Wind — ~23

lornajarrettblanchard December 10, 1992

–~23 Blanchard tally from State breakouts below.

—>17 AP. “Coastal areas suffer widespread damage.” The Intelligencer, PA. 12-14-1992, C5.

—>15 AP (Leyva). “Storm backs off; 15 deaths reported.” Dover Times, OH, 12-13-1992, p. A3.

—>12 AP. “Relentless storm batters Atlantic…” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 12-12-1992, A2.

— 10 National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 8.

— 9 NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt…Great Nor’easter of December 1992. 1994, p.15.[1]

Connecticut ( 5)

— 5 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

— 1 Bridgeport, Dec 11. Mentally handicapped man, running errands, “apparently drowned.”[2]

— 1 Harwinton, Dec 12. Carport roof failed under weight of heavy snow. Male, 50, underneath.[3]

— 3 “Several” other people died of indirect causes such as snow shoveling and car accidents.[4]

Massachusetts ( 2)

— 1 Lowell. Male, heart attack while shoveling snow.[5]

— 1 Savoy. Male, heart attack while shoveling snow.[6]

New Jersey ( 2)

–1 Deptford, Gloucester Co., Rt. 47. Female, 65, swerves auto to miss falling tree; hit by truck.[7]

–1 Jersey City, Hudson Co. Female, 38, struck and killed by roof debris blown off a building.[8]

New York ( 2)

–1 Mamaroneck, Westchester County. Male, 73, drowned trying to reach car in floodwater.[9]

–1 Locality not noted. Weather-related traffic fatality.[10]

North Carolina ( 1)

— 1 Swannanoa, Buncombe County. Male killed by a falling tree in high wind.[11]

Pennsylvania (>9)

—>9 Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

—>6 Western PA. AP. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

— 4 Allegheny County. Heart attacks after shoveling snow.[12]

—>2 Western PA. Storm-related traffic accidents.[13]

—>5 State, Dec 10. AP. “Winter storms strike…” Nashua Telegraph, NH, 12-11-1992, p. 25.[14]

— 3 Pittsburgh, Allentown section. Printing co. roof collapses under weight of snow killing 3.[15]

Rhode Island ( 1)

–1 Young female “as a result of a snow storm.” CDC. “Surveillance of Deaths…” MMWR 42/1.

Virginia ( 1)

–1 Stafford Co., Rappahannock River. Homeless person drowned from flooding along river.[16]

Narrative Information

CBS 6 Albany (NY): “A major east coast storm had been forecast for almost a week. The storm developed in classic form along the mid Atlantic coast, intensified rapidly, and began its expected trek up the eastern seaboard. Forecasts called for up to two feet of snow in upstate New York and Western New England, with high winds along the coast. The storm developed into everything it was predicted to be, almost. Hurricane force winds lashed New York and Boston. In fact winds gusted to 90 mph along the New Jersey coast on the 11th, with gusts ranging from 70-80 mph in New York City and Boston Friday night into the day Saturday.

“Almost three inches of rain fell in Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston causing considerable poor drainage and urban street flooding. The combination of the slow motion of the storm with the persistent and intense easterly winds caused successive storm tides, much higher than normal, creating a much more serious flood in New York City by the mid afternoon of the 11th. In fact the flooding was so severe that many describe the scene as one of complete pandemonium with the subways shutdown and major roads inundated halting almost all city wide transportation. While the coast was being pummeled, heavy snow was falling over interior areas of upstate New York and New England where temperatures were lower….A storm total of 40″ of paralyzing snow occurred at Worcester, MA….Conditions in the Capital Region through the entire day on Friday, December 11 were rather tranquil while at the same time blizzard conditions were occurring in the surrounding hill towns, and hurricane force winds with damaging storm tides were battering and inundating coastal areas….The storm is considered a rare super Nor’easter due to its intense compact nature and very slow motion along the coast. At times, the system developed an eye like structure and had profound damaging effects along the coast due to an long period wave battery, causing coastal erosion and severe coastal flooding. Power was knocked out to thousands throughout the Northeast due to the combined effects of a heavy wet snow and the high winds. Few Nor’easters have packed the punch that this one did, even though it only produced about 6″ of snow at Albany. (CBS 6 Albany [NY]. “Friday-Saturday, December 11-12, Super Nor’easter.”)

