This Date in Weather History

Heavy rain across West Virginia on October 19, 1961 as a strong storm moved up the east coast. At the same time cold air was moving southward through the Great Lakes region and into the Ohio valley. Because the storm was moving slowly the cold air moved in behind the storm before it moved away and out to sea. The rain changed to a record early, heavy, wet snow over the southern mountains – several places in the high terrain got more than a foot of the white stuff. Leaves were still on the trees, resulting in the worst forest disaster since forest fires in 1952. Reports from the time said that “It got on the power lines and froze and broke some of those. The trees had such heavy loads of snow and leaves on them. They fell down across the roads and across the power lines.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A strong Hurricane battered western Cuba in the middle of October 1910. The system then headed northeastward across southern Florida dumping heavy rain and causing high water to inundate southeastern Fla with water many feet above sea level. Many of the barrier islands that today house cities like Miami Beach where covered over with water – but there was little built up on those islands and so damage was minimal. One strange impact of the hurricane was that because it moved very slowly with strong constantly blowing winds from the direction of the northeast all across the region, that on the west coast of Florida the wind then was blowing away from the land and so the opposite of a storm surge occurred. On October 18, 1910 the wind actually blew the water out of Tampa Bay and the Hillsboro River and pushed it into the Gulf of Mexico. The water level lowered to 9 feet below average low water; and there was little water left for several hours in the river and Tampa Bay, 40 ships were grounded. It was the exact opposite of a storm surge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early on the morning of October 17, 1781, Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis, found himself hunkered down in a cave near the southern shoreline of the York River. Above him was the disintegrating hamlet of Yorktown, Virginia, now being systematically bombarded into rubble by American and French cannon fire. Cornwallis understood that imminent surrender was the certain fate of his entrapped military force, an army that consisted of about 8,000 British, Hessian, and loyalist soldiers, in addition to wives and even children. An attempted breakout had failed just hours before. A sudden storm disrupted an effort to move his army northward across the York River to Gloucester Point—and possible escape. Now with the ground continually shaking all around him, Cornwallis prepared to order a white flag hoisted above his battered entrenchments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An early snowstorm dropped several inches of snow through portions of the Northeast on October 16, 2009. Normally snow during this time of year easily melts on most surfaces with ground and air temperatures usually above the freezing mark. To overcome this, it has to snow very hard and that is what it did. In Coudersport, PA 10” of snow fell. Other Pennsylvania cities like Wellsboro and Haneyville had 8” of snow. Nearly 3” fell in South Vestal, NY. Lesser amounts fell in other places, but in most of these areas early snowfall records were broken. Since the snow arrived this early there were still leaves on the trees leading to several power outages and downed tree limbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been 66 years since powerful Hurricane Hazel made landfall close to the North Carolina/South Carolina border near Myrtle Beach, S.C., on the morning of Oct. 15, 1954. The storm wreaked havoc across the eastern United States and Canada on its way to the record books. Hazel is considered one of the worst natural disasters in North Carolina's history, and one of the most destructive hurricanes to impact the U.S.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On October 14, 1988 off the coast of Alaska, a thick layer of ice had already formed along the north shore that blocked the southward migration of California gray whales near Point Barrow, Alaska and could have disastrous effects on those whales. So, on that day American and Soviet rescuers worked together and cleared a passage to the open sea and prevented the whales from drowning and continue on a migration path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For roughly 16 hours on October 12 2006, the Buffalo, NY, area was pounded by an unprecedented lake-effect snow event. An unusually cold air mass flowing over the warm waters of Lake Erie set up the small-scale but severe event. The waters of Lake Erie were a mild 62 degrees, three degrees above normal for October 12. After the snow ended the morning of the 13th the final snowfall tally at the Buffalo airport was 22.6“. That amount of snow easily surpassed the previous all-time October record of 6“ in 1909 and went down in history as the 7th greatest snowfall total ever in Buffalo. Other snowfall totals included 24“ at Depew and Alden, 22“ in Amherst, 15“ in Downtown Buffalo and 14“ in West Seneca. The heavy weight of the snow caused the worst tree damage in memory across the region, especially in the many historic parkways and parks in Buffalo. Almost a million residents lost power. Some people had to sit in the dark for as long as a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On October 11, 1737 a furious hurricane hit the mouth of the Ganges river near Calcutta, India. At the same time there was a violent earthquake, which threw down a great many houses along the river just as the hurricane approached, many communities nearby had most of their buildings destroyed and then the hurricane hit. The because of the damaged infrastructure and wreckage from the earthquake, the hurricane was devastating. Estimates were made that the water was pushed up the Ganges river to Calcutta at a height of 40 feet – totally destroying the city that at the time numbered more than 25,000 