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What is the worst disaster New England has faced?
- Thread starter TonyDedo
- Start date
As others have mentioned the '38 Hurricane was devastating, the Blizzard of '78 was bad particularly in the coast (I had to evacuate for a week), and the 2008 ice storm caused incredible damage. I can remember driving from CT to Boston on the MA Pike and there were no lights in either direction as far as the eye could see. BTW the filling stations on the turnpike are required to have backup power for the pumps - but not the toilets.
Because we live so near the coast, Hurricane Sandy has become my focus for lessons learned. I dug up flood maps to see what around us would flood and if we would flood at Sandy levels (as much as +14 feet). We live in an area settled in the 1600's and wouldn't flood, but would be pretty much living on an island at high tide.
Based on that I had the house prepared to run on generator, got two Honda Eu200i's, bought some steel fuel containers and keep a lot more fuel than previously.
I still put winter Northeasters at the top level of likelihood/threat.
Because we live so near the coast, Hurricane Sandy has become my focus for lessons learned. I dug up flood maps to see what around us would flood and if we would flood at Sandy levels (as much as +14 feet). We live in an area settled in the 1600's and wouldn't flood, but would be pretty much living on an island at high tide.
Based on that I had the house prepared to run on generator, got two Honda Eu200i's, bought some steel fuel containers and keep a lot more fuel than previously.
I still put winter Northeasters at the top level of likelihood/threat.
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Golddiggie
NES Member
I still prefer a brutal north east winter over a FL/southern summer every day of the week. I'll gladly take -30F over +1050F (or above).
Ice storm of '08. We were without power for 10 days. Friends in town were 14 days. That sucked. Didn't have a generator until until day 4. We had a 2 yr old and a 5 month old. Yup...that sucked. But with the woodstove we were never cold.
-Sean
-Sean
I remember digging down through the snow in '78 trying to find the car. But overall I had a blast. Shoveling for money , sledding for fun. We had a woodstove and plenty to eat.
I remember there was no milk. And around here I still see people buying 4 gallons of milk at once whenever the weathermen get all lathered up over the impending snow storms .
I remember there was no milk. And around here I still see people buying 4 gallons of milk at once whenever the weathermen get all lathered up over the impending snow storms .
pepperoni
NES Member
Right before Halloween in 2011 we had a good 2 feet of snow, it surprised the shit out of most people.
It took me 4 and a half hours to drive 11 miles home due to traffic.
A lot of cars were off to the side of the road stuck or banged up, first storm of the year no one seems to remember how to drive in the snow.
They weren't clearing the roads much, the plows came out later at night.
Finally home, the power went out for 5 days. So many trees and branches came crashing down,
there was still leaves on the trees covered in ice and snow that couldn't take the weight.
I remember sitting in the kitchen with my wife listening outside to the little cracks and pops and the occasional boom of a whole tree falling hoping it wouldn't land on the house..
That was very recent.
So I'm always thinking how am i going to get home.
You can have so many preparation at home but sometimes it comes down to --> good luck getting there.
And If i couldn't get home, do i think my wife is capable of pulling out the generator, getting it hooked up and started to keep her and the kid warm?
Honestly, No. That needs to change.
It took me 4 and a half hours to drive 11 miles home due to traffic.
A lot of cars were off to the side of the road stuck or banged up, first storm of the year no one seems to remember how to drive in the snow.
They weren't clearing the roads much, the plows came out later at night.
Finally home, the power went out for 5 days. So many trees and branches came crashing down,
there was still leaves on the trees covered in ice and snow that couldn't take the weight.
I remember sitting in the kitchen with my wife listening outside to the little cracks and pops and the occasional boom of a whole tree falling hoping it wouldn't land on the house..
That was very recent.
So I'm always thinking how am i going to get home.
You can have so many preparation at home but sometimes it comes down to --> good luck getting there.
And If i couldn't get home, do i think my wife is capable of pulling out the generator, getting it hooked up and started to keep her and the kid warm?
Honestly, No. That needs to change.
Rivers of Blood
Banned
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I agree. Even though I had to evacuate my house for a week after the '78 blizzard.
I drive all over New England and there was serious damage pretty much throughout the region. The 08 storm was bad as well.
Boston has had a number of storms of 25-28" of snow since I lived here and seems to shrug it off pretty well within a couple of days. I'm concerned about a storm like Hurricane Sandy hitting us and causing that kind of flooding: up to 15 feet about full moon high tides.
All time, The 1938 hurricane is unmatched, but conditions are so different now I'm not sure how relevant it is.
