Quincy, MA

The week of the hurricane we had just moved into a house in Quincy. Of course everything inside the house was in a state of uproar, boxes were everywhere, furniture was unarranged, dishes still unpacked. I would have started school, in the first grade, that week but nature had other plans.

From my six year old perspective it was wonderful. Exciting. The windows of the house had shutters that actually worked and I remember going around with my mother, room by room and closing them. There was a hurricane coming! All the candles and flashlights were gathered and we filled the bathtub and several pots and pans with water. We were ready.

The rain poured and the wind howled and the electricity went out and nearby, two or three large maple trees were blown over. Another one came down right in our yard, trapping our car in the driveway. All was calm for a while and then, after the eye passed, it all began again. And then it was over. I wish I could recall how long the entire storm lasted.

We opened the shutters and went out to survey the neighborhood. Most of the houses had sustained only minor damage. Shingles and clapboards had been blown off. A few broken windows. Bricks had been blown out of chimneys. There were wires down, and numerous trees had been uprooted and leaves were splattered everywhere. The sound of chainsaws became a constant but necessary snarl, and the smell of sawdust filled the air. The streets were impassable and had to be cleared. Other areas, of course, had fared much worse. I remember seeing pictures in the newspaper of people in a rowboat rowing it in the middle of their street. And of houses that were completely destroyed.

It was about a week before the electricity came back on and my folks were able to resume arranging the house but I didn't care, I was six years old.

Editor's Note: Although this hurricaine got soem attention inthe weather forecast, we had nothing like the elaborate forecasting we get today. So I mentioned to Dave that most people weren't prepared for Hurricane Carol. Here's his response:

" I think we had heard some weather reports on the radio and saw a few on the TV (gigantic 10-inch screen) telling us that a "big storm" was coming up the coast and that there would be high winds and rain. But you're right, there was no detailed information though I'm almost certain that the word hurricane was used at some point. The preparations we made were really just last minute scurrying about -- do something -- sort of activities. The wind had already picked up and the rain was falling (still vertically). "