CDC: “During December 10-13, 1992, a severe weather system of snow, sleet, rain, and high winds struck Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia. The highest recorded winds from this winter storm, called a nor’easter, were 80 miles per hour (mph) gusts at Cape May, New Jersey, with sustained winds of 20-30 mph. The tidal surge was 1-4 feet above normal, and wave heights were 20-25 feet near the shore. The 24-hour snowfall was 27 inches in the hills west of Boston. Flooding was recorded at 4-5 feet in both Boston and New York City. In the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, 4 feet of snow fell, with drifts as high as 10 feet. This report summarizes findings of surveillance for deaths associated with this storm and is based on information obtained from medical examiner (ME) offices.

“To assess mortality associated with this storm, during December 10-13, CDC officials contacted ME offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island; Suffolk, Westchester, and Nassau counties in New York; and New York City (which includes Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond counties); and Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania. These offices were asked to report, retrospectively, any deaths occurring in their jurisdictions that they attributed to the storm. If deaths occurred, the office was asked to report demographic information about the decedent and the manner, cause, and circumstance of death. These jurisdictions have a combined population of 35,877,048 (Bureau of the Census, 1990).

“MEs in this region attributed three deaths on Dec 11 and one on Dec 13 to the nor’easter. In Hudson County, New Jersey, a 38-year-old woman died from multiple blunt force injuries; she had been walking on a sidewalk when the roof of an apartment building blew off during high winds and crushed her. In Westchester County, New York, a 73-year-old man drowned on the premises of a country club in Mamaroneck (northeast of New York City on Long Island Sound) when, because of high winds, he lost his grip while holding on to a tree to escape rising flood waters. In Connecticut, a 40-year-old man drowned in the incoming tide. On December 13, a young female died in Rhode Island as a result of a snow storm….

“Editorial Note: Although the findings of mortality surveillance suggest that the public health impact of this storm was minimal, the media reported considerably more deaths than did the MEs. The discrepancy may be due, in part, to the lack of a widely accepted definition of weather -related deaths. Some ME/Cs define weather-related deaths as those resulting from environmental forces such as wind and rising water. However, other ME/Cs include deaths from circumstances such as motor-vehicle collisions and stress-induced cardiovascular events in their definition of weather-related deaths.

“A standard definition for weather-related morbidity and mortality should assist health officials in assessing the public health impact associated with severe weather systems and other natural disasters. CDC is developing a definition for deaths related to natural disasters. Until this definition is available, CDC recommends that reports of disaster-related deaths either include selection criteria for disaster-related injuries and fatalities or cite the source of the case reports.” (CDC, “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter—Dec 1992,” January 15, 1993.)

NCDC: “Outstanding Storms of the Month. “1. Powerful ‘Nor’easter’ Strikes the East Coast.

“A complex storm system moved eastward from the Gulf Coast of Texas to eastern Georgia on December 9 and 10^th. In the next 24 hours, the low pressure system moved to southeaster Virginia (00 UTC December 11) and then to Chesapeake Bay (12 UTC December 11). During this time, the central pressure on the cyclone dropped 24 millibars (mb) to 985 mb. This rapid intensification classified this cyclone as a ‘bomb’. Prior to the development of the ‘nor’easter’, the eastern United States was under the influence of a high pressure system. The high moved across southern Canada and remained stationary north of Maine on December 10. Moderately cold air was associated with the high pressure system. The center of the surface high moved to near Anticosti Island, off the coast of Quebec, and remained nearly stationary for the next several days…

“The large central pressure differences between the 1035 mb high and the 985 mb low produced a strong pressure gradient that resulted in very strong winds. Gale to storm-force winds with gusts exceeding hurricane force affected not only the Mid-Atlantic coastline, but also as far southwest as the southern Appalachians where trees were downed and roofs damaged. The strong on-shore winds also resulted in heavy surf and coastal flooding. Waves of 20 to 23 feet were reported in Massachusetts on December 12 and 13^th.

“Precipitation amounts with the Nor’easter…varied greatly. Rainfall amounts of 8 inches occurred in southeast Massachusetts, while several areas in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland recorded more than 30 inches of snow! By the evening of December 12, the storm moved slowly east over the Atlantic Ocean and brought an end to the precipitation.

