It did not take long for Appleby to display his courage under difficult circumstances. Appleby kept the Sand Key light burning throughout both the Hurricanes of 1841 and 1842 despite the fact that the keeper's house was destroyed and the light badly damaged during the second storm. In 1843 a sea wall was constructed along southern shore of the key to protect the light and the site for a new house. No sooner had the keeper's house been erected and improvements made when the great Hurricane of 1844 swept away half of Sand Key, the Keeper's new house, and badly damaged the sea wall. The occupants of the island again set about making repairs.
Records indicate that it took nearly one year to repair the wall and build a new keeper's house.
In addition, two other guests from Newport were visiting. Little did the occupants of Sand Key realize, but a hurricane more fearsome than any of the previous storms that had damaged the island was headed North. Tragically, the light, the house, and all occupants were swept out to sea and never found. In fact the island itself was swept away to a depth of six feet below the water. Joshua Appleby paid the supreme sacrifice while serving his country that others might he safe from thr sea.