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[Fall 2004]
Sand Island Light seriously damaged by hurricane
This report is abridged from an email circulated by Warren Lee on
October 4, 2004.
Overview
When seen from a distance the damage to the lighthouse is not apparent [but]
upon closer inspection some significant damage was discovered. The most
astounding find was the structural damage to the brick work on the [tower] and
the reshaping and removal of protective rocks by the hurricane.
Brick Work Exterior
- The entry door has lost many bricks along the western edge for a distance
of about 8 ft.
- A hole in the masonry wall can be seen on the northwest corner of the
lighthouse. This hole is about 3x3 in size and involves the exterior wall of
the lighthouse.
- Much of the mortar along the northern side has been completely removed
from the sandblasting the lighthouse received from sand carried off of [the]
Fort Morgan area and the bricks are loose and falling out. The entire
structure needs tuck point mortaring or the bricks are going to continue to
fall off the lighthouse.
- The foundation shows signs of crumbling that has never been there before.
- Cracks have appeared in the masonry that were not there before the storm.
Several of these are quite extensive.
Brick Work Interior
- A detailed interior inspection [beyond looking through the entrance door
way] was not made at this time. Bricks have loosened and holes are now
apparent in the interior wall of the lighthouse.
- The security door mountings have broken loose from the brick work due to
the bricks collapsing around the door. This might pose a danger to the
public if they force the door open and enter the structure in its present
condition.
Boulders Strike Lighthouse
- Several 1-2 ton boulders were thrown against the base of the lighthouse
during the storm, damaging brick work of the lighthouse. A few remain
against the lighthouse's base. These are evidence of the tremendous fury
that the structure underwent. A large boulder is now below the old entrance
way to the lighthouse. Two more are along the East and north east sides of
the lighthouse. Several more have been displaced from around the
lighthouse's base and are nowhere to be found.
Island Proper Damaged
- Many of the boulders some weighing several tons were completely removed
from the island and relocated in the Gulf waters some distance from the
lighthouse.
- The old home foundation on the North side of the lighthouse has several
large chunks broken off and water now stands almost all the way to the
foundation of the lighthouse. No protection remains along the northern side
of the lighthouse now of any serious consequence. Without this rock island
protection the next hurricane could possibly destroy the lighthouse
completely.
- Oyster shells are now on the topside of many of the boulders well above
and beyond the high tide line, and as we all know, oysters do not grow out
of the ocean.
Iron Work
- New cracks have appeared in the iron work near the top and several feet of
hand railing are now missing.
- The interior stairs are pulled loose from the wall and need repair also.
Signs
- All signs were destroyed that were at the lighthouse.
Lighthouses survive hurricanes with light damage
This is an excerpt from the September 30, 2004, electronic newsletter of
the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee. The report was written by Mike
Vogel of the Florida Lighthouse Association.
Reports of hurricane damage to Florida lighthouses and museums are beginning
to trickle in, as communities start efforts to recover from the far more
wide-ranging impacts of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Joanne in recent
weeks. Some of the reports are second-hand and almost all are sketchy, but
should be of interest and concern to the entire lighthouse community.
Kathy Fleming of the St. Augustine Lighthouse forwards word that the
endangered Cape St. George Lighthouse, threatened by Ivan, is still standing.
The storm, in fact, packed additional sand beneath the eroding tower base. But
emergency measures are being discussed now, because this structure needs help.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse's museum structure was damaged. Sand Island Light is
still standing but has yet to be visited for a close inspection. Hurricane
Charley reportedly put some tree branches through windows in the Ponce Inlet
complex. There are concerns but no first-hand reports from Pensacola, where the
Naval Air Station that includes the lighthouse site took heavy damage from Ivan.
St. Augustine, Kathy reports, weathered the storms on generator power and passed
its first major test as a Private Aid with no interruption in the light -- way,
to go, folks! -- but the museum lost $70,000 to $90,000 in visitor revenues and
took some tree and roof damage.
Many areas still are without power, and even where lights weathered the
storms well the museum and visitor operations that maintain them are hurting
because of lost revenues. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We will try to
forward more information as it becomes available.
September 19th
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Site updated & removed from frames, Lake Erie tour & pictures to come!
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Looking for a specific Great Lakes Lighthouse? Under our Great Lakes link you will find a full list of alphabetized lighthouses from which to choose.
[Summer 2004]
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On the second weekend of June, we will finally climb Tawas Point Light,
which will be open for the Tawas Days Celebration.
Photos to come.
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Near the end of June, we will be present for the grand re-opening of
Old Mackinac Point Light.
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Late in July, we will do a southern Lake Erie tour, including lights of
Ohio, Pennsylvania and some in New York. We
will cruise to Put-in-Bay Island, as well.
We expect to visit approximately 20 lighthouses on this tour.
Photos and journal to come.
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