New England Hurricanes of Note
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
September 21, 1938
This Category 5, which also been dubbed "The Long Island Express", was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. Having formed off the coast of Africa, it was first detected in the Tropical Atlantic. As it slowly moved northward, when it was 100 miles east of Noth Carolina it suddenly acceleratd to a forward motion of 60 to 70 mph. Without warning, it made landfall as a Category 3, during an astronomically high tide along Long Island and the Connecticut coast. The Blue Hill Observatory, outside of Boston, measured sustained winds of 121 mph, with gusts of 183 mph. Providence, Rhode Island reported sustained winds of 100 mph, gusting to 125 mph. Storm tides of 14 to 18 feet inundated portions of the coast from Long Island to Connecticut with 18 to 25 foot tides reported as fat east as Cape Cod. Narragansett Bay
experienced a destructive storm surge of 12 to 14 feet. The hurricane's heavy rains of 3" to 6" combined with the effects of the frontal system produced rainfall of 10" to 17" causing severe flooding, particularly in areas of Western Massachusetts and along the Connecticut River. Downtown Providence, R.I. was impacted by a 20-foot storm surge. Sections of the Towns of Falmouth and Truro on Cape Cod were under 8 feet of water. The widespread destruction resulting from this storm included 600 deaths and 1, 700 injuries. Over $400 million in damage occurred, including 9,000 homes and businesses lost and 15,000 damaged. Damage to the Southern New England fishing fleet was catastrophic, as over 6,000 vessels were either destroyed or serverly damaged.
Welcome
Thank you for taking the time to view the Hull Fire Department web site. We are excited to share a new enhanced view of our department. We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your every day living and a valuable resource for your use in preparation for an emergency situation.
As the Fire Chief, I have the pleasure to work with a dedicated group of professional firefighters who are committed to providing the fire and life safety needs of our community. Our Department's priorities are centered on fiscally sustainable operations with focus on safety and service.
In recent years, the fire service has been challenged with emergency medical services, water rescue, hazardous materials, all aspects of technical rescue, along with a large increase in emergency calls and non-emergency activities. The Hull Fire Department has in all cases succeeded in meeting these challenges while remaining focused on its main goal of protecting life and property. The department responds to over 2,800 emergency calls and over 1200 calls for inspectional services annually. Training our personnel to meet these challenges will continue to be a high priority.
That being said, the Hull Fire Department is the community's Fire Department and we are committed to contributing to its betterment. The fire service is a public service and thus we strive to meet the community's service demands. In most cases, it is a matter of knowing your questions or concerns have been heard and addressed. Therefore, if you cannot find the information you are searching for, please do not hesitate to call us at 781-925-8111 and we will either immediately answer your questions or direct you to the right person. Please feel free to email me directly should you have a specific question or concern at Rhollingshead@Town.Hull.Ma.Us.
Thank You and Stay Safe,
Robert A. Hollingshead
Fire Chief
Inspections-Code Requirements-Permits-Public Education
Dalmation
(An abbreviated sonnet by Pat Greene)
Hail! to the Town of Hull firehouse,
it's the home of the very brave.
The men and women who work there
are the angels who're trained to save.
So, the next time you hear the alarm peal,
and see the engines go roaring along
remember the firefighters aboard them
are the guys who will NEVER do wrong!
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