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The Great Hurricane of 1938

Sept. 23, 1938: The remains of St. Hedwig’s Catholic church at 99 Otis St., East Cambridge, the oldest Polish Catholic church in the city. Amazingly, the altar was unharmed.The Boston Globe

On September 21, 1938, a deadly, record-breaking hurricane hit New England. It had been several decades since the area had seen a major storm. This one hit hard, with sustainded winds at 87 mph and killing approximately 600 people in New England. The storm surge during an exceptionally high tide caused major damage and flooding and took many lives. The wind speeds topped all previous recordings. Gusts of up to an astonishing 183 mph were registered at Blue Hill’s observatory.- Leanne Burden Seidel and Lisa Tuite