Fall River, MA

I just saw your web site this morning.  I was watching the news about Rita and remembered my experience as an 8-year-old in Fall River, Mass.  I thought I'd run to the computer and see if there was anything on the net re: Carol and there it was!
 
I can remember a few things.  Our family was in the kitchen looking out at our neighbor's home.  Debris was flying everywhere:  shingles, small branches.  We moved to an interior room away from windows until most of the storm had passed. 

My mother and father were very busy stuffing towels into the window sills and sashes.  The wind was forcing the rain through the window sills and sashes and it was pouring in faster than we could stop it.  In the midst of the storm, our next-door neighbor, an elderly widow, came outside to try to secure her garage doors which blew open. 

My father and older brother, who was 10 at the time, ran out to rescue her.  The wind had blown her down and she was unable to stand up in it. They helped her up and sent her back inside.  My father tried to secure her doors, but I  don't think he was able to do so.  The biggest impression I had happened at the tail-end of the storm.  We were all standing on a side porch of the house and watched as every tree lining the boulevard in front of us went down as if they were dominos.  Not one remained standing.
 

Gary Gerber