have been retired soon regardless of the hurricane. This allowed for newer technologies to be introduced to the sugar system and U.S. involvement increased. Overall, San Ciriaco helped and hurt the agriculture of Puerto Rico.
1932 San Ciprian hurricane
Offshore, the rough seas brought by the hurricane caused heavy damage to shipping as the storm surge caused two boats to run aground near Ceiba. In San Juan, two more boats sustained severe damage. The storm surge and high winds also damaged or destroyed several warehouses. Elsewhere in Puerto Rico, the damage was even more severe as the hurricane's high winds destroyed many homes in outlying villages killing 109 people. The highest death toll came from the town of Rio Piedras which was directly in the path of the hurricane and many of the homes were in poor condition to withstand the hurricane's winds. Damage to roads, power lines, and roads disrupted communications and access to the interior portion of Puerto Rico. Heavy rainfall from the hurricane caused significant flooding that left many homes and buildings under 1.5 feet (0.4 meter) of water.