~11 — ~33

lornajarrettblanchard March 28, 1984

— ~33 Blanchard tally from Breakouts below.

Connecticut ( 1)

— 1 AP (Fields). “Killer storm finally moving out to sea.” The Sun, Lowell, MA, 3-30-1984, p.2.

District of Columbia ( 2)

— 2 March 28-29. Trees fall on automobiles. NCDC Storm Data, 26/3, March 1984, p. 28.

Massachusetts (~3)

— 1 Beverly, March 29. Man killed when tree fell on his van. Storm Data, 26/3, 1984, p. 28.

— 1 Boston, March 29. Man electrocuted by fallen electric wire. Storm Data, 26/3, 1984, 28-29.

— 1? Off Cape Cod. New Bedford fisherman missing; his boat found with engine running.[1]

New Jersey ( 1)

— 1 AP (Fields). “Killer storm finally moving out to sea.” The Sun, Lowell, MA, 3-30-1984, p.2.

New York (~16)

–8 Central, March 28. Vehicular accidents “due to bad road conditions and snow removal.”[2]

–1 Morris vicinity, March 30. Miss Teenager of NY lost control of car on slippery rd.[3]

–4 Off Long Island, March 29. From fishing boat, the Wind Blown, ~12 miles off Montauk.[4]

–1 New York City, March 29. “One death was blamed on the weather [severe spring storm].”[5]

–3? Western, March 29-30. “A few passengers [in vehicular accidents] were reportedly killed.”[6]

Pennsylvania (~11)

–~11 Blanchard tally from breakouts below.

— >6 Eastern PA, March 28-29. NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 35.

—>5 Vehicular accidents attributable to slippery roadways.

— 1 Heart attach while shoveling snow.

Central Pennsylvania:

— 2 Clearfield County, March 28. Couple killed in head-on collision with truck, snowy road.[7]

— 1 Lycoming County [No. Central], Linden, March 29. Weather-related vehicular accident.[8]

Western Pennsylvania:

— 1 Armstrong County, March 29. Male; car skidded into another on “slushy” Route 66.[9]

Locality Not Noted:

— 1 “…fatal heart attack trudging through snow…”[10]

Narrative Information

NCDC on Connecticut, March 29: “A very intense coastal storm with gale force, east and northeast winds gusting up to 70 MPH caused damaging coastal flooding along portions of the Connecticut shore. Damage estimates ranged up to 2.5 million dollars including cleanup and repair costs in Westport. Disaster aid was being sought for coastal portions of Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties. Many homes and businesses were damaged by the tidal flooding as tides up to three feet above normal carried by pounding surf swept into the area. In Milford over one thousand homes were damaged with amounts estimated at $750,000. Many streets were under water, and a number of piers and bridges were damaged alng the Connecticut shore. Up to 50,000 electric customers lost power statewide during the storm as high winds and snow felled trees and power lines. Most service was restored by the morning of the 31^st. Blizzard conditions were reported in northern and northwestern Connecticut, with 18 inches of snow accumulating in Norfolk.” (NCDC Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 23.)

NCDC on Maryland & DC: “A rapidly-intensifying low pressure system moved out of the Mississippi Valley during the afternoon and evening of the 28^th and continued on toward the northeast late on the 29^th. As the center passed through central Maryland, the lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the month of March –28.78 inches — occurred early on the 29^th. Rainfall of 2 to 3 inches was common and wind gusts to 60-80 mph were registered along the coast. Waves 15 feet high washed away sections of boardwalk and eroded a portion of the beach at Ocean City. In separate occurrences falling trees struck two automobiles in the District of Columbia fatally injuring two persons and hospitalizing another. Wind, rain and falling trees took a widespread toll in damage with the heaviest losses over eastern Maryland, in what was termed the most severe [storm] since the great March 1962 storm.

“Communities along the lower end of Chesapeake Bay were hit especially hard. In Crisfield 300 homes were damaged and up to 4 feet of water covered roads in what long-time residents called the worst storm in 50 years. At nearby Smith Island an estimated one-quarter million dollars damage was caused by very high tides. Elsewhere, in Somerset County, thousands of chickens were drowned, an additional 300 homes were victims of high water, and 150 people had to be evacuated.

“To the west, numerous homes in Cumberland had flooded basements. Rain changed to snow as cold air moved in on the 29^th, with 4 to 8 inches of wet snow falling in Allegany and Garrett Counties. Lesser amounts also fell over areas to the east.” (NCDC Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 28.)

