The Great Hurricane: 1938

 Burns, Cherie. The Great Hurricane: 1938. 2005. 240p. ISBN 978-0-8711-3893-4. Available at 974.04 BUR on the library shelves.

On September 21, 1938, all eyes of the world was concerned that Adolf Hitler was ready to attack Czechoslovakia. News headlines screamed that war was coming. In New York and New England, those concerns were balanced with the need to put summer homes in order before winter arrived. Families still on the beaches on Long Islands and Rhodes Island were spending a few more days before they returned in their city residences. Locals were working or fishing. And out at sea the largest hurricane to hit the area was brewing. In an era where satellites did not exist and telephone and radio networks were easily disrupted, no one saw this storm coming, with dire consequences.

Long Island was the first to bear the brunt of the Great Hurricane of 1938. Houses were taken off their foundations and crushed in the sea. Large waves moved massive concrete and granite barriers. The water crested fifteen feet above the highest tide ever recorded. People who were watching the surf and the storm approach were swept away, and even those who took shelter in houses were hurt as roofs blew away and windows shattered. Telephone poles were snapped, and all communications ceased. It was impossible to warn the people across Long Island Sound that a storm was coming their way.

In Rhodes Island, resort towns were slowly winding down. No bad weather was forecasted. Local fishermen noticed the drop in barometric pressure and wisely stayed in harbor. Others ignored the warnings and went fishing anyway. When the storm hit, it destroyed everything in its path, causing millions of dollars in damages, killing hundreds of people, and forever affecting the communities in its path.

As the threats of war continued unabated in Europe, the Great Hurricane of 1938 became a footnote in New England history, and was barely discussed elsewhere in the country. It became this catastrophic storm that most have never heard of. Fans of history and of impressive weather events will appreciate the tale of a day that forever changed New England. Told hour by hour, and featuring a cast of hundreds of survivors and victims, this effective reconstruction of the deadliest storm in New England history is sure to make the reader wonder twice about their safety the next time a hurricane comes to New Hampshire.