In my book on Worcester, I have a chapter on The Blizzard of 1978 that includes dozens and dozens of comments about people who lived through it. Now, it seems. we are going to have the blizzard of 2015. What will be the story and who will write it? I am sure that all the stories one needs will be on the Worcester page... Lets hope they are not as alarmingly tragic as the stories of 1978, which was a catastrophe... And so here is... The Blizzard of 1978 I wrote on the Holden page about the Worcester Tornado and, as a personal account, “My Worcester Tornado.” Many members, particularly younger ones, were shocked to hear what had befallen Worcester and its outlying towns. I am sure that far fewer members will express the same surprise at the Blizzard of 1978, although it now lies 35 years in the past. Although an unmitigated catastrophe, the blizzard lacked the narrow and terrible intensity of the Worcester tornado; instead, it was widespread--over Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and parts of New York and New Jersey--and LONG. I was living in Manhattan, at the time, on East 86th Street; as I recall, given the temporary impact on the city, the blizzard might as well have been an avalanche. The blizzard killed more than 100 people and injured some 4,500. Its damage to property and business was staggering: about $2.0 billion in losses in today’s dollars. We are talking about 33 hours of heavy snowfall; whereas, the average nor’easter is six to 12 hours. Boston and Providence had 27 inches of snow, both all-time records, but one must reckon with drifts. And not ordinary drifts, because this was a nor’easter combined with a hurricane—a true hurricane, with winds up to 110 miles an hour. Do you begin to get the scenario? In many towns throughout New England, there were reports of regular drifts up to 15 feet high. One 10-year-old boy disappeared not far from home but was not found for three weeks, till the snow began to melt. As in the case of the Worcester tornado, the cause was a statistically rare—truly improbable—coincidence of events. The storm began as tropical cyclone formation. (The hurricane season is from about August through October—not February.) Still, the storm formed not unusually off the coast of North Carolina on Sunday, February 5. It then collided with an arctic cold mass. This was the ideal recipe for a large, intense, low-pressure front, which made its way toward New England. Alas, the storm also arrived during a full-moon phase, which, of course, causes our highest tides. And so coastal waters already were exceptionally high. The storm surge broke sea walls, carried away homes all along the coast, wiped out a good portion of the New England fishing fleet, and sent a floating restaurant to the bottom of Boston harbor. Another strange parallel with the Worcester tornado: Weather prediction, or lack of it, prevented people from preparing, bracing themselves, so that tens of thousands were caught on the highways, at work, at sports stadiums. In this storm, people died in their cars on Route 95, covered in snow, their exhaust pipes blocked by snow so that they perished of carbon monoxide suffocation, no possibility of emergency vehicles or rescue. Finally, ski patrols and snowmobiles were sent out with medicines, but too late, too few. About 3,500 cars later were found—that is, were unburied—on the highways, some with bodies in them. And that was just the highways. The weather service, although it had greatly improved (New England is hell on weather predictions, anyway), was not widely trusted. It had raised a lot of false alarms. Its prediction for the blizzard was off by some hours, so, when people woke and found no storm—instead of the predicted blizzard—they laughed and headed for work. Businesses did not tell employees to stay home, nor did schools tell students. And this was catastrophic, because the weather service was right, just a bit off in its timing. People did not prepare, and, when the blizzard hit, it was too late to get home, stock up. People were trapped in their homes for days; indeed, snow flew from February 5 to February 7. When it stopped, houses were beneath the drifts, so that people climbed out of second-story windows to shovel open their doors. Many thousands of people lacked heat, food, or light for a week; some 10,000 evacuated to shelters. But later bodies were found under the snow: people who had tried to get to a shelter, or police station, and died in the attempt. Needless to say, the snow plows were overwhelmed; they did plow, but, when the snow is piled up seven, eight, then ten feet, where does the plow put the new snow? In Boston, they had to haul it to the harbor—slow work in clogged streets. Logan Airport remained closed so long that the governor called out National Guard, 200 soldiers from bases around the state. I suppose they shoveled by hand, helped by plows. In fact, National Guard troops served everywhere, including in Boston at Fenway Park. But it was all about “recovery,” finding the dead, bringing relief to those