Counting Down Connecticut's Top 10 Storms Part IV
Which 10 storms were the worst we endured over the last 100 years? Share your stories below.
By RYAN HANRAHAN
Updated 5:43 PM EST, Fri, May 8, 2009
Storm #4 - Hurricane Gloria - September 27, 1985
Here are the facts:
- Gloria made landfall as a category 1 hurricane near Bridgeport
- Gloria was the last hurricane to make landfall in Connecticut
- Peak wind gust of 92 m.p.h. reported at Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport
- Largest power outage ever in Connecticut (500,000 CL&P customers, well over 1 million people)
- 6 deaths attributed to the storm
Hurricane Gloria was at one point category 5 hurricane that threatened the entire east coast. As is typical, the storm turned north, but it never turned east forcing it to slam straight into Connecticut. The storm hit around 2:00 in the afternoon bringing with it a wind gust to 92 m.p.h. in Bridgeport (sustained wind of 74 m.p.h.), heavy rain, and significant tree and power line damage. The hurricane made landfall near Bridgeport while moving north at over 30 m.p.h.
Hundreds of boats were destroyed along the shoreline while some homes were destroyed as well. Gloria struck just after low tide, sparing the coast from what could have been a much bigger disaster. The winds with Gloria toppled countless trees in the state which did a number on the state's power grid. Some people were without power for 10 days and during the height of the storm a record 500,000 Connecticut Light and Power customers were in the dark.
Although Gloria is officially listed as a category 2 hurricane in Connecticut, that ranking is being reevaluated as there is no evidence to suggest Gloria had sustained winds over 96 m.p.h. in the state. It is widely believed by meteorologists that the hurricane was a weak category 1 hurricane at landfall in Connecticut. The storm weakened significantly by the time it struck Connecticut (it was a category 3 storm off the mid Atlantic coast). In fact, the eye of Gloria was quite ragged and the southern half of the hurricane was basically non-existent when the storm moved across the state. You can see evidence of the storm asymmetry in the satellite image posted above which is typical of storms that make landfall this far north. Still the damage to trees, the power grid, and shoreline residents is a reminder that even a "weak" hurricane can still produce substantial damage in New England.
More Information:
Storm #3 - Blizzard of 1978 - February 6th-7th, 1978
Here are the facts:
- Millions of dollars in damage
- 4 deaths attributed to the blizzard
- 15"-36" of snow across the state
There is no question that the Blizzard of 1978 was the biggest snowstorm in Connecticut during the 20th century. Most of the state received between 1 and 3 feet of snow, but the accumulation wasn't what set this storm apart. Wind gusts over 50 m.p.h. whipped the snow into massive drifts that reached people's roofs and buried cars.
The storm started during the late morning on the 6th. People who didn't leave work in time became either stranded at work or stranded on the road as exceptional snowfall rates made highways impassable. I-84, I-91, and I-95 were transformed into parking lots. Motorists were stuck in their cars for hours while others braved the blizzard on foot to the nearest house or store. WVIT's building on I-84 was converted into a makeshift shelter as people stuck on the highway in West Hartford used the newsroom as a place to stay warm.
Governor Ella Grasso attempted to drive from the Governor's mansion to the state armory during the storm. She didn't make it far before her car was stuck in a snow drift. She walked the remaining distance through Hartford to the armory to oversee the state's response. Grasso took the unprecedented step of closing the state's roads to all but emergency vehicles so the Department of Transportation could work on clearing both stranded cars and feet of snow. Connecticut remained essentially shut down for 3 days as the state dug out.
Along the shoreline dozens of people were rescued as the strong winds pushed a storm surge of several feet against the coast. Houses were destroyed, beaches were eroded, and roads were washed out, during one of the most powerful nor'easters Connecticut saw in the 20th century.
Hartford Courant's Blizzard Coverage
National Weather Service Looks Back at Blizzard
This is the fourth in a series of stories on the top 10 storms in the past 100 years.
Click here for the next story (storms #1 and #2)-->
First Published: May 5, 2009 11:20 AM EST
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