Posted on 09/05/2005 9:02:51 AM PDT by Bon mots
One of the most intensely reported events of the 1980's, Hurricane Gloria hit Long Island, New York and southern Connecticut as a moderate hurricane in September 1985. At the time of landfall on Long Island - Gloria had sustained winds of around 85-mph. However, Gloria was moving forward at 40-mph when it struck land. This combination of sustained winds and rapid forward motion - produced peak winds of at least 111-mph across a narrow area of eastern Long Island. Thus, Gloria is considered a major hurricane on Long Island. In Connecticut, Gloria is considered a category 2 hurricane.
Gloria was considerably more damaging to Long Island and Connecticut than Hurricane Belle of 1976. Although Gloria's strength had slowly lessened as it approached the Northeast Atlantic states, isolated areas on Long Island reported some moderate coastal flooding and structural damage. In Connecticut, damage was confined to falling trees - little structural damage or storm surge flooding was reported. Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts escaped the storm almost unscathed. Unfortunately, Gloria proved deadly, six persons were killed by falling trees, including a six year old girl in Connecticut.
Gloria was a classic Cape Verde hurricane, traveling hundreds of miles across the open Atlantic in late September 1985. By September 22, Gloria had reached hurricane strength as it neared the Leeward Islands. Slowly curving toward the northwest, the storm moved just to the east of the Bahamas while intensifying rapidly. When Air Force hurricane hunters reached the storm late on the 24th, Gloria had a central pressure of 919 mb (27.13 in.), and sustained winds of 150 mph - making Gloria one of the most intense storms ever observed in Atlantic Basin.
(Excerpt) Read more at geocities.com ...
Link: Major Hurricane Landfalls Virginia-Massachusetts
Having lived through Gloria - and we thought it was a monster of a storm, one can only imagine the beast that smashed through the gulf coast.
Some comparison:
Gloria - 85 M.P.H. sustained winds (at landfall)
Katrina - 160 M.P.H. sustained winds
One big difference I can remember...
After the storm, many of us went out in 4WD vehicles with chain saws and tools and helped a lot of other folks.
Any other memories?
My home state at the time was Connecticut, but I was living in North Quincy, MA going to school in Boston. I remember my roommate and I taped up the windows to our apt and rode out the storm - we lost power but we had stocked up on non perishables(remember eating tuna fish by flashlight!)...I had a friend who lived in Milton, MA and after the storm she got her power back before we did so we went over there to shower....I remember that on one side of the parking lot at our apts all the cars back windows had blown out , luckily where I had parked all the cars were fine ( something to do with the direction of the wind I suppose) I seem to remember that my parents said there was more damage in Hartford than what we had (trees down, that sort of thing) I was surprised since we were so close to the ocean - but I guess it had to do with where the storm came from.....
I remember Belle - all the newscasters were warning us to fill our bathtubs with water and to stock up....then I slept through the storm!
I was living in Connecticut. We had dozens of trees down on our street. Power was out for 2 weeks. We just ate the food in the freezer before it went bad. We had water and sewer, which is what really counts. You can live without electricity, but you can't live without water. "Camping out" without electricity was fun for a couple weeks. I don't recall reports of an civil disorder.
Connecticut was hit by another small hurricane a couple years later -- maybe 1991? We lost a big tree in our yard that time.
I was just starting college that fall day. I remember all the trees in the road and hording prior. We were all prepared. It was indeed a bad storm but we did not resort to anarchy.
OOPS I was living in Levittown Long Island. We didn't have power for a few days but I recall being part of a community.
Does anyone remember that winter storm that was in the late 70's when the trees turned to ice. Now that was a storm. We had at least 3 ft of snow with snow bank gusts of 10 ft or more. I still recall being a part of a community.
I remember it pretty well. I was ten years old and my family rode out Gloria in the basement of our Warwick Rhode Island home. There was actually a considerable amount of wind damage, many downed trees, we lost a part of our stockade fence and some shingles from the roof. Schools were closed as we had no electricity or running water for about five days. It is really the only "major" weather event I can remember as I was only 3 when the Blizzard of 78' hit.
Yes. I was an undergrad at SUNY at Stony Brook. I and eight others from the Stony Brook Science Fiction Forum piled into a station wagon and went to a place near Quogue, NY on the South Shore. There was this huge lawn that ended with a seawall at the ocean. We stripped down to bathing suits, got out of the car, and ran around like the idiots we were on the lawn at the height of the hurricane. I remember shouting "blow me, Gloria!" and attempting to ride on a swing set, which worked poorly. The police showed up at one point and yelled at us through a bullhorn, but wouldn't leave their patrol car to arrest us. By the time we were done, we were frozen and raw: each time a wave hit the seawall (about 100 yards distant), the spray would just blow horizonally and hit our bare skin full-force. The ride back to Stony Brook was difficult, because so many live wires were down on the roadways.
My only explanation is that I was drawn by the same impulse that drew the elder Pliny to his death at Vesuvius.