entombed in their homes, beginning the mindboggling job of clearing literally thousands of cars off highways before anything could move. Finding the dead, the dead everywhere. And that was February 1978; we had seen nothing like it before and have seen nothing like it since then. There will be such disasters, but they will be different, because a disaster is compounded of the unusual, but, above all, the statistically rare and unpredictable coincidence of causes. The storms, as in the case of the Worcester tornado and the blizzard of 1978, are “natural,” but the disasters are compounded of the natural and of human vulnerability to swift, merciless, and unexpected change. I have said nothing specifically about Holden or Worcester, in this post, because I was not there, as I was when the tornado hit. Most of my family was in Holden, but went through it more or less without incident—and that, too, is an irony of great disasters. For many, they are recalled as an interlude of inconvenience or even a time of wonder. In Boston, thousands walked or traveled on cross-country skis along the Charles River. I would like to hear the experiences of those who lived through the blizzard, those who heard from parents and others about it—and even those, tragically, who knew someone who did not survive it. Thaddeus Jones I was working at Norton Co. Cross-country skied to work but ended up driving a tow-truck for 2 days helping clear the parking lots, but Art’s was open anyway. It was wild Walter Donway The Norton parking lots--or just working citywide? Thaddeus Jones Just lots of pushing and pulling cars out of the way, for the pay-loader plows. Ricka Chey I lived north of Worcester in Barre. We built a snowman on top of my brother’s Electra, I think it was. And we ate our food out of the bath tub for at least 4 days. 28 of snow I think Thaddeus Jones Some people were climbing out 2nd story windows because of drifts, snowmobiles on West Boylston St. Walter Donway Any deaths in Barre, do you recall? Howard Josephson Worked at Norton Co. and lived on Millbrook St. House had a garage under but made it only into the driveway. Thankfully was able to drive home before the roads were impassable, but can vividly remember opening the garage door from inside the next morning and encountering a wall of snow! Had very young kids who were able to make some great snowmen. Now live in South Carolina (since 1984) and only have to worry about an occasional hurricane!! Patti-Anne Goyette Crowell I remember my brothers going out the second story windows to clear the door. Sandy Hilton Deschenes My dad was stuck for a few hours on Rte. 9, but we all went outside every hour to shovel and keep the doors to the house clear, it was scary, no school for 3 weeks, but neighbor helping neighbor was the way back then. Pattie LeBoeuf I remember this blizzard. I was trapped out in Whitinsville, MA, off Route 122, for close to a week with my inlaws. After we were dug out, I returned home with my husband & son to Sutton, MA. Richard DiMarzio I was in Spencer, never lost power. Remember Gov. Dukakis in his sweater? Our cars were completely buried, front door was under snow. Beverly Lemoine Stuck inside for 5 days, ran out of food... Helen LaJeunesse Left school early that day for some reason, barely made it home, that day. Had to leave the car at a local park, and walk the rest of the way home. Was lucky, to get it off the road enough. Almost a week later, before could find it. I remember taking my skis to work, was quicker and only down the street a mile or two. Sandy Hilton Deschenes Made lots of money, shoveling for people in the neighborhood, too, but there were a lot of kids, so we all worked together! Donna Pedersen Wish I had pix. Could not see out any first floor windows, house was engulfed in a big snow drift. Walter Donway So much resourcefulness. I dont want to get off topic, but it reminds me of the gallant Finns, at the very outset of WWII, when the Soviet Union under Stalin tried to invade Finland. They ran right into the winter; the Finns fought on skis, everywhere, in any weather, gliding and sliding for miles while troops and trucks and tanks were bogged down. And so the supposedly mighty and invincible Communist empire had to retreat, unable to take little Finland. My comparison is how well those who are prepared can cope during such a time and accomplish amazing things. Ellen Pomer My daughter was 6 months old at the time of the blizzard. I ran out of her formula and was getting very concerned. My friend and her father walked about a mile (half in waist-deep snow) with cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk; so, I could make some more formula for my daughter. Peg LaRose I remember my 3 little boys had 3 weeks off from school, too much snow to go out so they had to stay in and make forts and fight! Lol. I am still traumatized by it. Walter Donway Three weeks off! Yippee!! Linda Wakeen I grew up in Auburn, Ma. off Pakachoag Hill. We had horses, and I remember the only way to get out of the neighborhood to