1933 August storm left lasting mark on Virginia's barrier islands and Ocean City

 (Shore Daily News)

The hurricane on 1933 hit here on August 23 and 24, 1933.  The storm was considered a legendary storm and was only a category one.  But it lingered near the coast of Virginia and before it was over, settlements on Assateague and the town of Broadwater on Hog Island were gone forever.

August 23-24,1933 – The Hurricane of 1933 was a transformational storm on the Eastern Shore.  The storm dumped estimates of 20 to 30 inches of rain ahead of landfall. The '33 storm ended the Golden Age of Virginia’s Barrier Islands.   Prior to the storm, there were houses on Assateague, Hog, Cobb and other barrier islands.   The storm hit on August 23,1933 and continued for two days. By the time it moved off, the town of Broadwater on Hog Island was practically destroyed, as were houses on Assateague. The resort on Cobb Island was totally destroyed. Wachapreague, Chincoteague and Cape Charles had tides ranging from 5 ft. at Chincoteague to 7 ft. at Cape Charles and 10 ft at Wachapreague.  Two deaths were reported, one of which was a baby that was ripped from its mother’s arms by the surging water.

After the storm, houses that were destroyed on Assateague were not rebuilt. At Broadwater on Hog Island owners of surviving homes moved them and the bodies of loved ones buried in the cemetery to Willis Wharf.  Today the community is known as “Little Hog Island” in Willis Wharf.

The Hurricane of 1933 also changed the course of Ocean City.  At the time of the storm Ocean City extended over three blocks south of the inlet.  There was no inlet, but the heavy rains raised the level of Assateague Bay and the water forced what is now Ocean City Inlet to form. Ocean City residents had been long asking for the state to dig an inlet so that boats could have access to the town. Mother Nature did that job at no cost to tax payers.

A hurricane season prediction

 (Shore Daily News)

Colorado State University is once again predicting another above average hurricane season for the Atlantic Coast.

View news article:

Colorado State University releases 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast - Shore Daily News

(PPE reader comment)

 Anonymous said...

CSU makes the same prediction every year.

tkforppe says: I prefaced the headline as "A" prediction assuming we might see some others.

 Anonymous said...

The Weather Channel will also predict an above number of hurricanes and horrendous destruction and loss of life.

NOAA Predictions For Storms This Season

The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season will have between 14 to 23 tropical storms, including up to seven major hurricanes, the U.S. government predicted Thursday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that eight to 14 hurricanes would form. Scientists forecast that three to seven of those hurricanes would be major storms that reach Category 3 or higher -- meaning they bring sustained winds of at least 111 mph.

"If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record," NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said in a statement. "The greater likelihood of storms brings an increased risk of a landfall. In short, we urge everyone to be prepared."

The forecast is based on the weakening of El Nino. The Pacific Ocean phenomenon creates strong wind shear that weakens Atlantic storms.

No hurricanes hit the United States last year. Hurricane Ida hit Nicaragua as a Category 1 storm last November.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins Tuesday and runs through Nov. 30.

www.shoredailynews.com

Don't Forget To Buy Your Tax Free Hurricane Items

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) - Forecasters are expecting the Atlantic Hurricane season to be busier than normal, as the 2010 season approaches and a low pressure cell off the coast has caught the attention of Super Doppler 10 meteorologists.

It's not supposed to bother us, but it's nature's way of reminding everybody of the season to come.

A low pressure cell lingering off the Virginia and Carolina coasts has already generated rough surf along the beaches. Forecasters do not expect any real trouble from this one, but they continue to monitor its movement.

But preparing for an approaching storm or hurricane involves a lot more than just keeping an eye on the weather.

"Every family should have an emergency preparedness kit," said Wayne Lousteau, a manager at Home Depot.

Lousteau says there are a number of relatively inexpensive items you should have to meet basic necessities when riding out a storm.

"You want to make sure that you have light available to you, that you have water and food available to you and that you have a source of information," he said.

It's information that could save your life.

"What I'm holding...is a radio that will always have access to the NOAA Weather Radio Stations and can be provided power via two methods," Lousteau said.

Standard batteries, or the hand crank, generates electricity for the radio. Lousteau also says you should make sure you have plenty of batteries on hand, ranging from Double-A to D-cell, depending on your power requirements.

From now through the end of the month, most of these items are exempt from sales tax, which means buy now and save money. Of course your Hurricane kit should include more than just basic necessities. There are certain things you absolutely must have.

"Your critical medical needs in terms of do you have your medications," said Mark Marchbank, deputy coordinator Emergency Management of Virginia Beach.

Marchbank says to have your emergency kit ready throughout the year for any kind of natural or man-made disaster.

www.wavy.com

Please take time to prepare for the bad weather this season and take advantage of the tax free items.