1938 New England hurricane

1938 New England hurricane was a devastating tropical cyclone that affected the Northeastern United States, particularly New England, in September 1938. The storm made landfall on Long Island, New York, and caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The hurricane was also known as the Long Island Express due to its rapid movement and the fact that it made landfall on Long Island. The storm was closely monitored by the United States Weather Bureau, which was led by Charles Franklin Brooks, and was also tracked by the National Hurricane Center's predecessor, the United States Navy's hurricane forecasting office, under the direction of Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy and Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd.

● Introduction

The 1938 New England hurricane was a powerful and destructive storm that occurred during the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season, which was a relatively active season with 17 named storms, including the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. The storm was formed in the Atlantic Ocean on September 9, 1938, and was initially tracked by the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predecessor, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The hurricane was also monitored by the National Weather Service's predecessor, the United States Weather Bureau, which was led by Charles Franklin Brooks and worked closely with the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) predecessor, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, under the direction of Harry Hopkins and Herbert Hoover. The storm's track was also influenced by the Bermuda High and the Gulf Stream, which played a significant role in the storm's intensification and movement, similar to the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

● Meteorological_history

The 1938 New England hurricane was a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with sustained winds of up to 120 mph (195 km/h) and a central pressure of 946 mbar (27.94 inHg). The storm's meteorological history was closely tied to the Azores High and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which contributed to the storm's formation and intensification, similar to the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The hurricane was also influenced by the Trade winds and the West African monsoon, which played a significant role in the storm's movement and track, similar to the Hurricane of 1928. The storm's track was also monitored by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which used Numerical weather prediction models to predict the storm's movement and intensity, similar to the National Hurricane Center's forecasting of Hurricane Katrina.

● Impact

The 1938 New England hurricane had a devastating impact on the Northeastern United States, particularly New England, with widespread damage and loss of life reported in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The storm made landfall on Long Island, New York, and caused significant damage to the New York City area, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The hurricane also affected the United States Navy's New London Submarine Base and the United States Coast Guard's Coast Guard Station New London, which were both located in New London, Connecticut. The storm's impact was also felt in the Federal Reserve System, with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston both affected by the storm, under the direction of Marriner Eccles and Beardsley Ruml. The storm's damage was also assessed by the American Institute of Architects and the National Institute of Building Sciences, which worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), under the direction of Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

● Aftermath

The aftermath of the 1938 New England hurricane was marked by widespread relief efforts, with the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army both playing significant roles in providing aid to affected areas, under the direction of Norman Davis and Evangeline Booth. The storm's aftermath was also marked by significant changes in the way that hurricanes were forecast and tracked, with the National Hurricane Center's predecessor, the United States Weather Bureau, implementing new forecasting techniques and technologies, such as Radar and Weather satellites, under the direction of Charles Franklin Brooks and Harry Wexler. The storm's aftermath was also felt in the United States Congress, with the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Works Progress Administration both providing funding for relief efforts, under the direction of Harry Hopkins and Frances Perkins. The storm's impact was also assessed by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council, which worked closely with the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, under the direction of Vannevar Bush and Alan Gregg.

● Records_and_statistics

The 1938 New England hurricane was one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes to affect the Northeastern United States, with estimated damages of over $300 million (1938 USD) and over 600 deaths reported, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in United States history, similar to the Johnstown Flood and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The storm's records and statistics were closely tracked by the National Hurricane Center and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), which used Numerical weather prediction models to predict the storm's movement and intensity, similar to the National Weather Service's forecasting of Hurricane Sandy. The storm's records and statistics were also assessed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Institute of Building Sciences, under the direction of Robert M. White and Philip Sporn.

● Legacy

The 1938 New England hurricane had a significant legacy, with the storm leading to major changes in the way that hurricanes were forecast and tracked, including the development of new forecasting techniques and technologies, such as Radar and Weather satellites, under the direction of Charles Franklin Brooks and Harry Wexler. The storm's legacy was also felt in the United States Congress, with the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Works Progress Administration both providing funding for relief efforts, under the direction of Harry Hopkins and Frances Perkins. The storm's legacy was also assessed by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council, which worked closely with the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, under the direction of Vannevar Bush and Alan Gregg. The storm's legacy continues to be felt today, with the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service both using the storm as a benchmark for forecasting and tracking hurricanes, similar to the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Katrina. Category:1938 natural disasters