Hurricane of 1938, Niantic
– Archives & Special Collections, University of Connecticut Libraries and Connecticut History Illustrated
From headline-making events, such as blizzards, tornados, and droughts, to the prevailing climactic conditions that helped make the Connecticut River Valley suitable for growing a specialty crop like shade tobacco, weather has played a persistent role in shaping the state’s fortunes. In earlier centuries, foul weather could bring starvation, death at sea, and other grave consequences. Among those who have advanced our knowledge of atmospheric phenomena is William C. Redfield. This self-taught scientist from Middletown earned world-wide acclaim in the mid-1800s for his theories on the rotating wind dynamics of tropical storms. Today, Western Connecticut State University offers one of the few degree granting programs meteorology in the Northeast.
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The Flood That We Forget: October 15 and 16, 1955
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