Pawtucket, RI

I was thirteen years old and getting ready for the new school year at Our Lady of Consolation School in Pawtucket, when the storm struck. We had no idea what was happening. It started off as a rain event then gradually got worse with extremely heavy rains and very high winds.

I remember being absolutely frightened and fascinated at the same time. Watching the trees fall and branches and debris flying all over the place.and the house creaking and the rain slamming against the windows was something that most of us had never experienced before. It was not too long that my parents recalled the hurricane of 1938 and the pictures of that storm were brought out and viewed after Carol had finished its destructive path.

Of course my friends and I headed out and explored the neighborhood on our bikes and could not believe the destruction. We also headed downtown and were again fascinated by the swiftness and height of the Blackstone River that ran through Pawtucket.

This was the beginning of a string of hurricanes and heavy flooding rains and winds to hit the New England area for several years in a row. Observing the current news coverage of hurricanes, it would appear that these storms are some new phenomenon. There is very little history of these storms mentioned in the media. The Weather Channel has done some coverage, but I don't believe the younger generation has any clue about the history of these storms. I also experienced several typhoons in the Pacific while serving with the U.S. Navy from 1959-1989.

George Ouellette
Bonita, California