1938 New England hurricane

Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 1938

The 1938 New England Hurricane was an extremely damaging and highly deadly Atlantic tropical cyclone which struck Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with strong winds of Category 4 hurricane level. The hurricane did not curve out to sea like hurricanes usually do. The 1938 storm caused over 300 million in property damage (1938 USD) and killed between 682 and 800 people. Tropical cyclones were not given human names at the time, so the 1938 storm had a number instead.

New England Hurricane
Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Weather map from September 21, 1938 featuring the storm
FormedSeptember 10, 1938
DissipatedSeptember 22, 1938
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 160 mph (260 km/h)
Lowest pressure938 mbar (hPa); 27.7 inHg
Fatalities682 to 800 direct
Damage$306 million (1938 USD)
Areas affectedBahamas, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, southwestern Quebec
Part of the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season