Timeline of Natural Disasters in The Azores - 17th Century

17th Century

• 1606 - Flooding in Velas, São Jorge, in February caused much damage to the town of Velas, many roads were "the way that no one could walk a foot".
• 1608 — Large flooding in Angra, Terceira - On February 11 at about 9 at night, and created a huge intense mudslide in Angra, situated during the area all night. At dawn, the mudslide intensed causing to excave a cave named Santa Luzia. The waters flooded Rua Miragaia as well as Rus do Marquês and Rua do Palácio and also flooded Rua Direita. The flood knocked down walls at its port (the famous "Porta do Mar"), the flood damaged properties and ruined various homes and buildings.
• 1613 — Year of the sterility of the grass. It killed two cows. That year was a combination of drought and gale force winds in the winter and spring leaving in one dramatic situation. It killed many animals. It would have been the year of La Niña?
• 1614 — The first "Caída da Praia" ("Falling of Praia") - earthquakes on April 9 in Fontinhas and May 24 in Praia, Terceira - On April 9, an earthquake destroyed almost all of the parish of Fontinhas and severely damaged other parishes. On May 24, an earthquake with a huge magnitude ruined almost all of the parishes of Agualva, Vila Nova, Lajes and Santa Cruz de Praia caused injuries. Francisco Ferreira Drummond described in the Annals of Terceira "Fallen" in the reconstruction with a great detail.
• 1630 — A Plinian-type Eruption of Furnas, São Miguel and occurred on Septemnber 3. It was known as the "Year of the Ashtray", 191 people were killed in the eruption. The eruption was accompanied with a vulcanic explosions in sea and the sone located near Lagoa do Fogo and around Ribeira Quente. It also created large mudslides in lants of the south coast of the island of São Miguel.
• 1630 — Mudslide in Castelo, São Miguel, in 1630 occurred a gigantic mudslide happened in where today lies the westernmost point of the "cape" located near Ribeira Quente, São Miguel. The mudslide torn a part of Castelo in the area now known as Ponta da Albufeira. The mudslide was associated with an eruption on Furnas in the same year.
• 1637 — A hurricane reached Terceira - On August 3, a major storm pounded the island and caused much damage
• 1638 — underwater eruption near Candelária, São Miguel island, the eruption was a Surtseyan, it began on July 3 located about 2 km off the Ponta da Candelária. For 29 days produced a ring-formed island. During the eruption, the sulfur affected about 8 leagues in distance and killed many fishes which created "To load eight vessels to India".
• 1641 — A great wave (probably from seaquake) in Velas, São Jorge, on December 21, it created a wave near Monte dos Fachos causing great destruction to the town.
• 1647 — Seismic crisis in Terceira and caused the worst agricultural year in all of the islands. It lasted from the end of December up until the beginning of July causing violent tremors causing panic in Angra.
• 1649 — A storm wrecked four boats in Angra, earthquake in Terceira, a storm caused strong southeast winds to overturn four boats in Angra. A small earthquake shook Terceira. It was the year that celebrated good wine productions.
• 1652 — Eruption on Pico do Fogo, São Miguel, after one week of violent eruption, which caused great phenomena in Lagoa and parts of Ponta Delgada, On October 19 caused a Strombolian eruption. A basaltic lava destroyed the areas near Calhetas as well as parts of Portões Vermelhos. The eruption lasted for 15 days and caused phenomena.
• 1656 — An earthquake rumbled the island of São Miguel on October 18, 1656. The same day at two o'clock caused various aftershocks and on the next day, at seven in the afternoon caused a strong aftershock and damaged houses.
• 1656 — Epidemic of smallpox in Terceira - The epidemic affected almost all children under the age of three and reached the population as high as the age of fifteen.
• 1668 — A storm reached and devastated Calheta on São Jorge - On November 23, a violent storm caused an "alteration of the sea that flooded the village destroying and knocking down houses", it also obstructed the port.
• 1672 — A volcanic eruption occurred on the night of April 13 in Faial which was followed by five seismic waves with caused a seismic crisis in the whole island. Victims of the volcano emigrated to Maranhão, Brazil.
• 1678 — Lack of cereals caused disputes in the municipalities in the islands of São Jorge and Pico. A worst agricultural year which made cereals scarce for the islands of São Jorge and Pico and made the necessity to prohibit cereal exports
• 1682 — Underwater eruption occurred in front of Ferraria, São Miguel, the eruption was 4 leagues from Ponta da Ferraria.
• 1690 — A huge storm along with an earthquake caused panic on the island of Terceira.
• 1698 — Seismic crisis in Terceira in October created panic to the population.