Craig Koplien: Weather or Not

The Perfect Storm

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Story Created: May 21, 2009

Story Updated: May 21, 2009

The Perfect Storm

By Craig Koplien

email:  ckoplien@todaystmj4.com

Seventeen years ago today the northeastern was just starting to recover from being walloped by what many labeled “The Perfect Storm”.  Also referred to as “The Halloween Storm”, it caused extensive damage throughout New England.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed by powerful winds, flooding or both.  High seas led to erosion of beaches, while many sea walls, boardwalks and piers were turned to rubble and swept into the Atlantic Ocean .  Waves of 10 to 30 feet were reported from the North Carolina coast all the way to Nova Scotia .  Treacherous swells and surf travelled across the ocean, affecting coastlines as far away as Puerto Rico, the and the .  Record setting high tides were measured up and down the east coast.  Wind gusts over hurricane force battered the Massachusetts coast for almost 2 days.

As harrowing as the experience was for people in their homes, it was worse for those on the water.  Vessels that passed close to the center of the storm reported winds of 60 to 75 miles per hour, with higher gusts.  A buoy near the storm measured a wave of 39 feet.  Unconfirmed observations reported winds and waves even higher.  The storm sank a fishing boat named the Andrea Gail, whose story was the basis for the best-selling novel “The Perfect Storm”. 

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