The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944
Submitted by Al Shipley, City Historian and Rahway Library Research Consultant
The mere mention of the names Hugo (1989), Floyd (1999), Katrina (2005), and Sandy (2012) is sure to cause angst. These names are likely to evoke recollections of monsoon-like rains, heavy flooding, falling trees, loss of electric power, and perhaps even injury and death to those who experienced their wrath.
Today, aware of the effects of global warming, most Americans have come to expect that devastating storms such as these will not only continue to occur but will occur more regularly. Back in 1944, however, the concept of a warming planet was unheard of and disastrous storms were considered once-in-a lifetime events. On September 14, 1944, the residents of Rahway experienced such an event: a hurricane so mighty that it would be remembered as the fiercest storm to strike the city to that date.
The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 (It had no name as hurricanes were not officially given names until 1950) was a powerful tropical storm that left a trail of destruction over nearly 1,000 miles along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Maine. The storm developed east of Barbados on September 7th and by the 9th had strengthened into a fully formed hurricane. After doing major damage to the south-eastern states and to the towns along the New Jersey Coastline, the hurricane hit Rahway on the night of Thursday, the 14th.
The storm roared into the city with blasts of winds of 80 to 100 mph accompanied by heavy rain. In the business district, large store windows were blown out leaving a trail of glass along the sidewalks. Signs hanging over store fronts were torn from their moorings. High voltage wires around Merck & Co. and another on Broad Street that supplied power for the Pennsylvania Railroad were severed, the latter producing vivid flashes of sparks whenever the wind-tossed wire struck its metal stanchion. Telephone service was lost and lights in most neighborhoods were knocked out leaving many residents without power for six days. Safety patrols had to be stationed by the downed wires to keep the curious away.
But it was Rahway’s grand trees—the pride of the city—that experienced the worst of the wind. Over 800 trees were felled, blocking streets, damaging homes, taking down electric wires, smashing cars, and making it impossible to get around the city. Elm, Seminary, Central, and Lake Avenues lost many of their majestic trees. The tall, old oak in the rear yard of the Girl Scout House (now the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum) fell across Westfield Avenue pulling down wires and blocking access to St. Georges Avenue. Few trees were lost in Rahway County Park, but at least 25 of the largest trees in Rahway Cemetery were uprooted.
With all of the destruction, Rahway was fortunate not to have any fatalities. However, there were several close calls. A couple living on St. Georges Avenue barely escaped injury when a large tulip tree fell and crushed their front porch—the trunk of which landed three feet from where they were sitting. An Elm Avenue resident, intent on moving her car from the street to a safer spot, froze on her front porch steps when she witnessed a huge elm fall and completely crush her vehicle.
Compounding the destructive event, the river had reached high tide just as the rains came. Homes on Allen Street, Union Place, Haydock Street, and Dock Street were flooded, and residents had to be rescued. Several groups volunteered to help the victims. Rowboats were commandeered from the Rahway Yacht Club to aid in the evacuation and temporary shelters were set-up at police headquarters, the Eagles building, and the First Presbyterian Church.
Community efforts were also made during the clean-up which started almost immediately after the storm abated. A labor force was enlisted which included 30 men from the New Jersey Reformatory and 60 high school students who were given a day off from school on Friday to help remove the debris. The crew would work all day Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday. Vehicles and drivers needed to carry away the heavy limbs, trunks, and branches were supplied at no expense by Merck, National Pneumatic, Monte Christie, Regina, Quinn and Boden, the Colonial Coal Co. and the reformatory. By Friday evening, all streets were opened to traffic, and by Saturday night, most branches and trunks had been removed and carted away.
While Rahway has since experienced a number of more devastating storms—most notably Sandy in 2012—the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 would live in the memories of the postwar generation for decades.
