The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-26
OF 143 Charted in Thirty-fiye
Years Less Than a Half
Dozen Struck Here.
MORE BAD STORMS
AT OTHER PLACES
Weather Expert Gives Interest
ing Interview on Trop-
ical Disturbances.

rs the big storm coming this way?"
This question was put to Mr.. Lingren
who is in charge of the local Weather
Bureau Office. as he sat pondering over
the charts showing the location of the
storm and its probable movement.
The latest bulletin indicates" was
his reply. that the storm was central
Sunday forenoon about $50 miles south
west of Jamaica, having moved 20 this
place from Barbados since Thursday
noon. a distance OF approximately 1900
miles. and is now heading for the Y6-
catan Channel. It apparently has not
much Intensity as yet, though this
lack of energy may be made up dur
ing its passage northward- 1t Is vet
far from certain that IT will strike
Pensacola OF all the hurricanes chart
ed during August from 1876 to 1911.
having its origin in the eastern Carl
bbean Sea. none struck Pensacola, and
only one came near IL. OF course, that
does not mean that this viii not do so;
these storms are so irregular I'm their
that one may expect almost
anything. Besides. the pressure dis
along the Gulf is not quite
SO favorable as during the storm "a
August 9Th of this year, which struck
western louisiana ii is no use to
worry, and yet a prudent man who has
business on the sea will take necessary
precaution. Unfortunately, due to war
conditions, there are few vessels in the
hurricane zone, who might give us OBJ
servations by radio and thereby enable
us TO keep track of these storms
However, undoubtedly, sufficient warn
ings will be given. when It is definitely
known If this place lies in It's path.
Few of the Storms Hit Here.
Mr.. Lindgren said that none of the
hurricanes charted in August. origina-
ting in the eastern Caribbean Sea, came
to Pensacola.
This would indicate that only a small
part of the hurricanes come this way.
which IS contrary 20 the popular opin-
ion, which claims Pensacola to be
right in the path of most of them. NE
weather man was asked if he had any
data on the subject. He replied:
Yes. we have. During the 35-year
period from 1876 to 1911, all the hurri-
canes have been closely studied and
charted. The total number during
these years was 143, the mean annual
frequency being four. The years 1885
and 1887 had the most with IL for each
year, and 1877 and 1897 had the least
with none.
July, two or three came to Pensacola
OF its vicinity; out of 80 In August we
only had four or five; out of As in
September we had six, and out OF A
in October we had about four. ut all
of these storms were not severe.
Only Five Severe Storms Here
Our severe storms can be counted
on one hand, viz: October Is. 1916. 120
miles from the west; July 5. 1915, 1o4-
Sc: September 2s, 1917, 103-SE; Sept.
81, 1906, s3-E; August IL, 1911, s0-SE.
The next FIVE storms in order of Sc
verify are as follows: May II, 1912,
7e-SE; December 2s; 1915, 70-Sw: Au-
gust 15, 1901, 70-Sw: October s, 1894.
6s-NE; October 2, 1893. ss-sw.
That Is not such bad record; only
five severe storms in SO years.
Why We Dread Storms
Asked why Pensacola seems to dread
the coming OF the hurricane season.
and is always hoping that we might
escape this year, when, as a matter OF
fact, we escape nearly all Of them
Mr.. Lfndgren said:
For two reasons: first, severity is
only relative term. In 1900 Galveston
had very severe storm, the tragic re-
suits of which we all know Fifteen
years later, in 1915, she had a second
storm OF similar nature; In fact
the wind during the 1915 storm was
greater than during the first one Yet.
the consequences were not so terrible
as in 1900, due in a great measure to
the condition of Preparedness that the
former experience had dictated
Most Damage in 1906
"As far as damage is concerned, our
storm of 1906 was the most severe: yet
L ranks the fourth II wind velocity
only Is considered. We are learning by
past experiences, and our future storms
will cause less and less damage in
to the precaution we take"
Second. these hurricanes seem more
severe to us because we have SO much
nice weather between them. Now, IL
4 person lived in New York or I'm por-
ions of California. Point Reyes Hglst,
or instance. where gales and storms
are common experiences, we would
lot mind these blows half as much, but
n a measure be immune"
Severe Storms Elsewhere
Just minute, Mr.. Lindgren,p said
he reporter. do you mean to say that