Dad’s Photos #8 - The Hurricane of '38

In the US, we typically think of hurricanes hitting the southern states along the Atlantic & Gulf coasts, but they do occasionally stray northward to New England, & can wreck considerable damage along that coast as well. One of these was the "New England Hurricane of 1938," also known as "the Long Island Express" because its initial landfall was on Long Island & because its forward movement was very rapid—this kept it from weakening even as it traveled over the cool North Atlantic waters.

The hurricane struck on September 21, 1938, & according to Wikipedia was the sixth most costly Atlantic hurricane ever, causing the equivalent of $39.2 billion dollars (adjusted to the contemporary dollar). The storm killed somewhere between 680 to 800 people.

Of course, as followers of the Dad’s Photos series know, my father was working on Cape Cod in 1938, & so saw the devastation first hand. He also brought his camera along & captured what I believe are some arresting images. I’m including all 10 of the hurricane photos found in the album I inherited.



The Hurricane – Onset, Mass



Dry Sailing – Onset, Mass


High & Dry
A Seagoing Boat Out of Place


Wareham, Mass – Ever Ready Telephone Men on the Job

Road Past the Public Pier – Onset, Mass


Wareham, Mass

Buzzard’s Bay


Some Wind!


Bridge at Wood’s Hole (not a drawbridge either)