New London, Ct. - The Great Hurricane

A New Haven company photo showing the damage at New London, Ct. after the 1938 Great Hurricane.

It has been a week since hurricane Sandy hit with much damage to New York City and New Jersey area. In Connecticut to the north it was felt to a lesser degree. New England did get hit by a greater storm back in 1938. I recalled a New Haven RR company photo from that era that tells the story well.

The New England Hurricane of 1938, Great New England Hurricane, Long Island Express or simply the Great Hurricane was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. It remains the most powerful and deadliest hurricane to date in New England history.

This hurricane hit on Sept 21, 1938 and took over 600 lives. Rescuers in Mystic, Ct. found live fish and crabs in kitchen drawers and cabinets while looking for survivors. In New London, Ct. one saw winds and storm surge that brought Tulip ashore into the New Haven RR yard as seen above. The waterfront business district in New London caught fire and burned out of control for 10 hours. In New York City wind gusts up to 75 mph blew throughout Manhattan causing the East River to flow three blocks inland. The wind reportedly caused the Empire State Building to sway a bit...George Dutka