the store was to ride the horses. We rode in the middle of the street for days. To me it was a great adventure! No school, riding the horses everywhere. I was very young so I had no idea of the impact the storm had on many people. I remember snow drifts up to our 2nd floor bedroom....cars buried for weeks. Walter Donway In memories of the blizzard, including the Telegrams on the 35 year, frequent mention is made of horses, Linda. Walter Donway By the way, as many of you know, Im from Holden (the Donway of Donways dress shop on Main Street in the 1950s); and have many posts, including two on the tornado, on the Holden Facebook page. But I also have my own page, There Once Was A Town Called Holden, with my more personal posts. Walter Donway Does anyone recall that almost 12,000 fans at Boston Garden for the hockey game spent three days eating hotdogs and sleeping on bleachers or in locker rooms? I wonder how many romances began there? Ingeborg Woodhouse OMahony 3 weeks of no school for me. I was going nuts! So was my mother! Walter Donway Yeah, there is that, too, isnt there, Ingeborg. A day is wonderful... Walter Donway Hi, Kent. Laurie Deneault Dow Yes I was young when the storm hit I remember no school and my brother and I going out the second floor to help shovel and dig out. I had no idea of the impact back then. But it was definitely a disaster! Walter Donway Check out some intensely personal reports at another site. Here is one: I was a student at Becker Jr. College (now just Becker College). Our dorm was located on Williams St. and I remember a bunch of us using cross-country skis to go to the pubs. The bars stayed open until they ran out of liquor and beer. I remember the stores not having milk and bread and only had a few canned goods left. I remember jumping out of second floor windows and off roofs into deep snow drifts the first 2 days of the storm. I can also remember a few guys at WPI jumping out of windows and breaking legs because they didnt realize there were cars under the snow drifts.” worcestermass/places/blizzard78.shtml Laurie Deneault Dow Thanks for the link. It definitely tells all! Paul Goldstein This was one I missed, being a student in Chicago at the time. But the blizzard made national news, and was the headline story on all the Chicago front pages. (The next year, though, a very similar blizzard hit Chicago while I was there, known as the Blizzard of 79--one of the two worst blizzards to hit that city in the 20th century.) Back to Worcester: My parents and sister were then living on top of the Moreland St. hill, on Hickory Drive. They were essentially stranded for days, being unable to drive down the hill to reach the nearest stores. Worcester public schools were called off for 3 weeks, probably the longest such cancellation in the citys history. Ed Mc Cue I worked in for 3 days straight as TV news photographer. Thankfully had a Chevy Blazer 4wheel drive with chains supplied by the St. Pierre Chain Co. on East Mountain St. The then new post office on Summer St. had a partial collapse of the roof. Cars stuck on the hills of rt. 9 From Westboro all way in to Boston. Jim Hammond Could you post your tornado posts here, too, Id love to read them. I was fascinated by the Worcester Tornado book. Walter Donway They both are included in my book, Youre Probably from Holden, If...: Growing Up in A Vanishing New England. It included a couple dozen posts I wrote for the Holden page and this page, as well, with hundreds of comments from members. Or, as an alternative, just check out my FB page, Once There Was a Town Called Holden. And thanks for asking. The Worcester Tornado was almost unbelievable... Im sure that you can find the two essays without buying the book. Walter Donway Perhaps Kent can give us the URL for the Holden page. I am barred. Melissa Chaput This is the best post I have seen about the blizzard, thank you! So many fantastic memories and stories about it. I was safe and warm during the blizzard, but I dont have any memories, since I was in my mother’s womb—not born till July of ‘78! Elaine Parulis-Wright It took the city a week to plow our street. Snow up to my waist. I had a VW and all I could see after the storm ended was the roof. I think I had to shovel out the engine area. Played lots of Scrabble that week. Jim Hammond Ive got a couple stories from the tornado that werent printed. Remember the bus that got flipped at GBV? My mom missed that bus, she was supposed to be taking it home from downtown. She lived at the Valley at the time. My Grandmother worked at Stuart’s Diner and was either going to work or coming home when the tornado picked up her car. They found her two days later in the front of Assumption College, never found her car. My mom said she went to Rutland State Hospital to look for her mom. Where she found her, she didnt know it was her: she was alive, but her face was kind of burnt or sandblasted. Still, my Nana lived until around 1973, when breast cancer took her. Mary Boucher Meyer Three weeks off from school and sledding down our street, which