people. Most ships in the river were capsized and then washed well inland. The flood waters from the hurricane spread over the vast inland plain of what is now parts of India and Bangladesh. The result of hurricane and earthquake was one of the greatest natural disasters in world history. More than 300,000 people are thought to have perished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winter often comes early to the plans of western Canada. Cold air builds up in the artic regions and plunges southward unhindered through the vast flatlands. This often leads to quick changes in temperatures and more importantly the weather. On October 10, 1989 across the Canadian province of Alberta Temperatures dropped from the middle 60’s into the 40’s in just 10 minutes with the passage of a strong cold front. Powerful winds with the front took down trees and power lines. Reduced visibility due to windblown dust led to a 14-car pileup in near zero visibility near Bassano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1804 Snow hurricane was the first tropical cyclone in recorded history known to produce snowfall. An unusual late-season storm in 1804 it produced vast amounts of snow, rain, and powerful winds across the northeastern United States. It was the first known tropical cyclone to generate significant snowfall, and its early and extensive accumulations throughout New England were unprecedented and unusually heavy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 1900 brought to Galveston, Texas the worst natural disaster in U S history. A massive hurricane hit the city head on. Destroying most of what was then the 2nd leading port on the Gulf of Mexico, after New Orleans and leaving between 6 and 12,000 dead. Galveston had been the scene of two prior hurricanes, one in 1837 and then again in 1867 that cause severe damage. But on October 8, 1901 A deluge produced nearly 12" of rain in about a six-hour period. The torrential rains came to Galveston precisely 13 months following the day of that famous 1900 Galveston Hurricane disaster and caused much damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A slow-moving tropical depression in early October 1970 centered on October 7, resulted in rainfall over multiple days across Puerto Rico and set the stage for the devastating floods. The focus of the rainfall core shifted from day to day, but some areas experienced copious amounts of rainfall on consecutive days, causing rainfall amounts that could be measured in feet. There were 18 confirmed fatalities, 34 people missing, $65 million (equivalent to more than ½ billion 2020 dollars worth of damage, 10,000 were left homeless, 600 houses destroyed and another 1,000 damaged. The damage to agriculture alone was approximately $8 million with $12 million tallied for road and bridge damage. President Nixon declared the territory a disaster area; the worst in Puerto Rico’s history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ucluelet, British Columbia is located on the west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. It has an oceanic climate like that of Ireland, with mild, rainy winters and cool summers owing to its coastal location. As such, precipitation is high, averaging around 132 in per year, with most of it concentrated in the winter months. In October 1967 an early season winter-type storms blasted southward from the Gulf of Alaska and brought the region 19.61” of rain in 24 hours on October 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The late summer of 1786 had been ideal for the growing of pumpkins and corn in Pennsylvania. In fact, pumpkin patches in central Pennsylvania, especially around the Susquehanna Valley were brimming with pumpkins. The ground was moist from a wet summer and the soil somewhat saturated. Then in early October torrential rainfall caused the Susquehanna River to flood. Reports of the time stated the river was anywhere between six and 10 feet higher than normal. These flood waters washed away the usual debris in addition to homes and unharvested crops like corn and pumpkins. Large numbers of pumpkins were seen floating down the river on October 5, 1786, and people of the time dubbed it the 'Great Pumpkin Flood.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Late on October 2, a hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Holding its intensity, the storm system paralleled the Texas coastline, causing "many" deaths. A storm tide value of 7 feet was reported in Ludlum, and it is possible that Brownsville, Texas, was in the western eyewall of the hurricane at the storms closest approach. Turning toward Louisianan, the storm made landfall on the state with winds of 100 mph, a Category 2 storm. Moving to the east and weakening, the storm made landfall on the state of Florida during the day on October 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like everyone else, Benjamin Franklin was affected by weather; but unlike most people of his time, he tried to explain the reasons for various weather-related phenomena, and even discovered some ways to predict the weather. In 1751 he was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and urged that they keep records of the weather each day. On October 3, 1769 it was recorded that snow fell in Philadelphia and covered the ground and buildings. This still stands as the earliest covering of snow in Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moisture from Tropical Storm Octive led to destructive flooding across Arizona on October 2, 1983. Floodwaters that left 10 people dead or missing surged through normally bone-dry land, washing out bridges road and power forcing thousands from their homes, and turning a slice of desert Southwest into “a raging river”. Rivers swollen to record levels burst their banks amid heavy rains swallowing buildings and bridges causing millions of dollars in damage across a 200-mile swath of Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Texas won its independence from Mexico and officially became the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836, remaining an independent nation until February 19, 1846 when it entered the Union. On October 1, 1837 a year and a half after independence, the new nation had to struggle with its first large-scale national disaster. A hurricane formed off the coast of Africa and took more than a week to make the journey into the gulf of Mexico. Then on October 1 the storm wrought destruction along the entire coast of Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Laguna Fire, was a 175,425-acre wildfire that burned from September 22, 1970 to October 4, 1970, and reached its height on September 30th in the Laguna Mountains and East County region and San Diego County in Southern California. It was the third-largest wildfire in the history of California at that time, after the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, and the Matilija Fire of 1932. