The Arctic Juggernaut

After the Assault, Islanders Begin Recovery Process
"From midnight of December 28th, to nine o'clock the next morning, hurricane-force winds caused unprecedented damage to about two-thirds of the island. Wind velocities exceeding 100 mph were recorded near here."
- Winter 1990

Cleaning Up After the Arctic Juggernaut
"Numerous island buildings were hit by falling trees, including the Sweigert residence, which was nearly sliced in half by a fir tree and another islander's studio which was totalled by five large firs."

The More Things Change
"It's all still there," he said, "all of it. Just as it was when I was young."

The Christmas Storms of 1990

Notes from the Heart of the Island
"Who will forget the man so terrified by trees falling on his tiny cabin that he went off into the dark forest to lie protected under trees already down? How about the folks who had a tree limb, completely trimmed of branches, sprout from the middle of their ceiling like some Post Modern work of art? Or the way the islanders rose to the occasion with candles and kerosene lamps, with soup pots bubbling on wood stoves, and everywhere chainsaws creating a music that turned Guemes into a throaty symphony?

Tags: history