NCDC on Massachusetts, March 29: “A savage, early Spring coastal storm caused millions of dollars in damage to power lines and property. Northeast winds gusting to hurricane force along the coast resulted in tidal flooding. A short distance inland, the suburbs west and southwest of Boston had heavy, wet snow which combined with the high winds to cause tremendous damage to trees and power lines. The Boston Edison Power Co., serving this area, reported that up to 150,000 customers were without electric power at the height of the storm. The area hit especially hard included: Needham, Wellesley, Newton, W. Roxbury, Dedham, Canton, Stoughton, Walpole, and Westwood. Many people went without power in this area for up to three to five days after the storm. For the power company it meant bringing in out-of-state repair crews to help out. Residents without heat, in some cases, were forced out of their homes.

“Peak wind gusts reached 80 to 90 mph along the Massachusetts coast south of Boston with a peak gust of 108 mph from the ENE at Blue Hill Observatory, Milton.

“In Beverly, a man was killed when a tree fell on his van, and in Boston, a man was electrocuted by a fallen electric wire.

“On Cape Cod, at Orleans, the 473 ft. freighter ‘Eldia’ was driven hard aground and 23 crewmen were evacuated from the ship by Coast Guard helicopter. On Nantucket Island, the 71 ft. high Great Point Lighthouse built in 1818 was toppled by heavy seas. Damage to property was very heavy with 700-800 trees knocked down. 25 houses were seriously damaged in just the town of Needham alone, one of the areas with the most storm damage. Farther inland, there was 17 inches of snow at Worcester. However, there the snow was not as wet as nearer the coast, so there was not as much tree and power line damage. There was some wind damage, however, in central Massachusetts, with wind gusts to 50 to 60 mph. Cape Cod had rain with high winds….

“About 8500 electric customers lost service during the storm on Cape Cod. A total of about 250,000 were without power statewide, which represents a million people, making this the greatest power failure since the Great Northeast Blackout in 1965….Wind gusts at Martha’s Vineyard to 97 mph.”

“Southboro [March] 29….A most unusual occurrence during the ‘Northeaster’ blizzard was a very powerful downburst wind which sheared off four to five acres of red pine trees at a height of about 20 feet off the ground. This site was investigated by the NWS by helicopter and determined to be a ‘microburst’….The location was off Middle Road near the dam at the Sudbury Reservoir.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, 26/3, 1984, pp. 28-29.)

NCDC on Coastal New Jersey, March 29: “Near hurricane force winds drove the ocean over the sea walls and bulk heads into the streets of nearly every community on the barrier islands. The degree of flooding reached sever levels around 0430EST and reached a tide height several feet above mean low water. Winds reached near hurricane strength at the State Marina in Atlantic City before the anemometer fell victim to the storm. A limited state of emergency was declared for several counties of New Jersey. The storm moved off the Jersey coast and accelerated northeast. Winds along the shore shifted from the east northeast to the northeast and continued around to the north. It was this shift that prevented any more severe flooding.” (NCDC Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 31.)

NCDC on Central New York, March 28: “A major Nor’easter hit Eastern New York bringing snowfall of up to 12 inches in parts of the Mohawk Valley and Southern Adirondacks. Flooding from ocean surf was a problem along the lower portion of the Hudson River. Power lines and trees fell as strong winds blew. In Orange and Putnam Counties snow mixed with and changed to rain, which created flood problems. All [8] deaths were associated with auto accidents due to bad road conditions or snow removal.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 31.)

NCDC on Western New York, March 29-30: “A severe winter storm produced up to 2 feet of snow and forced the closure of businesses and schools. Many roads were impassable due to deep snow. The roads that were open were dotted with abandoned cars. Many of these cars were involved in vehicular accidents attributed to poor driving conditions. A few passengers were reportedly killed. Dozens were injured. Weak structures such as old bars collapsed from the heavy snow. Trees were uprooted. Power lines broke. Blackouts lasted up to six hours in the Southern Tier Counties.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 31.)

NCDC on Eastern Pennsylvania, March 28-29: “An intense spring storm which started with rain on the 27^th gradually changed to snow on the 28^th and developed high wind gusts. Wind gusts reached 40 to 50 MPH and brought down hundreds of trees. Trees and tree limbs damaged utility lines, mobile homes, houses and other buildings. Some buildings had all or part of the roof torn off. Power interruptions were experienced by 150,000 customers or more. Snow and sleet accumulations were little if any in Philadelphia, around 2 inches inn the north and west suburbs, up to 6 to 12 inches in the lower Susquehanna Valley. There were 7 to 12 inches in the lower elevations in the north and 1 to 2 feet in the higher elevations. The greatest amount reported was 28 inches at Mt. Pocono, Monroe County.

