Sudden thunderstorm with winds about 100 km/hr (53 knots)
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The effect is the same as williwaws in the Aleutian Islands, except that williwaws are frequent, so the mariner always expects them, and only vessels that can survive a williwaw navigate the area.
Recreational boaters in lower latitudes are usually going to be far less prepared for sudden bad weather. Human nature.
The recreational boater strives for fun and minimizes discomfort. The commercial mariner strives for profit and minimizes financial loss. Two different mindsets. Two different results.
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As a U.S. Navy Offshore Sailing Skipper a few decades ago, I had the pleasure and responsibility as OINC of a Navy Offshore Sailing Yacht taking NROTC Midshipmen (male and female, 3C and 1C) in three-week periods during the summers. A great platform for learning seamanship, teamwork and leadership.
Many of the seamanship lessons involved ground tackle. Types, adequacy of size, type of rode, and proper scope for anchoring. While many recreational boaters think that 3x-5x scope is just fine, I have always used - and taught - that 7x is the best rule of thumb, and 10x needed for storm conditions. NOTE: Depth calculated from deck to seabed.
In my decades as a sailboat and powerboat owner, I have seen many instances where anchored boats around me dragged in a typical Chesapeake Bay afternoon T-boomer, but we stayed set due to oversized ground tackle and proper scope for the conditions.
As not all the boats in that anchorage dragged and were blown ashore, it would seem that some were adequately anchored for even these surprising and excessive conditions.
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It all depends on what you are used to. In the Chesapeake a 50-60 knot thunderstorm can happen with little warning on days that aren’t severe clear behind a cold front, so anyone with half a brain sets a good anchor before going ashore. I have an oversized Bruce now, but prior to that I always set 2 anchors.
In other parts of the world maybe that happens rarely and people don’t think too much about it.
The worst thing is the boats upwind of you run by people with less than half a brain when they appear out of the rain dragging your way.
(You will appreciate this, one time in Saint Michael’s we got back to the boat about 20 seconds ahead of a severe storm that launched all the lawn furniture from Perry Cabin through the anchorage)
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A similar phenomenon in Dutch Harbor, where there are always tall stacks of pallet boards staged on docks around town, waiting for product. When they start flying like frisbees it’s time to go inside.
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Absolutely. To have two anchors out in a V, motors running dead slow ahead, and then the guy anchored in front of you dragging directly down on you. You can dodge him because of your engines, but is he going to snag one of your anchors with his, and take you with him?
Akutan Harbor was the worst for this. 30 boats anchored in a square mile, with a bottom half mud, half derelict crab pots, in the Devils own blow hole.
The ANCHOR OF DOOM dragging through the harbor uprooting all the other anchors 
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In some cases, wrt the risk involved with anchoring it’s better to stay at sea, drifting or doing doughnuts. If bad weather is forecast it might be prudent to leave the anchorage early.
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Methinks that with the climatic changes (whose name cannot be legally mentioned in official Florida state documents or speech) we will probably see a lot more of this type of event.
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It looked to me that most if not all of those grounded sailboats had remnants of sails flapping. A sail that gets loose in a wind event can doom even the best anchoring job. I also noted that in the “onboard” video that the jib sheets were loose and flapping in the wind - those should have been snugged down as soon as the wind started.
We have idiots that won’t take their canvas off for actual forecast hurricanes. If I were an insurance company I wouldn’t pay for any sails or canvas during a named storm.
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If you were an insurance company you would not give a shit. You would simply increase the premiums for those claimants and others in the same risk group. Your profits would soar and your name would appear on a sports stadium someplace.
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A course of action followed by Mr. Buffet
I saw that too. I believe that shows failure of furling gear - whether furling control line or swivel arrangements & tack sockets.
Been there! (but underway and able to deal with it)
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Most recreational sailors furl the headsail just until it is all the way wrapped around the stay, plus perhaps one turn of the sheets.
Far better to keep hauling on the furling line until the headsail sheets are fully wrapped around the furled headsail. Not likely to make a difference in a 90kt downburst, but much more likely to restrain the furled headsail in a typical heavy thunderstorm blow.
Also VERY important to keep a strain on the sheets while hauling on the furling line, so the headsail is rolled much tighter around the headstay furler. Then secure the sheets and the furling line.
If I had a nickel for every-time someone at the boat dock said “you really need an anchor that large?”
Yep, and twice it didn’t hold which is why I also have spare anchors below deck.
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