A couple of months ago we had some serious winds blowing here at the lighthouse from the west. We have a door stop at the top of the tower that keeps the heavy cast-iron door from banging into the lantern wall.
Our site interpreter Bob was on the gallery deck when the winds arose. He restricted access to the deck to ensure guest safety until he had taken some wind readings and determined that he needed to close the door. The winds had quickly increased into the 40’s with a gust close to 50 mph. He lost his grip before getting the heavy door shut, and this is what the door did to the door stop from the force of that wind.
Here at the lighthouse we monitor weather conditions very closely, and make frequent checks of wind speeds when we feel they are increasing in strength. We close the deck to all visitors when wind speeds go above 40 miles per hour (30 mph for children under 12), and also if there are storms in the area. A few guests don’t understand sometimes why we do that, and this is a good example why. It is good to appreciate the power of mother nature. Safety is our highest priority here at the lighthouse, and Bob did an excellent job that day, following in the best traditions of Lighthouse Keepers of old.