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 29, 1988 a strong cold front that blasted southward from central Canada in across the great plans of the United States. It produced flooding rains and severe weather across Missouri. Kansas City received 4" of rain and 60 mph winds during the late night and early morning hours, trapping rush hour commuters in their cars under 6’ of water. Lawrence, Kansas had golf ball sized hail and 80 mph winds. Extensive tree damage and power outages in the Kansas City metro area; 60 mph wind gusts at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, but no major damage was reported at the ballpark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane was a powerful and destructive hurricane that devastated much of the East Coast of the United states, starting with Florida’s Cedar Keys, near the end of September 1896. The storm's rapid movement allowed it to maintain much of its intensity after landfall and cause significant damage over a broad area; as a result, it became one of the costliest United States hurricanes at the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The year 1816 is known as the Year Without a Summer, also the Poverty Year and Eighteen Hundred and Froze To Death because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by almost a degree and a half. Summer temperatures in Europe were the coldest on record between the years of 1766–2000. This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. The final blow came on September 27, 1816 when a killing frost and freeze ended the growing seas from the Mid-Atlantic State northward. The Black Frost as it become known ushered in a terrible winter of famine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hurricane Jeanne comes ashore near Hutchinson Island just to the east of Stuart, Florida on September 26, 2004 as a Category 3 storm. The storm passed over Polk County, Florida. Winds at Fort Pierce Inlet gusted to 126 mph, and gusts to 104 mph were recorded at Vero Beach. 1 million people without power. Many houses have been blown off of their foundations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 25, 1939 “El Cordonazo” or “The Lash of St. Francis” a tropical storm hit Southern California and causes the greatest September rainfall ever. The storm lost hurricane status shortly before moving onshore at San Pedro ad a tropical storm. Torrential rains hit with Los Angles getting 5.42” in 24 hours, and Mt. Wilson 11.60” both records for the month of September. 3.62” fell in Needles, 1.51” Palm Springs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1888 was a cold year in the eastern half of he United States. The Great Blizzard of '88, or the Great White Hurricane in March 1888 was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history. The summer of 1888 returned to more normal temperatures especially in the southern states with usual bouts of heat and humidity. But on September 24, 1888 a severe frost struck South Carolina, Georgia and even reached into northern Florida effectively putting an end to the growing season at least a month and a half early. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the course of a three-month period in the summer of 1993, a slow-moving and historic flooding disaster unfolded across the midwestern United States, leaving economic ramifications that would be felt for years to come. Over 17 million acres were flooded across nine states across the Midwest during the summer of 1993, starting in June and lasting through August. This is an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia. “The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply overwhelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States,” said the Hydrologic Research Laboratory. On September 23, 1993 the summer was over, indicative of the rainfall was Cedar Rapids, Iowa that measured 35 inches of rain for the summer, the 3 summer months brought them the average rainfall for the entire 12 months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugo was still at hurricane strength as the storm advanced quickly north-northwest across central SC and into western NC during the early morning hours of September 22, 1989. Considerable damage occurred in Sumter, SC where winds gusted over 100 mph. Winds gusted to 90 mph in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC area, which was declared a disaster area. 90% of Charlotte was without power. Tornado touchdowns were reported in Burke and Caldwell counties in NC. Charlotte airport recorded 3.16" of rain. Hickory recorded an 82-mph wind gust, while Greensboro had a 54-mph gust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hurricane Hugo intensified on September 21, 1989 as the storm moved northwestward toward Charleston, South Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Snow fell on September 20, 1792 across northern Pennsylvania, in and early season storm that all but put an end to the growing season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 19, 1992 a lightning bolt struck a high school football player on the practice field in Silver Springs, Maryland and smashed his football helmet. 