Full moon Northeasters remain my primary planning concern. Snow, high winds, high tides, flooding, power outages are the norm.
Hit the nail on the head with your statement. For us in this area, our basis in our preps should be "If a major blizzard was to hit today, what would my family and I need?" and go from there.
But, you should also work towards an all hazards risk approach. Just use the blizzard as your starting point to get started.
joeendris
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Coming from Alaska, I'm hearing a lot of whining.
I lived in Juneau AND Barrow.
A lesson on temperature:
At -50 F, when you spit, your spittle will freeze upon contact with the pavement and will make and audible *pop* upon said contact.
At -75 F, your spittle will *pop* as it leaves your mouth....
In these temperatures, you bundle up in anti-PETA approved clothes. Rabbit hats. Sealskin gloves. Deer parkas. goggles and earmuffs so your eyes don't freeze and your ear drums don't freeze.
grab your entire closet and put it on. And hell, you're only in November.
What's the worst New England has shown me? A pissing contest about 3 years ago with a bunch of ice. I missed the '78 blizzard in NE, because I was shovelling out 12' of snow from the second story door so I could go to school.
My house had a magic second story door that lead to nowhere. Until it snowed. Then the first floor was snowed in, and we used the 2nd story door to get in and out of the house.
So.....what's that about 10" of snow?
I lived in Juneau AND Barrow.
A lesson on temperature:
At -50 F, when you spit, your spittle will freeze upon contact with the pavement and will make and audible *pop* upon said contact.
At -75 F, your spittle will *pop* as it leaves your mouth....
In these temperatures, you bundle up in anti-PETA approved clothes. Rabbit hats. Sealskin gloves. Deer parkas. goggles and earmuffs so your eyes don't freeze and your ear drums don't freeze.
grab your entire closet and put it on. And hell, you're only in November.
What's the worst New England has shown me? A pissing contest about 3 years ago with a bunch of ice. I missed the '78 blizzard in NE, because I was shovelling out 12' of snow from the second story door so I could go to school.
My house had a magic second story door that lead to nowhere. Until it snowed. Then the first floor was snowed in, and we used the 2nd story door to get in and out of the house.
So.....what's that about 10" of snow?
Most creative yet!
blizzard of 78 impacted the most people, but as many have said, we learned from that one, and have the technology/infrastructure/preparedness to avoid a mess like that. Remember last winter when we were banned from driving so they could keep the roads empty for plows?
The biggest impact we would be hit with is an earthquake. I've heard experts say that the area is long overdue, Lots of landfill in Boston would magnify it, etc. I just don't see it as a "probable" concern just because its overdue in geological terms. I'd say to be prepared for the big hurricanes or ice storms.
fencer
NES Member
I have lived in my house for 22 years now and the longest power outage we have had was last winters blizzard. My neighborhood was without power for just about 6 days. I used 50 gallons of gasoline in my generator. We were the only house in the neighborhood with power.
The woodstove was cranking and we had heat and hot water.
In 78 I was 10 years old. We shoveled for 3 days straight. My Dad and older brother shoveled our driveway and then the elderly neighbors driveways. My father made me and my twin brother shovel out every fire hydrant on the street. Then when the plows finally came we had to shovel them out again.
The best part was no school for almost a month. We had snow forts carved into the snow banks on each side of the street. Epic snowball battles that always ended when someone got a bloody nose from an ice ball to the face.
The woodstove was cranking and we had heat and hot water.
In 78 I was 10 years old. We shoveled for 3 days straight. My Dad and older brother shoveled our driveway and then the elderly neighbors driveways. My father made me and my twin brother shovel out every fire hydrant on the street. Then when the plows finally came we had to shovel them out again.
The best part was no school for almost a month. We had snow forts carved into the snow banks on each side of the street. Epic snowball battles that always ended when someone got a bloody nose from an ice ball to the face.
Yeah yeah, and I moved here from an area where 120 F was the norm in the summer, a stiff breeze is 50 mph and could sandblast the side of your car, and you encountered multiple creatures that could kill you every day. And an hour's drive would get you to folks who could see 12' of snow dumped on them.
Ok now let's get back to discussing preparations for emergencies in the region we live in...
I gotta ask. I get Juneau. But you lived in Barrow - why?
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Well, this immediately comes to mind:
Seriously though, for things that I've lived through and remember well (so no blizzard of '78). The Halloween storm 2 years ago was one of the more difficult times as power was knocked out for a little over a week where I live. Non-major roads were impassable for a good 2-3 days after the storm. As mentioned earlier, since most of the trees still had leaves on them, a lot of branches or full trees came down from the weight of the snow/ice.
