The Great Hurricane of 1933
While certainly not the first hurricane to bring winds and high water to Assateague, the hurricane of late August 1933 is notable for turning the Assateague peninsula into an island. Waves over twenty feet high swept over the Assateague dunes, and, as is often the case, this hurricane pushed water from the Atlantic into the bays on the west side of Assateague. With the water of the bays rising and the wind and waves striking the coast, an inlet was forged at Ocean City that remains to this day. In the years since the hurricane, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has maintained the jetty of boulders that protects the Ocean City inlet.
News reports counted six dead on the Eastern Shore, many homes damaged beyond repair, and roads destroyed.
The Eastern Shore News reported the following on September 1st, 1933:
"Many families were driven from their homes. Some escaped in boats, others swam to safety while others floated on wreckage until rescued. Homes were flooded by salt water and the damage to furniture and household goods will run into many thousands of dollars. In many homes, windows and doors were battered down by the pounding waves. High winds did tremendous damage, felling trees, deroofing buildings, and destroying crops.
Thousands of chickens and many horses, cows, sheep, dogs, and other animals were drowned."
Return to Storms Menu