53 years ago - Continued from last week...
Hilda Bishop, 46-year-old fisherman, who was born at the Island City and has rode out a lot of storms said it was the hardest wind he had ever witnessed. Bishop and others said the real blow started between 9:00 and 9:30 Tuesday morning and lasted until 11:30, then it lulled down until about 2:30 and started again. Wind was blowing at 125 m.p.h. when the velocity machine was blown away. The center of the storm hovered around Cedar Key for eight or nine hours. Mr. Joe Watson, Sr., who has been in the fish business for 43 years, says this is the worst thing that has happened to Cedar Key since he has lived there. One fellow who has lost his home, boats and nets, smilingly said, "Thank God, I`ve still got my wife and babies." Most of the people express themselves as being thankful that the hurricane was no worse and that no lives were lost. Most of the population sought shelter in the school building and on Wednesday a company of the National Guard moved in with food, water and bedding and proceeded to care for the refugees. The Guard was from Gainesville. One man was found who said the gale of `96 was worse than the one Tuesday, that most old timers disagree with him. Most of us remember the "Big Boy" Hurricanes of 1926, 1928 and 1935, and on down the line, but we all know that Cedar Key is damaged more now than in any blow we can remember. Other parts of Levy County suffered from the storm, but not as bad as the Keys. Rainfall which has brought the water around Sumner higher than it has ever been before in that section, and traffic to and from Cedar Key has a hard time getting through the water that cover the highway. Several houses at Sumner were wrecked and residents had to seek higher ground. Otter Creek and Gulf Hammock also suffered from both high winds and water. The water and fallen trees did the most damage there. Quite a crowd of Bronson folks sought safety in the Court House and waited for the storm that never fully reached here. Outside of being without lights and water no damage was done. Chiefland was without electricity and as far as it is known the damage was held to the Drummond saw mill there. Timber in the county took a severe beating and Allen Campbell of Bronson, who is forester for National Container Corporation, said there were 10,000 cords of pulpwood down on their land alone. But after all is said and done, Cedar Key is the worse loser, and everybody should give these folks a lift and be pulling for them materially and spiritually. See the damage over there and you can see that most of us have been blest.
From the Archives & History Center
Levy County Clerk`s Office
Danny J. Shipp, Clerk of Court | 