On Sept. 21, 1938, a Category 3 hurricane struck New England, the most destructive and costly recorded storm to hit the region. It originated in the far eastern Atlantic and made landfall at Long Island, N.Y., before moving up the Connecticut River Valley.
The storm resulted in 564 deaths, including 13 in New Hampshire, and more than 1,700 injuries. It destroyed ships, bridges, buildings, and rail lines, blew down part of the Cog Railway on Mount Washington, and left many Granite Staters without electricity for weeks.
More than 11,000 acres of trees were leveled, including parts of the White Mountain National Forest, leading to increased wildfires over the next several years.
The Merrimack River rose to 11 feet over its flood stage, and all major roadways in and out of Concord became impassable, making the state’s capital an island, at least temporarily.
N.H. Historical Society