On Thursday, September 19, from 6 pm to 7 pm, the Mattapoisett Museum at 5 Church Street is proud to present John Horrigan who will give a unique and interesting presentation on The Hurricane of 1938.
This surprise hurricane raced up the Atlantic Seaboard on September 21, 1938 at 67 mph (with a record low air pressure) and left residents of the thickly populated Northeast Coast with no time to react. This maelstrom devastated Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts. Eleven states and two countries felt the wrath of this unforgiving meteorological monster. Many victims drowned and others suffered tremendous property losses due to the storm surge. Entire landscapes along the exposed southern New England coast were scoured, eroded and decimated.
Some victims were swept out to sea, never to be seen again. There were unbelievable acts of heroism, cowardice, kindness, selfishness and poor judgment. Actress Katherine Hepburn lost her family home in Connecticut, while others lost their livelihood to the storm.
New England folklorist and weather historian John Horrigan will take you from the mariner’s unheeded warnings through the botched forecasts of the National Weather Service to the blistering winds of a Category 3 hurricane with a driving narrative about “GH38”. If you experienced this storm, you are encouraged to attend this lecture and talk about your own personal recollections.
John Horrigan is a prolific Five-Time Emmy Award-Winning Folklorist with a portfolio of over 200 lectures on Historical Weather, Boston History, New England History, Music History, Art History, Female History, Astronomy, Revolutionary War, Military History, American History, World History, African American History, History of Energy, Alternative Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Pollution, Food History, History of Agriculture, Social Unrest, Economic History, Great Disasters, Epidemics, Pandemics and Unexplained Mysteries.
This presentation is free and open to the public. Because seating is limited, the Museum recommends that you preregister at mattapoisettmuseum.org.