“The slippery roadways caused many accidents with many injuries and at least 5 deaths. One man died from a heart attack while shoveling snow and at least 4 people were injured by falling trees.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 35.)[11]

Sources

Associated Press (Dana Fields). “Killer storm finally moving out to sea.” The Sun, Lowell, MA, 3-30-1984, p. 2. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/lowell/lowell-sun/1984/03-30/page-2?tag

Associated Press, East Hampton, L.I. “Mass is Said for 2 Fishermen Lost off Long Island in Storm. New York Times, 4-12-1984. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/12/nyregion/mass-is-said-for-2-fishermen-lost-off-long-island-in-storm.html

Associated Press, New York. “NYC rocked by storm.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. 3-29-1984, A10. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald-journal/1984/03-29/page-180?tag

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 2-2-2017 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-5FD9B10D-9522-482F-B5DA-E8BB51A161A4.pdf

Tuma, Debbie. “Lost at Sea Memorial Still Stands the Test of Time.” Montauk Sun, 10-1-2016. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: http://www.montauksun.com/lost-at-sea-memorial-still-stands-the-test-of-time/

United Press International. “East Coast cleans up.” Key West Citizen, FL, 4-1-1984, p. 2. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/florida/key-west/key-west-citizen/1984/04-01/page-2?tag

United Press International. “Storm’s sting felt in state.” Valley Independent, Monessen, PA, 3-30-1984, p. 3. Accessed 2-4-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/monessen/monessen-valley-independent/1984/03-30/page-3?tag

[1] Associated Press (Dana Fields). “Killer storm finally moving out to sea.” The Sun, Lowell, MA, 3-30-1984, p. 2. Notes: “Rescuers abandoned a search off Cape Cod on Thursday [March 29] for a New Bedford fisherman whose boat was found with the engine running.”

[2] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 31.

[3] United Press International. “East Coast cleans up.” Key West Citizen, FL, 4-1-1984, p. 2. Jacqueline Barry, 17.

[4] Associated Press, East Hampton, L.I. “Mass is Said for 2 Fishermen Lost off Long Island in Storm. New York Times, 4-12-1984. Two are identified as Michael Stedman, 32, of East Hampton, and David Connick, 23, of Montauk. They were last heard from by radio morning of March 29. Another source identifies the other two as Michael Vigilant, 19 and Scott Clark, 19 and notes their boat The Windblown, “went down between Montauk and Block Island.” Writes “The Windblown did not stand a chance in…waves…up to 30 feet…and gusts of up to 120 miles an hour.” (Debbie Tuma. “Lost at Sea Memorial Still Stands the Test of Time.” Montauk Sun, 10-1-2016.)

[5] Associated Press, New York. “NYC rocked by storm.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. 3-29-1984, A10. Notes: “Today’s severe spring storm, driven by gusts up to 62 mph pummeled the New York City area with sleet and snow that disrupted mass transit, pelted pedestrians and flooded roadways. One death was blamed on the weather.”

[6] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 31. Question mark inserted after number 3 denoting we have converted “a few” into “3” for purposes of tabulation.

[7] “A couple was killed in a head-on collision with a tractor trailer on snow covered Route 36 about a half mile south of La Jose.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 35.) A news source noted the couple, identified as Anthony Ananea and his wife Carol, both 44) were from Punxsutawney. (United Press International. “Storm’s sting felt in state.” Valley Independent, Monessen, PA, 3-30-1984, p. 3.)

[8] “In Lycoming County, when snow closed down some county offices, police said the weather was the reason for the traffic death of a Linden woman.” Identified as Iris Haywood, 51. (UPI. “Storm’s sting felt in state.” Valley Independent, Monessen, PA, 3-30-1984, p. 3.)

[9] In Bethel Township. (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 1984, p. 35.)

[10] Associated Press (Dana Fields). “Killer storm finally moving out to sea.” The Sun, Lowell, MA, 3-30-1984, p. 2. It is conceivable that this is a reference to the heart attack death while shoveling snow in eastern PA, though the wording here does not lead one to that conclusion.

[11] One has to read the NCDC descriptions carefully for indications of fatalities, in that the “Killed” box for this event notes “0” — only direct deaths, by NCDC definition, are noted within their “Killed” framework.