| The 1938 hurricane first was reported in the vicinity of Puerto Rico on Sept. 18, 1938. It passed within 200 miles of Florida and then tracked North at a speed of 40mph. The Florida Weather Bureau had termed this storm a hurricane, but when it was handed off to the Washington station the severity was lost. Several reasons were stated afterwards, but the result was that no warning was sent to Long Island. The hurricane arrived on Fire Island in the afternoon on Sept. 21 on rising tides. Winds were measured at 120 mph with a storm-surge of 10ft on the ocean and 13 to 15 ft on the Bay. Fortunately this storm hit at the end of the summer-season and the Island was relatively empty. Nevertheless, many people were killed. Please refer to a Saltaire Survivor Account of what it is like to experience a hurricane. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Revised: January 14, 2004 |
