On This Day

Our series highlighting a digital collection or item relevant to this day in history, by Monica Erives, Edward Connery Lathem ’51 Digital Library Fellow.

September 21, 1938 hurricane damage on East Wheelock Street. In the background, Thornton Hall, Dartmouth Hall, and Fayerweather Hall are in view.

On this day in 1938, the Great New England Hurricane made landfall on Long Island. This hurricane, also known as the Long Island Express, was one of the most destructive storms of its kind to hit New England. Few were prepared for the storm due to its high speed and erratic movement. Approximately 600 people were killed and vast swaths of forest were damaged by extreme winds.

Hurricane damage on Main Street in front of College Hall (Collis).

These images show only some of the hurricane damage done to the Dartmouth College campus in 1938. View more photos of the 1938 New England Hurricane by visiting the Dartmouth Photographic Files, a diverse collection of approximately 80,000 photographs related to the Dartmouth College area, dating back to the 1850s.

Sources:

Wikipedia – 1938 New England Hurricane

The 1938 Hurricane along New England’s Coast