Hurricane Supplication Day
Hurricane Supplication Day is a holiday observed on the fourth Monday of July in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a day created to allow residents of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas to pray for safety against hurricanes and other tropical storms that ravage the Caribbean islands during the hurricane season.
US Virgin Islands (Observance)Although it is not technically a public holiday anymore, it has been observed in a non-official capacity for the past several decades. On average, a hurricane passes by the U.S. Virgin Islands every three years, while the islands suffer a direct hit every eight years.
Facts About Hurricanes
Since hurricanes are the main subject of this holiday, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about hurricanes. Or, to be more specific, we thought we would give a few facts about hurricanes that we think people might be interested in hearing about.
- The deadliest U.S. hurricane on record hit Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900. 8,000 people were killed.
- In the Pacific, hurricane season begins on May 15. In the Atlantic, it begins on June 1.
- Approximately 40% of hurricanes in the U.S. hit the state of Florida.
- The National Hurricane Center began giving official names to storms in 1953.
- All hurricane names prior to 1979 were female names.
- The costliest hurricane to make landfall was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This storm’s damage is estimated to be over $108 billion.
Observing Hurricane Supplication Day
Because this day is not a public holiday in the U.S. Virgin Islands, businesses and government offices operate according to normal business hours. Some people take the time to attend church services on this day to pray for protection against hurricanes.
This holiday mirrors Hurricane Thanksgiving Day—a holiday that is observed on the third Monday in October to give islanders an opportunity to give thanks for being spared from a major storm.
US Virgin Islands (Observance)
