1991 — Oct 28-Nov 1, Perfect Storm Nor’easter, East Coast, fishing boat Andrea Gail lost–13

— 13  Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below.

— 12  NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991…Oct 28 to Nov 1, 1991. Table III, 11.[1]

— 10  Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”

 

Massachusetts:                                   (8)

—  6  Andrea Gail. Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”

—  2  NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991…October 28 to November 1, 1991. Table III, 11.

—  1  Quincy. Heart Attack after tying down yacht; male, 62. NWS. Halloween. P. 10.

 

New York (off Long Island):            (4)

—  1  NY Air National Guard rescue helicopter ditches into the sea; Guardsman lost.

 

Rhode Island:                                    (1)

—  1  Pt. Judith vic.. Fisherman presumably swept off rocks and drowned. NWS. Halloween, 10.

 

Narrative Information

 

Celebrate Boston: “On October 31st 1991, a low pressure system, high pressure system, and fading hurricane collided over the Atlantic Ocean, creating what became known as The Perfect Storm. Originally called the Halloween Storm or No-Name Hurricane, this tempest slammed the eastern United States, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. 10 people tragically lost their lives due to the storm.

 

“The Perfect Storm rivaled the devastating Blizzard of ’78. About 100 homes along the Massachusetts coast were completely destroyed by The Perfect Storm. Seven counties in Massachusetts were declared Federal Disaster Areas. High tide was about four feet greater than normal, and 25 foot waves were observed.  Six men aboard the Gloucester fishing vessel Andrea Gail, made famous by the later book and film, tragically lost their lives. South of Long Island, a rescue helicopter was forced to ditch into the sea, and a New York Air National Guardsman tragically lost his life.

 

“In greater Boston, most of the damage was caused by wind-driven rain. High winds made small debris airborne, damaged rooftops and wooden structures, knocked signs over, and flooded low lying areas. This author went to Revere Beach, just north of Boston, on the evening of November 2nd or 3rd 1991. Everything at the bottom of Revere Bay was thrown up onto the beach. Dozens of lobster traps, tons of seaweed, and a great deal of ancient boat debris was thrown about the shore.  Revere Beach rests on a large tidal flat, and most of the sand was blown completely off the beach and into the surrounding streets.

 

“The Perfect Storm was a classic Nor’easter, where a hurricane-like system forms off the New England coast, swirling from the north and east. Bob Case, a NOAA forecaster is credited with naming the storm, having made the statement when fading Hurricane Grace was about to add huge tropical energy to the colliding low and high pressure systems. Local weather forecasters and media outlets quickly acted to warn people about the dangerous weather system, saving many lives.”  (Celebrate Boston.  Boston Disasters.  “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”)

 

NWS: “A series of extraordinary meteorological events during the week of October 27, 1991, set the stage for a major coastal flood and erosion event. Although principally affecting sections of the East Coast from Maine through North Carolina, the impact of the storm was felt south from there to the southernmost reaches of Florida, across much of the Bahamas, and as far south as Puerto Rico. Flooding began early and continued throughout the week. The worst impacts, however, were experienced on October 30 and 31. For this reason, the storm will likely go down in the annals of meteorological history as the ‘Halloween Nor’easter of 1991.’” (NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991. East Coast of the United States…Maine to Florida and Puerto Rico, October 28 to November 1, 1991 (Natural Disaster Survey Report), June 1992, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.” Accessed 10-2-2009 at:  http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/storms/perfectstorm.htm

 

National Weather Service. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991. East Coast of the United States…Maine to Florida and Puerto Rico, October 28 to November 1, 1991 (Natural Disaster Survey Report). Silver Spring, MD: NWS, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, June 1992. At: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/assessments/pdfs/Halloween%20Nor%27easter%20of%201991.pdf

 

 

[1] It was believed at the time, though, that the Andrea Gail went down with five men, when it was six.