Penelope Wilson
The shock waves of last week’s storm are still rippling through Island fields as farmers anxiously watch their crops to see the extent of the damage.
Hurricanes and Storms
Hurricane Bob
Rachel Orr
Usually the brush is so think this time of year one can hardly bushwhack from the shore to the remnants of the Menemsha Hills brickworks.
Hurricanes and Storms
Hurricane Bob
Beach grass

1879

The inclement, sultry weather of Sunday and Monday terminated Monday night in one of the severest gales ever known in this vicinity at this season of the year, accompanied by the highest tide in the memory of our residents, for many years. The gale, which was rotary, blew heavily from the southeast during the first part of the night, then moderated to nearly a calm, next springing up from the northwest with terrific violence, after which it veered to the west and toned down to a strong breeze.

1878

Rev, Joseph Thaxter, in some notes, speaks of a great gale and rain storm Aug. 12, 1778, which caused terrible destruction of trees and injured the corn more than had ever been known, producing the greatest scarcity of bread ever known in New England.
 
Also, he speaks of very heavy rain August 23d, 1806, followed by a violent east wind the next day, which beat the corn down to the ground and stripped off the apples from the trees, doing much damage.
 
A storm, the like of which in this vicinity the oldest inhabitant fails to remember, visited the Island last Saturday afternoon, and raged with steadily increasing fury till far into the night. On the morning of Sunday the appearance of the town was as if a light tornado had passed over it. Large trees were uprooted, chimneys “razeed,” fences down everywhere, windows in some instances forced in, a few old buildings utterly demolished, and the streets strewn with green leaves and branches wrenched from the unyielding trees.

1869

The storm of Monday was not very severe here. The surf at South Beach however, came up higher on the Plain than it was ever known to before by some two hundred feet. Quite a number of cranberry bogs around the Great Pond were completely submerged, materially damaging the fruit.

Wednesday, September 8th, will ever be memorable from the fact of the furious gale of wind which raged in this section of the country. In fact, the newspapers all agree that it was the most fearful “blow-out” old Boreas has had since the historic September gale of 1815; and they all with one accord, express the hope that our land may never again be visited with such another powerful manifestation of strength and fury of the elements.
 
STEAMER MONOHANSETT, Railway Wharf, Holmes’ Hole,
Sept. 8th, 1869, 7:20 P.M.
 

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