The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944

Over the course of human history, war has often been affected by the weather, and WWII did not escaped unscathed. The winter of 1941-42 had a major impact on troops after Germany invaded Russia. The invasion of Normandy was delayed because the forecast indicated poor weather which could have created overwhelming swells. Sweltering heat and humidity provided abysmal conditions for troops fighting in the tropics. The list could go on.

But perhaps no weather is as dangerous as a hurricane, and one was developing two hundred and fifty miles north of Puerto Rico in September 1944.

The military needed to know just how bad the conditions were going to be, so on September 9^th, they sent an Army Air Force plane into the path of what would later become known as the Great Atlantic Hurricane. The craft encountered tremendous turbulence, and the weather officer onboard estimated wind speeds of 140 mph. Several times during the flight, the pilot and co-pilot lost control of the airplane, but fortunately, they landed safely. Later it was discovered that over 150 rivets had been sheared from just one of the wings.

Because of the foreknowledge about the storm, the government was able to provide warnings to the general public, so there was very little loss of life on land. The same could not be said for the sea. 

In Massachusetts, the lightship Vineyard was berthed in the entrance of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The warrant officer in charge of monitoring the weather did not like what he saw and requested permission to move the ship to a more sheltered location. His request was denied, and the craft was later found sunk in eighty feet of water over a mile and a half from its original location. All hands were lost.

Over the course of seven days, the storm wreaked havoc on military shipping and sunk four ships: the destroyer USS Warrington, two Coast Guard cutters, and a mind sweeper. A total of nearly 400 sailors died.

Because of its ferocity, the hurricane drew many comparisons to the “Long Island Express” that ran roughshod over the mid-Atlantic just six years earlier. Crop and structure loss were extensive, and damage is estimated at $100 million. 

Today’s technology can detect infinitesimal changes in weather, and make predictions, but weather still has a mind of its own, and nothing is guaranteed.

I remember the Blizzard of 1978. What is the worse weather you’ve experienced?

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII. To find out more about Linda and her books, including her latest, Love's Allegiance, visit her website. Receive a free short story when you sign up for her newsletter.