September 17, 1989 heralds a significant date in the lives and minds of Montserratians at home in the diaspora.
It was on this day 37 years ago that Hurricane Hugo struck Montserrat and brought devastating destruction across the island.
The powerful Category 4 hurricane caused widespread damage to homes, public buildings, utilities and other essential infrastructure. More than 90% of homes were reported to have been damaged, leaving much of the Territory facing a major recovery effort.
Hugo was one of the most destructive hurricanes to affect Montserrat in modern history and left a lasting impact on communities across the island.
In the aftermath, Montserratians worked to rebuild homes, restore services and recover from the enormous damage caused by the storm.
Today, Montserratians remember the impact of Hurricane Hugo and recognize the resilience and determination shown by the people of the island in rebuilding their Territory.
Hugo was Montserrat’s costliest hurricane on record and brought down the island’s entire power grid. Ninety percent of homes on the island suffered significant to total roof loss after the island was struck by the eyewall.
What later would become Hurricane Hugo first originated as a tropical wave off the coast on Sept. 9, 1989. It was labeled a tropical depression the next day and became the eleventh system of the Atlantic 1989 hurricane season.
Hugo was classified as a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 13th. Like many monster hurricanes, Hugo began a period of rapid intensification. In just 24 hours, winds would increase from 105 mph to 160 mph. This would be Hugo’s peak intensity.
Hugo left extensive damage in its wake all told, causing 61 deaths and $11 billion (equivalent to $29 billion in 2025) in damage, which at the time, made it the costliest tropical cyclone on record worldwide.