“Ten deaths resulted from the storm with insured losses totaling near $850 million and non-insured losses near $2 billion. The Nor’easter of December 1992 will certainly be remembered as one of the worst on record.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 8.)

New Jersey

Asbury Park Press: “Fifteen years ago Tuesday [Dec 11, 1992], a surprisingly powerful nor’easter laid siege to the New Jersey coast, packing hurricane-force winds and propelling monstrous waves that sacked dunes and beaches and demolished boardwalks and other structures.” (Asbury Park Press, “Coast Less at Risk Now, Some Say,” 12-10-2007.)

Suro: “An intense, slow-moving “nor’easter” storm hit the eastern coast of New Jersey during December 11 and 12, 1992. This storm produced strong winds and record and near-record flooding along the entire Atlantic Coast of New Jersey from Bergen County to Cape May… Two deaths were attributed to the storm. The President of the United States declared Bergden, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties a disaster area….The hardest hit areas were near Raritan, Newark, Sandy Hook, and Upper New York Bay.” (Suro, Summary of Floods of 1992, USGS)

New York

Columbia University: “On December 11, 1992, a winter storm pummeled New York City with hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour, causing tidewaters to rise 7.7 feet above normal. The nor’easter crippled transportation, business, and schools, produced numerous power failures, and flooded wide areas.” (Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research, “Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, and New York City.”)

Mintz: “More than 100 homes on Long Island were destroyed and thousands more damaged.” (Mintz, “The Nature of a Nor’easter,” 1-17-2004.)

NY Daily News: “In December 1992, a nor’easter caused the worst flooding in three decades and prompted then-President George Bush to make Long Island eligible for federal disaster relief.” (New York Daily News, “Nor’easter Season Emergency Teams Prepare for Island’s First,” Nov 14, 1995.)

Staten Island Advance: “On this day [Dec 11] in 1992, Staten Island, along with the entire region, was hit with a powerful nor’easter. Winds of up to 75 mph and nearly four inches of rain over two days left many homes flooded, ferries stranded in mid-harbor and waterfront communities under water, and ripped down trees and power lines.” (Staten Island Advance, “Nor’easter Nails Staten Island: 1992,” 12-11-2007.)

U.S. Global Change Research Program: “The December 11-12,1992 nor’easter produced some of the worst flooding and strongest winds on record for the area. It resulted in a near shutdown of the New York metropolitan transportation system and evacuation of many seaside communities in New Jersey and Long Island. This storm should have provided a “wake-up” call, heralding the vulnerability of the transportation system to major nor’easters and hurricanes.” (U.S. Global Change Research Program, National Assessment, Chapter 19, 2002.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Coastal areas suffer widespread damage.” The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA. 12-14-1992, C5. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=30018999&sterm

Associated Press, Pittsburgh. “Falling roof kills three.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295986593&sterm

Associated Press. “Relentless storm batters Atlantic Coast areas.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 12-12-1992, A2. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=28901646&sterm

Associated Press (Ric Leyva). “Storm backs off; 15 deaths reported.” Dover Times, OH, 12-13-1992, p. A3. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295365051&sterm

Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast. Six dead in western Pa.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295986593&sterm=snow+storm

Associated Press. “Storm wrecks havoc in parts of New York.” Evening Telegram, Herkimer, NY, 12-12-1992, p. 2. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295859855&sterm

Associated Press. “Winter storms strike nationwide.” Nashua Telegraph, NH, 12-11-1992, p. 25. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=294174110&sterm

Banck, J. History of Nor’easter. “The Great Nor’easter of December 11, 1992.” Fair.Harbor.com, 1-14-2004 revision. Accessed at: http://www.fairharbor.com/weather_historynoreaster.htm

CBS 6 Albany. “Friday-Saturday, December 11-12, Super Nor’easter.” Accessed at: http://www.cbs6albany.com/sections/weather/historical/paststorms/1992/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter – December 1992.” MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), Atlanta, GA, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1-15-1993, pp. 4-5. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00018780.htm

Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research, “Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, and New York City.” Accessed 12-10-2008 at: http://www.ccsr.columbia.edu/information/hurricanes/

Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL. “Storm rips through East Coast.” 12-12-1992, C2. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=260264837&sterm

Mintz, Phil. “The Nature of a Nor’easter.” Newsday, 1-17-2004. Accessed at: http://www.newsday.com/other/special/naturalworld/ny-nw-twstorm0118,0,629287.story?coll=ny-features-utility

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992. Asheville, NC: NCDC NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-619F9BFE-1CC3-49CD-A4DA-35772D5DF62E.pdf

National Weather Service Eastern Region. Disaster Survey Report. The Great Nor’easter of December 1992. Bohemia, NY: NWS Eastern Region Headquarters, NOAA, June 1994. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://www.weatherknowledge.com/The_Great_NorEaster_of_Dec_1992.pdf

New York Daily News. “Nor’easter Season Emergency Teams Prepare for Island’s First,” 11-14- 1995. Accessed 12-10-2008 at: https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/1995/11/14/1995-11-14_nor_easter_season__emergency.html

New York Times (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/14/nyregion/after-the-storm-flooding-and-snow-stagger-massachusetts.html

New York Times, Robert D. McFadden. “After the Storm: The Overview; Weakening Storm Leaves Northeast with Huge Damage.” 12-14-1992. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/14/nyregion/after-the-storm-the-overview-weakening-storm-leaves-northeast-with-huge-damage.html?pagewanted=all

Ramsey, Kelvin W., John H. Talley, Darlene V. Wells (Delaware and Maryland Geological Surveys). Summary Report. The Coastal Storm of December 10-14, 1992, Delaware and Maryland (Open File Report No. 37). Newark, DE: University of Delaware, Feb 1993, 33 pp. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.dgs.udel.edu/sites/dgs.udel.edu/files/publications/OFR37.pdf

Schwartz, Rick, Al Karr, Kevin Myatt. Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States. Blue Diamond Books, September 2007.

Staten Island Advance. “Nor’easter Nails Staten Island: 1992,” 12-11-2007. Accessed 12-10-2008 at: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/noreaster_nails_staten_island.html

Suro, Thomas P. “December 11-12, 1992, in New Jersey.” Summary of Floods of 1992. U.S. Geological Survey, September 17, 2008 update. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/reports/wsp.2499.sumnj1292.html

U.S. Global Change Research Program. National Assessment, Chapter 19, 2002. Accessed 2008 at: http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/04C.pdf

[1] Table I – Fatalities + Insured Damage Estimates (Millions of Dollars).

[2] Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL. “Storm rips through East Coast.” 12-12-1992, C2. (Cites news services.)

[3] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 19; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, p.20.

[4] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 20. The note of several other deaths comes immediately after noting direct-storm-caused death of Harwinton man. Another source writes “In Connecticut, where one to two feet of snow fell in the north and more than 200 motor-vehicle accidents were reported, three people were killed.” (New York Times, Robert D. McFadden. “After the Storm: The Overview; Weakening Storm Leaves Northeast with Huge Damage.” 12-14-1992.)

[5] NYT (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992.

[6] NYT (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992.

[7] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 25; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 38.

[8] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 25; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 38.

[9] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Report. The Great Nor’easter of December 1992. 1994, p. 25. NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, p. 41, notes The man “attempting to reach his partially submerged car in a parking lot in Mamaroneck, was swept away in the fast moving flood waters.” The victim’s age is from CDC, “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter – December 1992.” MMWR, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1-15-1993, pp. 4-5.

[10] Assoc. Press. “Storm wrecks havoc in parts of New York.” Evening Telegram, Herkimer, NY, 12-12-1992, p. 2.

[11] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 44.

[12] Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

[13] Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

[14] “Especially hard-hit was Pennsylvania, where at least five deaths Thursday were blamed on the storm. Nearly 3 feet of snow was reported in some parts of Pennsylvania during the 24 hours ending this morning.” [Dec 11]

[15] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 52. News article notes that there were more than 50 people working at the Raff Printing Co. when the roof collapsed. (Associated Press, Pittsburgh. “Falling roof kills three.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.)

[16] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 61. NCDC write-up notes that the victim and his dog had been living in a tent on the bank of the river, near Fredericksburg, and that the man drowned in his tent.