wasnt plowed for at least 4 days. My parents’ neighbors hiking to Fortins Market after a few days to buy groceries with whatever cash they had--no ATMs or debit cards. Bruce Bergquist This storm was mostly a coastal affair. I was living in Wentworth, NH, west of Plymouth, and we had less than a foot of snow, and, while we knew of what was happening to the south, life continued without much local notice paid to the storm. My son and I did go skiing the day after, at Tenney Mountain, and had the luxury of breaking fresh powder all afternoon. Walter Donway Boy, those ARE stories, Jim, thanks for posting them. Paul Gallant I was renting a room in S. Easton, Ma. I was young and in good shape. Took me 2 full days to shovel 60 of driveway. Most of one day to shovel a packed berm that was over my head. Stuck in the house for 5 days with driving restrictions even after the shoveling was done. Tell ya my 80+ landlady was looking pretty good by day 4. wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean? My brother, Kenny, operated his Snowmobile for days transporting essential workers like nurses to work. It was awesome of him and he said he had a ball snow-machining over the streets we grew up on. Nancy Burbank Walter Donway, You never let me down! Love this story you have written about the Blizzard of 78. I too was in the middle of it all. I almost was stuck in the middle of that traffic on 290! Thankfully, I left work early enough to get through it before it was paralyzed! It was the worst feeling trying to get home. When I got home, I could not even get into my driveway in Rutland. My neighbors helped get me off the road. Never want to experience that ever again! It did leave a lasting impression on those of us who were there. Thanks for writing about it. Is this also in your book you just wrote about Holden? Laurie Deneault Dow Oh, yes, Walter, please do! Sandie Horan Oh, how I remember that! I was working at General Medical N.E. Left work early and had to make it up St. Johns hill to get home. Its the only time I had a drink (Amaretto) after work! Lol. Tammy Boyle Dulude I helped at a corner convenience store. After I had walked home from school because the bus could not make it up Bell Hill. I remember there was a bus full of small children that was supposed to be home by 3 pm. Their parents all waiting at the store. We made coffee and sandwiches and tried to comfort them. At 6 pm the bus finally showed up and everyone was safe. Laura Johnson Ricci We had 3 weeks off from school and one was the scheduled Feb. school vacation. I went to sunny California with Rex Trailer. Maggie Kramer We lived at Lincoln Village at the time of the blizzard. Shirley Owanisian I was staying with my parents while my husband was in Japan for a year. I had my second child a month after the blizzard. Charlotte Macdonald We jumped out of second story window and landed in only roughly 5 feet! That’s when we had snow!!!!! Charlotte Macdonald And if it wasnt a life or death situation, you would be arrested if driving a car. And no lights for a week. Kim Fisher Its started snowing on Monday afternoon. I was supposed to go to the Chateau DeVille, in Framingham, to see David Brenner; but we got smart and stayed home or we would have been stranded on the highway--stuck inside until we shoveled out Thursday afternoon just in time to catch happy hour at Breens! Jacqueline Rogean It took sooo long for the sidewalks to get cleared; kids couldnt go to school for 3 weeks as a result. I didnt have school-age kids, so that didnt affect me. Kim Fisher We had no work at Allstate Lighting on May St. for 4 days, but I dont recall school closed for 3 weeks. Wow! Sally A. Thayer I lived in Great Brook Valley, then. We were stranded, my mother and I. No groceries. We had grape jelly and crackers we played gin rummy for two days. Finally, I had to jump from second-floor and shovel out so my brother could get in with food. Howard Josephsen Walter, Im sure Im not the first to mention this, but why do you use “Your” instead of Youre” in the title? Appreciate your feedback. Sent from my iPad. Joyce Small Sherr Howard Josephsen If you are referring to the title of this Facebook page, please read the explanation at the very top of this page. Beverly Lemoine My grandmother told me that my grandfather, Ed LeMoine, had the only ham radio on Green Hill Park during the tornado. He got an award for is work during the tornado, and had an article written about him in the newspaper. Pat Venoit Jones Ptasnik I lived in Great Brook Valley during the tornado, luckily it missed our bldg. Mark Krencisz I remember my father got home in a 1970 beetle, from Framingham, where he taught at south high, the snow packed under that car was unbelievable! Good little car though! Jermain N Lisa I was only four during this blizzard, but I can remember my older sisters and I jumping off the second- floor porch into the backyard full of snow at my Babcias (grandmother’s) house on Jefferson Street!
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:54:52 +0000