Blizzard of ’78: Where Were You 35 Years Ago?
More than three decades ago we were blanketed with 27 inches of snow.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 35 years since the Merrimack Valley was hit with the Blizzard of '78, but the stories will withstand the test of time.
On Feb. 6, 1978, our area was blanketed with a record 27 inches of snow with the added bonus of hurricane force winds. The storm began the morning of Feb. 6 and lasted through the following evening. It was a storm that was never really predicted to be that large, and yet, from it one good thing came – we learned about emergency preparedness.
According to the America Red Cross, 99 people were killed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and nearly 4,500 sustained injury or illness from the storm.
Total damage was estimated at $520M, which is equal to $1.85B today.
For those of us who were old enough to remember, the memories differ. The motorist stuck in his car for hours on the highway, the family wondering where that person was, to communities paralyzed by Mother Nature in a storm no one ever expected.
Perhaps you are a "Blizzard Baby," born somewhere around Nov. 6, 1978?
We'd love to hear your stories from the Blizzard of '78 and see your photos. You can upload your photos directly, and tell us your stories in the comment field below.
Dee Bee
7:59 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I was a senior in high school and didn't realize the impact of this storm until years later. It must have been a nightmare for parents and families, as no one had cell phones back then, and those stranded on the highways that turned into 'paaarking lots' had no way to tell anyone where they were.
denise
8:25 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
i lived in winthrop...we were out of school for about 2-3 weeks!!! I remember my parents took us for a ride thru Revere, and it looked like a bomb went off...a refridgerator in the street!!! (where the ocean had moved it!)
Karyn
2:35 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Living in Salem, MA at the time. My VW bug was completely buried in the driveway.... couldn't even see the shape of it!
Robert L Homeyer
3:44 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I lived in Winthrop too. I was in college (Mass College of Pharmacy) at the time but commuted. I also worked at Stop & Shop in Government Center with a bunch of kids from Winthrop. They called us in after a few days and we walked. When we got to the tunnel they shuttled us thru. We stayed at the Holiday Inn (right next to S&S) for a few days and then I walked to MCP to complete midterms. Then stayed with one of my classmates for a few days. It was a great storm.
denise
11:25 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Last name "homeyer' is familier! Grow up in Winthrop..?.78 was quite the storm there...
Bob
8:32 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I lived in Plymouth and the storm surge tossed a huge bolder into the side of a restaurant at the beach (Bert's). The boulder was so big, they couldn't get it out without blasting so the restaurant build a room around the rock and called it the "Rock Room". White Horse Beach area was flooded and had boulders all over the beach and streets.
Michael Carroll
2:10 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
There was at least 5 feet of Sand in the side yard at our cottage on Whitehorse Beach. The stream and the bridge were filled to the top with the sand. The street has to be plowed because of the SAND. Taylor Ave looked like a disaster zone! (Dad worked for NE Telephone and was able to drive as Emergency Personnel)
The whole front row of summer cottages were all mostly ripped right off there foundations / pilings and then washed out to sea. Luckily no loss of life.....but plenty of property destruction! Quite a sight to see !!!.