For anyone who believes that, I have a bridge for sale.
;-)
Where I grew up, water came from a shallow well in our yard, pumped by electricity. Dora left us without both for three weeks.
I live on the shoreline of Eastern CT. We lost 22 trees - most of them landed on the house. We didn't have power for a week which means no water when you have a well. We went to a nearby pond to get water to flush the toilet. Neighbors helped neighbors. The only assistance we got from the government is when they came by a few weeks later and observed us rebuilding our smashed deck to tell us we needed a building permit.
I guess it was hurricane Bob that hit us in 1991:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bob
Between 1985 and 1991 we had moved to the suburbs and had well water. So our water was out in 1991 until we got power back, but that only took a few days, as I recall.
I lived on the South Shore of Nassau County when Gloria hit. I remember just sitting back and watching it from our front window. We were without power for about a day and a half (LILCO actually did their job for a change). I was also happy that I got a day off from school.
Yup. I was in North Haven CT at the time. Lost all power, so we BBQ'd on the gas grill. I was astute enough to have plenty of beer on hand before she hit.
Cleaned the debris out of my yard and then headed for my neighbors homes, chainsaw in hand.
It was fierce weather and the damage done was noway near what the folks in NO, AL and MS are going thru, but I do remember the comraderie and brotherhood of "Love thy neighbor" like it was yesterday.
Thanks for the post.
FMCDH(BITS)
I remember getting yelled at by a local Republican party chairman because my candidate had cancelled his appearance. He was home in Virginia Beach boarding up windows. The event went on, in blinding rain.
Thankfully, Pat Robertson prayed Gloria off the Virginia Coast.
We still lost the election.
Yup. My friend and I drove home from the nightshift through the beginning of it. Once at my house, we drank beer till we fell asleep. Awoke the next morning to be completely snowed in, along with a state of emergency declared.....no driving unless an emergency!
Well, we were outta beer...that's an emergency! We chained up my van and headed out to Cliffs' Liqour in West Haven (CT) since we knew he'd be open even if Revelation was upon us.
During the trip to and from, we helped at least 10 people get shoveled out...........ahhh...the good old days.
Since then, I have witnessed my Republic become a morass of Godless people who have never heard of "Treat thy neighbor as you would treat thyself".
Nothing else to say, and sadly, nothingnew.
FMCDH(BITS)
OK, that winter storm was in 1978, probably. We had two storms in Feb, one of 18" I think and one of 21".
As far as Gloria goes, I was on the South Shore. I remember after the storm no one had electric - the chairman of Lilco didn't cut his vacation in Europe short and that was the end of him AND Lilco.
I remember after the storm everyone walked around. A man from my town, Merrick, went out during the eye and was killed by a branch falling on him.
For days afterward, people cooked on their BarBQ's and went outside walking after dinner instead of watching TV. It was a great feeling, to see people walking by your porch and everyone saying hi to one another - sharing food that would otherwise spoil. Late September and October are gorgeous on Long Island.
I actually have fond memories of the time, except for all the willows that went down on the Meadowbrook. That hurt.
I lived in DC at the time, and wasn't there, because I was in Indiana for my wedding. Two of our bridesmaids and several other folks nearly didn't get to the wedding in time because of Gloria delaying and cancelling flights.
My wife insists that it was a sign -- my mother's first name is Gloria.
Sometimes I really DON'T miss Connecticut!
I rode around Milford, Connecticut helping some folks I knew sandbag their waterfront home. Then when the storm got too rough and the last firetruck came down the street broadcasting an evacuation order over the loudspeaker, we packed up and left the direct waterfront to go and help a friend who also lived on the shore but farther from the water.
They were all terrified and huddled in their garage like Armageddon was coming. I wasn't going to miss a perfectly good opportunity to see a category 2 hurricane up close, so fled the safety and comfort of the quaking garage to go and see what was happening on the beach.
Of course, some local wackos were out there drinking beer and body surfing. One guy was smashed on the rocks and looked like a human strawberry with all the bloody scrapes on his body - (Hold muh beer...)
I remember at one point, I climbed up a small fence on a football field and jumped with the wind at my back to see how far it would send me. I went at least 20 feet. Soon all of the local wackos were copying this stunt.
At one point, I stood on the shore just watching the waves and storm... plus it was safe on the water's edge, because you wouldn't get hit by branches or debris. I had my back to the street and was looking out at the water, when I turned around to see what was happening behind me, a humungous oak tree which was standing just a second ago, was laying on the ground and all of its roots were sticking high up in the air. I didn't hear a thing and it was maybe just 25 feet behind me.
Later too, when we went out to help people after the storm, there were smoking burning power lines laying about everywhere and tons of property damage.
The storm was followed by the sounds of hammering and chainsaws! Everybody got busy helping other folks. Real community spirit.
Nobody even thought of looting, raping or shooting. Shame on the folks in New Orleans who chose to terrorize others during the tragedy.
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