40 other players felt the shock. Amazingly no one was seriously injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the morning of September 18, 1926 the eye of category 4 hurricane passed over downtown Miami and parts of Cocoanut Grove and South Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the afternoon of September 17, 1923, just about everyone in Berkeley California had taken note of the uncommonly warm, dry wind blowing in from the northeast. What they didn’t know was that a small grass fire over the hill in Wildcat Canyon was growing fast, leaping from grass to brush to tree—and it was about to crest the hills of North Berkeley. When it did, near Berryman Reservoir, the fire was a half mile wide. A thick black cloud came pouring over the hill, followed by surging flames pressed low by warm, gale-force winds, known as Diablo winds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the second deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly in Lake Okeechobee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Preservation Society of Charleston, South Carolina reports from the South-Carolina Gazette, September 19, 1752 the following description: “The mid-September, 1752, cyclone was "the most violent and terrible hurricane that ever was felt in this province." Strong winds began the evening of September 14, becoming more violent as the storm blew closer. Rain sluiced down steadily through the early morning, and a terrifying night gave way to a horrifying day. The storm surge poured in about 9:00 AM, overflowing seawalls and creek beds. Before 11 o'clock, nearly all the vessels in Charleston Harbor were on shore, some driven into the marsh, some riding the flood to crash into wharves and buildings. By three o'clock Friday afternoon, September 15, the wind had died completely and the storm was gone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rising Sun Hurricane struck Charleston, South Carolina in mid- September in 1700. Typical of a powerful hurricane making landfall, the storm cut a swath of devastation through the region. This hurricane, however, is best remembered for the eyewitness account detailing the destruction of the storm’s namesake: the Scottish warship, Rising Sun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A tropical storm was first observed east of the Bahamas on September 6, 1857. It moved slowly northwestward toward the coast of the United States and attained hurricane strength early on September 9. The storm continued traveling northwest along the US coast, becoming a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of Georgia on September 11. On September 13 the cyclone made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, but then quickly weakened to a tropical storm and turned eastward into the Atlantic on September 14. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On August 29, 1960, the storm that would become Hurricane Donna formed near Cape Verde off the African coast. It would go on to cause 150 deaths from Puerto Rico to New England over the next two weeks. On August 31, Donna attained hurricane status and headed west toward the Caribbean Sea. The storm then rode the Florida coastline, causing 13 deaths in Fort Myers and Daytona Beach. The state’s grapefruit and orange crops also took devastating blows and almost half of the largest mangrove tree forest in the United States was lost. It was the strongest storm to hit Florida until Andrew in 1992. On September 12, Donna battered the Outer Banks on North Carolina and was still a Category 3 hurricane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 11, 2001 was a horrific day for the United States and the world. The day of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. It was also a heroic day when passengers fought back and prevented even more destruction and loss of life. The visuals of it all were made possible by the weather. It was a bright, blue and pristine day across the eastern United States. Humidify was low with no haze or clouds. Visibility was unlimited, clear to the horizon. Those that sized the controls in the cockpits that day where easily able to see their targets. The ensuing crashes and destruction were also visible from afar and the horror easily seen. Because the next few days remained clear as a large high-pressure system perched itself over the east coat toxic dust was able to hang in the air much longer than if rain fell and washed the air clean. The plumes of smoke and dust in New York City and Washington DC continued to be seen. Those that died that day and those that worked to find victims and clean up and then suffered and those that ran into the collapsing buildings are remembered again today. They are no less honored than those that also gave their last measure as American soldiers on battlefields across the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 9, 1976, Tropical Storm Kathleen was barely a tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, Kathleen turned north-northeast into warmer waters and the tropical storm began to re-strengthen. Despite moving rapidly north, it strengthened into Hurricane Kathleen. Kathleen's forward motion accelerated to speeds of 35 mph on September 10, 1976. Unlike the few tropical systems that make it as far as California, Kathleen weakened only slowly as it moved northward over the state. It moved across Death Valley and on September 11, entered western Nevada. Its impacts were significant and, in some places, devastating. In a region not prone to heavy rain and especially not accompanied by strong winds the damage was severe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane was destructive and powerful and swept across a large portion of the US east coast in September 1944. The hurricane was infamous for the amount of damage it caused along the New Jersey coastline. The shore towns on Long Beach Island, Atlantic City and Cape May all suffered major damage. Rain totals of 7 inches occurred in Hartford Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport saw the greatest official total at 10.7 inches. Tobacco and fruit damage in Connecticut totaled to about $2 million, with similar overall damage costs occurring in