I
have mentioned major storms in some previous posts about natural disasters and
their effects on people and communities. This past weekend marked the
anniversary of a severe early winter tempest that devastated many parts of the
eastern United States. Most readers of this blog will not remember it but their
parents might. It happened right about the time that television was making its
way into private homes, so perhaps not as many people would have seen the
pictures or newscasts as is the case today.
It
also happened at a time when atmospheric CO2 levels were not very
high, so storms of this magnitude occurring during this and previous periods
could not be blamed on anthropogenic climate change associated with that
so-called greenhouse gas. The storm was just one of those big events that came
around every once in a while – and always had – when meteorological conditions
combined in particular ways.
As
described in Wikipedia (and in several
other reports), the “Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 was a large extratropical cyclone which
moved through the Eastern United States, causing significant winds, heavy rains
east of the Appalachians, and blizzard conditions along the western slopes of
the mountain chain. Hurricane-force winds, peaking at 110 miles per hour (180
km/h) in Concord, New Hampshire and 160 miles per hour (260 km/h) in the New
England highlands, disrupted power to 1,000,000 customers during the event. In
all, the storm impacted 22 states, killing 353, injuring over 160, and creating
US$66.7 million in damage (1950 dollars). At the time, U.S. insurance companies
paid more money out to their policy holders for damage resulting from this
cyclone than for any other previous storm or hurricane. The cyclone is also one
of only twenty-six storms to rank as a Category 5 on the Regional Snowfall
Index.”
 |
Surface analysis
showing cyclone near time of maximum intensity on 25 November 1950
(retrieved
20 November 2017 from Wikipedia)
According
to authors, Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini, in their books, Northeast Snowstorms, Volumes 1 and 2,
the 1950 storm “represents perhaps the
greatest combination of extreme atmospheric elements ever seen in the eastern
United States. We feel that this storm is the bench mark against which all
other major storms of the 20th century could be compared.”
The
New England Historical Society documented the event here. See also The Great
Appalachian Storm of 1950 summarized on the LEX18.com (the Lexington, KY news website) last week.
The
1950 storm was not the first to rampage over the Eastern US in the early winter
season. A powerful blizzard slashed across New England on Thanksgiving Day in
1898 – hitting hardest in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts – disrupting
transportation and communication, and leaving 20-foot snowdrifts in its wake.
It caught many areas unprepared as it followed a warm Indian Summer period.
Over 450 people were thought to have been killed. At sea the steamer Portland
was overpowered by winds and sunk.
Other
not-so-Thanksgiving Day storms:
·
1926
Arkansas tornado
·
1945
Boston nor’easter
·
1971
New York snowfall
·
1982
Hawaii hurricane
·
1988
North Carolina tornado
·
1991
California dust storm
·
1992
Gulf Coast to Eastern Seaboard tornadoes
·
1998
Washing State windstorm
You
will find hundreds more if you search for destructive storms on any other day
of the year – holiday or not.
History
records major storms throughout the centuries of human existence, although it
is only in the last few hundred years that the consequences have been set down
in print. Prior to that, we have only geological data on which to base their
existence and severity. A quick search of the Internet will bring up dozens of examples
of extreme storm events in North American and Europe that have occurred almost
on a regular basis during the past several centuries.
Most
of the deadliest storms we hear about happened in the last 100 years mainly
because reporting of such events was more complete. You have to go into
historical records – which do not always contain a lot of detail, especially
concerning meteorological data – to find out about similar events before the 20th
century.
On
26 November 1703 (later to be the US Thanksgiving Day season) the Great Storm struck southern England
causing widespread damage from the West Country to London. The maritime fleet was
decimated with over 100 shipwrecks – including 13 royal Navy warships – and
more than 8,000 seamen drowned.
Areas
along the coasts of continents are most susceptible to hurricanes and typhoons
that come in from the sea. Coastal towns and cities fare worse than areas
further inland when these sorts of storms attack.
Everybody
talks about the weather. Farmers, in particular, have been known to agonize
over it. For much of mankind’s existence, weather has had a significant impact
on survival, controlling agricultural success or the numbers and health of
animals hunted or raised as food sources.
Besides
the deaths of people in major storm events, there is always significant
property damage which can cripple families under unforeseen financial burdens.
Chronicling
of major storms falls well within the time period of genealogical studies. The
1950 time frame would not normally be a part of genealogical investigations but
it did affect people three or more generations ago. More to the point, it
certainly was not the first (nor will it be the last) intense storm to have an
impact on communities.
It
may be worth family researchers’ time to review the aspects of the environments
in which their ancestors lived to see if natural disaster like storms, and
associated wind or flood damage had major impacts on lives and livelihoods.
