Welcome to discover Fort Monroe.

Today we're gonna be chasing storms through time as we explore some of the natural disasters through history.

The first of three disasters will be chasing through.

History has us traveling back to 1933.

We find ourselves facing the hurricane that set the benchmark for hurricanes for 70 years until Hurricane Isabel arrived.

The hurricane of 1933 brought high storm surge, severe flooding, and destructive winds all across Fort Monroe.

Part of that destruction was a bandstand, and that plays into why this bandstand was built here in 1934.

What it must have been like to experience that hurricane and deal with the aftermath is almost unimaginable, even having lived through Hurricane Isabel.

But thanks to the archives here at the Fort Monroe Authority, I can show you a little bit of an insight into what it was like to be here at Fort Monroe during the hurricane of 1933.

Things get hotter as we travel back to 1920, when what started as a simple room fire engulfed the Chamberlin within three hours, and the surrounding stores.

Thankfully, a brave team of firefighters were able to contain the fire and keep it from spreading to any of the other nearby buildings.

But nothing was going to stop that fire from turning the historic Chamberlin to rubble, with 400 guests sent home or to local hotels.

Thankfully, no one died.

But in the wake of destruction and the $2 million that had just burned before everyone dies, the Chamberlin's future was not so sure.

Our final journey brings us back to 1749, when the fort that stood here before Fort Monroe, Fort George was completely wiped out by a hurricane.

Now, unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you, but what I can do is read you a firsthand account by Commodore James Barron, who was stationed here during the hurricane.

Quote.

As the hours wore on, the wind and the rain increased in fury.

One could hear the sand picked up by the wind from the beach outside and blasted against every object that still withstood the gale.

All the while, rising tide was rapidly being piled up to a height never before seen in that area.

The waves were pounding on the shore.

Finally, to the very foot of the outside wall of Fort George, a large tree crashed over on its side with its roots in the air, and was driven against the land side of the fort.

With the impact, the wall yawned and broke.

Shortly afterwards, the seawall lurched and sank at the point where it was exposed to the wave.

Fury of the storm.

Finally, the outside wall of the fort gave way and the filling of sand poured out, leaving the inner wall exposed to the blast without support.

When this two fell apart and collapse, the barracks took the full force of the wind.

Thank you for joining me this week, traveling back in time to explore just some of the disasters that happened here at Fort Monroe.

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