Photo Archivist's Selection of the Month: October 2002

… as we are still in the hurricane season

The Hurricane of '38 and the Floods of '54 and '55

Hurricane of 1938 images	Flood of 1954	Floods of 1955

The Great New England Hurricane of September 1938 lives in history as the worst disaster for Connecticut in the 20th century. Not only was it a major storm producing more than 100 mph winds, but it caused enormous flooding. Prior rains on September 12 and 15 had raised the water levels, and a storm raging September 17 through 20 added another 6 inches or more of rainfall. Thus, when the hurricane hit on September 21, the water from the rains had nowhere to go. Add to that the fact that there was no effective hurricane warning system in place at the time, the combination of storm, floods, and the lack of preparedness, was devastating.

The storm is amply described on the Internet: The Hurricane of 1938, PBS: The Hurricane of '38 --The American Experience, and an electronic exhibition from the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries: "Going Beyond the Call: Southern New England Telephone's Response to Natural Disasters in Connecticut, The Hurricane of 1938. The Stamford Historical Society has a reference in Record Group RG-1.02, "Stamford Fire Department and Southend Fire Station."

Then there was Hurricane Carol, August 31, 1954. Though a Category III storm, it was the most destructive hurricane to strike Southern New England since the Hurricane of 1938; on September 11, Stamford barely escaped another one: Hurricane Edna moved up the coast just to the east of Carol's path and made landfall in Cape Cod, moving on into Maine and Southeastern Canada.

In the following year the region was hit by two storms within less than two weeks: The Floods of Hurricane Connie and Diane. Connie brought up to 6 inches of rainfall on August 11 and 12, 1955 and saturated the ground. River and reservoir levels rose well above normal levels. A week later, Diane pummeled the region for two days with rainfall up to 20 inches. Again, the Dodd Research Center has a story too, The Flood of 1955.

Researching the events on microfilm of the Stamford Advocate, in the Ferguson Library, was very interesting! The storms do not seem to have affected publishing the paper at all. And the day of the storm in '38 was also a very important day in history: Chamberlain negotiating with Hitler about Czechoslovakia! Different from today's way of reporting, each day had basically one huge article instead of breaking the story down. The devastations in the state and in New York got separate and extensive coverage also.

The floods brought amateur photographers out in droves, it seems: Nothing is more interesting than a good disaster! The Stamford Historical Society's Photo Archive has a nice selection of photos and snapshots as a result.

Samplings are shown below and on Page2 and Page 3.

Page 1: The Great New England Hurricane of September 1938

Below are the Stamford related headlines from the paper.
The larger headline though was this on the September 22:

Chamberlain in Reich To
Try Complete Hitler Deal

September 22, 1938 (next to a series of photos)

September 23, 1938

George Hoyt, 70,
Watchman, Killed
by Swinging Gate

Veteran Employee of Getman
and Judd Co. Victim of Yes terday's Hurricane

SCORES OF FAMILIES
DRIVEN FROM HOMES

Housed in South End Fire
House and With Relatives—
Shippan Pt. Cut Off for Hours.

Stamford Damage
Exceeds Millions
As Water Subsides

Tidal Wave Reached 14 Feet,
Four and One-half Inches
above Mean Low Water

OPEN HOLES IN DYKE
TO RELEASE BACKWASH

Drinking Water Held Safe by
Health Commissioner--Food
Supplies Are Checked.

excerpts from these stories and the editorials

Photos from our Collection


The South End – corner of Crosby Street and South Street (now Washington Boulevard)	Summer Street north of Hoyt Street


Bedford Street looking south towards Broad Street	Truck smashed by a falling tree – Main Street


South End – corner of Manor Street & Dyke Lane

Cedar Street	Yale & Town Manufacturing Company – Henry Street

Ludlow Street

no location given

The Stamford Gas & Electric Company

Walter Wheeler Collection — there are no descriptions with the photos,
but they speak pretty much for themselves.

stranded boats, no location given


apparently, as a woman, you went to view the wreckage still properly dressed…

Other disasters: The Blizzard of 1888

Flood of 1954	Floods of 1955

Other Photo Archivist Selections of the Month
Photo Collection Information