The Great Hurricane

1938

By: Cherie Burns

Narrated by: Anna Fields

This is the spellbinding hour-by-hour reconstruction of the most destructive and powerful storm ever to strike New England.

On the night of September 20, 1938, the news on the radio was full of Hitler's pending invasion of Czechoslovakia. Severe weather wasn't mentioned; only light rain was forecast for the following day. In a matter of hours, however, a hurricane of unprecedented force would tear through one of the wealthiest and most populated stretches of coastline in America, obliterating communities from Long Island to Providence, destroying entire fishing fleets from Montauk to Narragansett Bay, and leaving 700 people dead. They never knew what hit them.

Early that morning, several fishermen heading out on calm seas noticed a sudden drop in the barometer and decided to turn back. Hurtling toward them at the unheard-of speed of 67 miles per hour was a fierce storm. It struck Long Island first with the tide at an all-time high under a full, equinox moon. The sea rose out of its shores like a demon, with waves riding a surge of 50 feet that hit the earth so hard they were registered by a seismograph in Alaska. Winds whipped up to 186 miles per hour, trashing boats and smashing homes from West Hampton to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Using newspaper reports, survivor testimony, and archival sources, Cherie Burns reconstructs this harrowing day and the amazing tales of heroism, survival, and loss that occurred. Those who survived still remember the Great Hurricane as the most terrifying moment of their lives. Burns' masterful storytelling follows the storm's monstrous path and preserves for posterity the way the Great Hurricane changed New England forever.

©2005 Cherie Burns (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• 2005 Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award, Nonfiction

"From start to finish, this powerful story of nature's fury and human survival pulls the reader in and doesn't let go." (Publishers Weekly)

Gripping real life accounts of life, death and survival

Drama using just the account of survivors. As they lived the terrible event. A must listen as we deal with the changing climate.

A hurricane that I never knew about

The author does a great job in detailing deep before an after effect of a massive hurricane upon unsuspecting humanity. The stories are both thrilling and heartbreaking and our snap shot of north eastern culture in the United States in 1938 a great book for historian, buffs and natural disaster readers.

Great Reader

This book weaves the reader right onto the communities impacted by this massive storm. Times gone by.
Well worth the listen.

A Massive Act Of Nature

I live in Louisiana and as a lifelong native, have been exposed to many hurricanes from childhood on. Even so, I have never heard of a storm of such destructive power. Yes, we have had our memorable storms that people still talk about today. But a storm that moves at 60 mph and has an eye of 50 miles in circumference is truly historical. This is a great story. If you are one who likes to live vicariously through the experiences of others, this is one story you must experience. You will never forget it and surely thank God you weren't there.

GH 1938

An interesting story. A little to much focus on to many individual stories, it is very difficult to keep the people straight. This is certainly not “Isaac’s Storm”, about the great Galveston hurricane.

Whew

I read this book in the wake of Hrricane Katrina.It is amazing, 67 years apart, mother nature's lessons never change, and are seldom remembered. This was a riveting and awesome account.

Great Reporting by Author & exceptional Narration!

Great Reporting by Author & exceptional Narration!
This was informative & a fabulous listen! Thank you! 👊🏼🎉🇺🇸🤩 I truly enjoyed this book.

Riveting story

Fantastically captured the intensity and immensity of this incredible disaster. I'm so glad that this story has been preserved.

Interesting

This was a sad, but honest, description of a long ago, massively destructive hurricane that demolished families, homes & businesses. It also highlights the many people who helped others to survival.

Fact more compelling than fiction

I listened to this book in a car on the way to Florida, and I didn't want to quit listening even at rest stops. Human stories mesh with meteorological and historic context, building to electrical tension that rivals the finest suspense novels. The narrator is engaging and makes the story of several families in several locations easy to follow. The author's stories of heroism, fate and tragedy are compelling. Best "read" of my membership. Superb for history and weather buffs.