New Bedford Tag-Teamed by Hurricanes Carol and Edna 70 Years Ago

The first official record of a hurricane menacing southeastern Massachusetts was in 1635, 15 years after the Pilgrims arrived from England, establishing the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The storm landed near Narragansett Bay and passed out to sea between Boston and Plymouth resulting in wind damage and flooding.

The region is susceptible to tropical weather and has endured significant hurricanes, but most of the larger storms have remained to our south or have gone out to sea east of us.

Several memorable hurricanes reached southern New England in the 20th Century.

Courtesy Spinner Publications

Hurricane Bob struck Block Island, Rhode Island and then the SouthCoast of Massachusetts on August 19, 1991 as a Category 2 storm. Bob caused an estimated $680 million in damage in New England. Thousands in the New Bedford area were without power for days.

The Great Hurricane of 1938 was the storm all others are measured against. The storm struck on September 21, flooding portions of New Bedford with eight feet of seawater. Sustained winds of 121 mph and gusts of 186 mph were recorded at the Blue Hill Observatory, the highest ever recorded in the region.

One of the more unique hurricane seasons for the area was in 1954, when two storms hit within days of each other. Both were Category 3 storms.

Courtesy Spinner Publications

First, Hurricane Carol made landfall on August 31 in southeastern Connecticut. The storm resulted in 80 to 100 mph sustained winds in eastern Massachusetts.

New Bedford and Somerset suffered "massive flooding," the worst flooding in Massachusetts. New Bedford's storm surge was over 14 feet according to the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

CZM says 68 people perished in New England due to Hurricane Carol.

Get our free mobile app

Less than two weeks later on September 11, Hurricane Edna slammed the region. Martha's Vineyard reported 120 mph winds from Edna and the mainland of southeastern Massachusetts experienced sustained winds between 75-95 mph.

CMZ says, "Overall, 21 people died throughout New England as a result of this storm."

Courtesy Spinner Publications

25 costliest hurricanes of all time

Although the full extent of damage caused by Hurricane Ian in the Southwest is still being realized, Ian is already being called one of the costliest storms to ever hit the U.S. Stacker took a look at NOAA data to extrapolate the costliest U.S. hurricanes of all time.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

Filed Under: hurricane bob, Hurricane Carol, Hurricane Edna, New Bedford

Categories: Articles