Scott And Carol Present - The Dania Beach Hurricane Closed For Good

After being SBNO (Standing But Not Operating) since April 26th 2011 it has been announced that Florida's tallest wooden roller coaster the Dania Beach Hurricane is closed for good. Built at Boomers in Dania Florida the Hurricane opened on 11/1/2000. The last standing coaster built by Coaster Works, Inc., the Dania Beach Hurricane seems destined to join the long defunct Thunder Eagle on the scrap heap. When it was operating, the 3200 foot long ride lasted one minute and fifty seconds.

Rolling stock consisted of 2 five car, three row PTC trains, although a two train operation wasn't needed very often. With fewer and fewer people riding, the Hurricane hasn't been profitable for a few years. In 2011 the rides owners finally filed for bankruptcy. While that bankruptcy ended last January, the coaster was nearly put up for auction due to Dania Woody LLC owing $9,800 in 2011 personal tangible taxes. Taxes were paid in full at the last minute and the auction was cancelled.

The Hurricane was up-to-date on inspections and in fine working condition when it closed, but sources estimated it would cost $10 million to renovate it, after leaving it sit idle for just one year. When a salvage yard reported the coaster's parts would be worth more than the cost of breaking the ride down, Dania Woody LLC decided to donate the ride. They are looking for a non-profit willing to take on dissembling the Hurricane and sell it for salvage or renovate and relocate the ride. 

Dania Woody LLC plans on keeping the lease on the land the coaster sits on and hopes build retail space there. Allyson Goodwin, an attorney for the firm representing Dania Woody LLC stated, "It's just one more victim of the economic issues going on in the last couple years." Goodwin also said, "Anyone interested should e-mail me at agoodwin@lawspgh.com." 



Our one and only visit to Dania Beach was in 2002, back then the Hurricane was a fast, smooth, fantastic ride. We must have ridden it two dozen times.  We always talked about heading back down to the Fort Lauderdale area on several of our trips to Florida, sadly we never took the time to travel that far south again.