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.
1901 Atlantic hurricane season
"Considerable damage" was reported in Saint Kitts. The storm is known as "San Cirilo" in Puerto Rico, where heavy rainfall occurred, particularly in the southwestern portion of the island, with observed at Hacienda La Perla. Flooding was reported along the Río Grande de Loíza and Caugus rivers. The Weather Bureau office in San Juan observed a wind speed of . In Virginia, winds averaged at Cape Henry late on July 10 through early on July 11, downing power lines in the area. A woman in Richmond was killed after being hit by a tree that was struck by lightning. A number of trees were level and lost their fruit due to heavy rainfall and strong winds in Berryville. A barn was destroyed after being struck by lightning and set ablaze. At Chesapeake Bay, artillery practice was interrupted after strong winds destroyed the floating targets. In North Carolina, winds reached at Hatteras.
The Louisiana Hurricane of 1901