Photo: Newsday

1960: Hurricane Donna’s
Fury Hits Long Island

One of the biggest hurricanes that ever hit the East Coast struck in September 1960, originating in the Caribbean and traveling north to Maine. Along the way, some 10,000 residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties’ South Shore were evacuated before Hurricane Donna rampaged across Long Island on Monday, September 12, peaking around 2:30 p.m. Winds averaged 40 to 50 mph, but reached 125 mph off the East End. High tide at Jones Beach swelled to a record 11.7 feet, seven feet above normal. Two Long Islanders were killed in hurricane-related traffic accidents and over 220,000 homes lost electricity before Monday night, when the storm moved northward. Fallen trees, electric wires, and telephone poles were strewn across streets. Approximately 8,500 telephones went out of service. Property damage was estimated in the millions. Houses submerged by the flooding of Merrick Bay are shown here.

–Cynthia Blair