Hurricane Flora is one of the most famous hurricanes to affect the island of Tobago and is among the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history. Flora began as a tropical depression in the Inter Tropical Convergent Zone on September 26. 1963 before developing into Tropical Storm Flora three days later on the 29th. The storm then quickly intensified with rapid convection, becoming the monster known as Hurricane Flora just the next day. With winds of 193 km/h (120mph), Flora was classified to be a category 3 hurricane and made landfall on Tobago on 30th September 1963. According to data from www.hurricanescience.org, Flora’s fury led to 6,250 of the 7,500 houses on the island being damaged or destroyed and also claimed the lives of 24 persons. Property and Crop damage on the island amounted to 30 million (1963 USD $). According to the Trinidad Newsday about 50 % of the island’s coconut trees suffered utter destruction, another 16 % suffered severe damage and 50 % of the cocoa drop was destroyed. Heavy but unestimated damage to other crops, such as bananas, vegetables and others were reported. About 75 % of the trees forming the forestry reserve fell, while most of the remainder was severely damaged.
On Trinidad maximum winds were estimated at about 55m.p.h in extreme gusts from the southwest. There was only minor damage over most of Trinidad due to the protection afforded by the mountain range along the north coast. However, when the wind shifted to the southwest, many small boats in the harbour , which is an open roadstead to the west, were sunk.
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