Rhode Island. A total of 28 people died throughout New England as a result of the storm. The storm that was officially upgraded to a tropical system on September 9, 1944 would, in the next week result in one of the greatest destructive hurricanes on record for the resort beach towns of New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history hit Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, killing more than 6,000 people, many more likely perished, that is because the storm caused so much destruction on the Texas coast that reliable estimates of the number of victims are difficult to make. Some believe that as many as 12,000 people perished, which would make it the deadliest day in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The summer of 1881 had been be brutally hot and dry across the Mid-west and into the eastern states. Because of the conditions and other factors massive forest fire had erupted in parts of Michigan early in September culminating in the Great Thumb fire in Michigan on 5 and 6th. It resulted in a yellow sky in the major eastern cities on September 6 because of the smoke and haze in the air. Strong, dry winds fueled the fire. No notable fires broke out in the east on September 7, 1881, but it sure felt like something was burning. Record heat scorched most of the big cities up and down the eastern seaboard setting record that still stand today almost 140 years later. The mercury soared to 101 degrees in New York City; 102 degrees in Boston, MA; 104 degrees in Washington DC a September record; 102 degrees in Philadelphia also a September record and the latest 100 degrees ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881, in the Thumb area of Michigan. The fire burned over a million acres in less than a day, was the result of drought, hurricane forces winds, heat and that after effects of the Port Huron Fire of 1871 and the ecological damage wrought by the era's logging techniques. The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in 4 counties in northeastern Michigan. The damage estimate was more than $2 million dollars or $100 million in 2020 dollars. The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight was partially obscured at many locations on the East Coast of the United States. In New England cities, the sky appeared yellow and projected a strange luminosity onto buildings and vegetation. Twilight appeared at 12 noon. September 6, 1881 immediately became known as Yellow Tuesday or Yellow Day due to the ominous nature of this atmospheric event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1925 was extremely dry across the southeastern part of the nation. In fact, the summer of 1925 was the driest on record in Alabama. The drought would only be equaled in some places by the Dust bowl days of the 1930s. The stage was set for the greatest September heatwave in Alabama history. Many cities would see their highest temperatures ever that September. That included Centreville, which set the state's all-time high temperature record at 112° F on Sept. 5, 1925. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tropical storm Norma formed off the west coast of Mexico just after the page of the calendar turned to September in 1970. By September 3rd it had reached minimal tropical storm force then was pulled inland after moving briefly up through the gulf of California. Its impacts were minimal in Mexico and many though the worst was over. It lost its circulation, but not it’s moisture. Heavy tropical moisture deep through the atmosphere came streaming northward into Arizona. The result was what is known as The Great Labor Day Storm of 1970.Severe flooding hit Arizona on September 4, 1970 that extended into the 5th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The strongest Hurricane of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season formed from a slow-moving, weak disturbance east of the Bahamas on or around August 28, 1935. .On September 2, 1935, the hurricane reached its greatest intensity and made landfall later that night as a Category 5 storm, crossing the Florida Keys between Key West and Miami, FL. As it made landfall, it was packing sustained winds of 185 mph. The tracks of the Florida East Coast Railroad, the main transportation route linking the Keys to mainland Florida, were shifted off their roadbed and completely destroyed. The tracks were never rebuilt, as the railway now terminates in Miami. Fatalities throughout the Keys were significant. At least 409 people perished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On, September 2, 1775, the Independence Hurricane hit the American colonies as the American Revolution was beginning. It would be the 8th deadliest Atlantic hurricane of all time. After dumping rain for a week, the hurricane landed in North Carolina and continued up the coast through Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The storm was particularly devastating to the region's economy because it was harvest season. Many crops were still in the field and were completely destroyed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yuma, Arizona is noted for its weather extremes. Of any populated place in the contiguous United States, Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of days per year—175—with a daily maximum temperature of 90. Yuma features a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and warm winters. On September 1, 1950 the temperature in Yuma reached 123 degrees – the highest temperature ever recorded in the United states in the month of September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the summer of 1772 a young 17-year-old clerk was toiling in the West Indies on the Island of St. Croix. He had been born in poverty, but even at his young age had risen to be given responsibilities of management at the firm he clerked for. On August 31, 1772 as a powerful hurricane roared through the region. The clerk wrote a letter describing the storm that said in part: “It’s impossible for me to describe or you to form any idea of it. It seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.