Seriously though, for things that I've lived through and remember well (so no blizzard of '78). The Halloween storm 2 years ago was one of the more difficult times as power was knocked out for a little over a week where I live. Non-major roads were impassable for a good 2-3 days after the storm. As mentioned earlier, since most of the trees still had leaves on them, a lot of branches or full trees came down from the weight of the snow/ice.
I was on my deck on my way to the shed during that storm when an oak limb about as big around as my waist came down about 15 feet from me. It sounded like a freight train hit the house (although the tree didn't actually hit the house). In the dark, not sure which direction it was coming from, I thought that was the end of me.
rep308
NES Member
total damage wise, nothing beats the Hurricane of 1938:
1938 New England hurricane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane, Yankee Clipper, Long Island Express, or simply the Great Hurricane of 1938) was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. The storm formed near the coast of Africa in September of the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season, becoming a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane[1] on Long Island on September 21. The hurricane was estimated to have killed between 682 and 800 people,[2] damaged or destroyed over 57,000 homes, and caused property losses estimated at US$306 million ($4.7 billion in 2013).[3] Even as late as 1951, damaged trees and buildings were still seen in the affected areas.[4] It remains the most powerful and deadliest hurricane in recent New England history, eclipsed in landfall intensity perhaps only by the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. In 2012 Hurricane Sandy did far more property damage in terms of dollars (despite its lower intensity at landfall); however, the 1938 storm still stands as the second costliest storm to strike New England.
1938 New England hurricane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane, Yankee Clipper, Long Island Express, or simply the Great Hurricane of 1938) was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. The storm formed near the coast of Africa in September of the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season, becoming a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane[1] on Long Island on September 21. The hurricane was estimated to have killed between 682 and 800 people,[2] damaged or destroyed over 57,000 homes, and caused property losses estimated at US$306 million ($4.7 billion in 2013).[3] Even as late as 1951, damaged trees and buildings were still seen in the affected areas.[4] It remains the most powerful and deadliest hurricane in recent New England history, eclipsed in landfall intensity perhaps only by the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. In 2012 Hurricane Sandy did far more property damage in terms of dollars (despite its lower intensity at landfall); however, the 1938 storm still stands as the second costliest storm to strike New England.
joeendris
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I gotta ask. I get Juneau. But you lived in Barrow - why?
Dad was a fisherman, stayed off the grid for years. We ended up in some odd places. Ever hear of a place called Chicken, Alaska? Yeah, me neither until we pulled in to a town with a population of.........ten.
Why he moved us where he moved us...no idea. That's just the way we lived, for about ten years. Strange hippies, lol.
Hiltonizer
Banned
Being without utilities is the great commonality in most cases, and eventually communication as the cell towers start powering down. Transportation is also effected, though to a lesser extent in terms of regularity. With transportation hindered that effects access to stores and medical services. In total, these should be referred to as "systems of support"
Regardless of where you are in the country, a lack of access to "systems of support" should be planned for. The longer duration the better, being prepped for a month will handle 99.999% of disasters and is a modest goal.... that should be a target foundation.
Winters being what they are here, heat/cooking is not to be something overlooked.... generators start dropping like flies after these big storms where people have to run them for days. Small engine shops and scrap metal yards get flooded with them. I would consider a wood stove a high priority, particularly where they pay for themselves after a winter or two anyway.
As far as things we haven't dealt with but should figure on the way things are going:
- Civil Unrest (numerous potential causes, think EBT shutdown)
- Regional business interruption (if Boston flooded, shelter in place, etc)
- Quarantine situation (pandemic)
- Federal government collapse or further dysfunction (likely results in a combination of the first and second items)
Regardless of where you are in the country, a lack of access to "systems of support" should be planned for. The longer duration the better, being prepped for a month will handle 99.999% of disasters and is a modest goal.... that should be a target foundation.
Winters being what they are here, heat/cooking is not to be something overlooked.... generators start dropping like flies after these big storms where people have to run them for days. Small engine shops and scrap metal yards get flooded with them. I would consider a wood stove a high priority, particularly where they pay for themselves after a winter or two anyway.
As far as things we haven't dealt with but should figure on the way things are going:
- Civil Unrest (numerous potential causes, think EBT shutdown)
- Regional business interruption (if Boston flooded, shelter in place, etc)
- Quarantine situation (pandemic)
- Federal government collapse or further dysfunction (likely results in a combination of the first and second items)
