Hurricane, Great September Gale of 1815

The Great September Gale of 1815 (the word hurricane was not yet current in American English at the time) is one of five major hurricanes (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) to strike New England since 1635. At the time it struck, the Great September Gale was the first hurricane to strike New England in 180 years. The storm struck Long Island on September 23, 1815, probably coming ashore near Center Moriches (Ludlum) around 7:00 A.M. After striking on Long Island, the hurricane caused major damages in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Rhode Island suffered the worst damage, as the storm surge flooded towns along Narragansett Bay up to and including Providence. The financial loss was estimated at one and a half million dollars, one-quarter the total valuation of the city. Fortunately, only two lives were lost, both in India Point. After the storm, much of the Narragansett Bay area was rebuilt with higher riverbanks, raised wharves, and more durable building practices, to help protect against future storms. Engraving by James Kidder

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13346721

Media ID

47786078

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4772px x 2377px (1.5MB)

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New York Public Library