# Hurricane Georges Hits Antigua (1998)

URL: https://allhistories.com/antigua-and-barbuda/timeline/1998-hurricane-georges-hits-antigua
Location: St. John's, Antigua
Themes: main-event

Three years after Hurricane Luis, Antigua and Barbuda was still rebuilding when Hurricane Georges formed in the eastern Atlantic in mid-September 1998. The storm briefly reached Category 4 strength and headed for the northern Leeward Islands, prompting hurricane warnings across the chain. Georges weakened slightly before making landfall directly on Antigua on 21 September 1998 as a Category 3 hurricane. Strong winds tore roofs from between 10 and 20 per cent of houses, brought down power and telephone lines across most of the island, and damaged three schools; St. John's recorded about 190 mm of rain. Three people died between Antigua and Barbuda, and around 3,800 people were left homeless, with total damage of about US$60 million. Georges went on to devastate St Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, killing more than 600 people across the region. In Antigua its relatively moderate toll reflected improvements made since Luis, but the repeated blows to the tourism industry and public finances strengthened calls for stricter building standards, insurance and national disaster planning. At this point in the timeline (21 September 1998), the Queen of Antigua and Barbuda was Elizabeth II (6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022); the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda was Sir James Carlisle (10 June 1993 – 30 June 2007). Government: the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda was Lester Bird (9 March 1994 – 24 March 2004).

## Why it matters
Georges was the second major hurricane in three years, compounding the economic strain of repeated reconstruction.

Ruler at the Time: [Elizabeth II](https://allhistories.com/antigua-and-barbuda/rulers/elizabeth-ii)

Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda: Sir James Carlisle
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda: Lester Bird (Antigua Labour Party (ALP))

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Hurricane Georges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Georges)
- [NOAA National Hurricane Center — Tropical Cyclone Reports](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Antigua and Barbuda](https://www.britannica.com/place/Antigua-and-Barbuda)
- [Wikipedia — Independence And The Bird Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_and_Barbuda)