Today is the 70th anniversary of the Hurricane of '38. It is recognized as the fastest moving hurricane in history...some 70 MPH!!! The storm hit CT and travelled straight up the Connecticut River Valley. Sustained winds of 110 MPH...one gust was recorded at 186 MPH!!! We don't get them like the Gulf states...but we do get them. The city of Gardner got almost 13" of rain during the storm!!!

My father remembers it...he was 11 at the time. Says it was the only time he saw his father really scared.

 

My folks went through it... my dad was a cop in weymouth at the time...when I was a kid I used to look through the photo album with pix of weymouth landing under water.... all you could see were the very tops of the cars...

 

If you drive on RT 47 in Hadley, MA you will see a high water marker on the side of the road near Mitches Marina. The Hurricane of 38's marker is about 11 feet over the road.

 

There was one of those on RT 2 in Erving also...marked high water as 6 1/2 feet above the road...probably translates to about 11 feet above the river. Sign was stolen a number of years ago and never replaced.

I was reading some stats about the storm...682 dead...57,000 homes damaged...250,000,000 trees destroyed...$4.8 Billion in damage...in 2008 dollars.

 

Fixed it for ya' Ken.

 

Thanks Ray...you young whippa snappa!!!

 

My pleasure Ken. Least I could do to thank you for the short, bald dig a couple weeks ago.

 

I do remember you leaving that door open...and...I just couldn't resist entering!!! I do believe that I actually said "balding"...not bald...yet!!! Of course...grass doesn't grow on a playground!!!