September 21 is the 74th anniversary of the Great New England
Hurricane of 1938. Moving at an amazing 50 mph, the storm
surprised the region with its ferocity. Sustained winds were
measured at 121 mph with gusts reaching 183 mph. More than 250
New Englanders died as a result of the hurricane. Residents as
far away from Long Island Sound as Burlington, VT, could taste
the salt water of the ocean in their mouths from the storm. The
barometric pressure in Hartford, CT, reached an all-time low of
28.04 inches of mercury! An enormous fire engulfed the
waterfront of New London, destroying four city blocks. More than
2,000 people were injured. The cost of the storm was estimated
to be in the $300 million dollar range (in 1938 dollars.) It was
the biggest natural disaster ever for New England.