Some of you might have seen our recent post about the snowstorms in the US. However, you may or may not know that a much more devastating storm hit the east coast of America 128 years ago today.

On March 11th 1888, what came to be known as The Great White Hurricane caused three days of chaos across New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It was one of the most severely recorded blizzards in the history of the United States and 400 people were estimated to have died as a result.

The storm left up to 60 inches (152cm) of snow and created towering snowdrifts 50ft (15 metres) high. Some people were stuck in their houses for a week (yes, that's right, without tv or internet) and trains and telephone lines were disabled.

Still, one good thing did come from the Great White Hurricane: the city of Boston, alarmed by the gridlock caused by the blizzard, decide to build a subway, and nine years later The Boston subway became the first underground rail network in the US.

#1

Miss Porter's School In Farmington, Ct After The "Great White Hurricane" Snow Storm Of 1888

Miss Porter's School In Farmington, Ct After The "Great White Hurricane" Snow Storm Of 1888

Report

#2

The Great White Hurricane

The Great White Hurricane

Wood Museum of Springfield History Report

#3

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, Massachusetts

Report

#4

Man Standing By Snow Hut, After Blizzard Of 1888, With U.s. Capitol In Background, Washington

Man Standing By Snow Hut, After Blizzard Of 1888, With U.s. Capitol In Background, Washington

loc.gov Report

#5

Carts Take The Snow From The City And Dump Them In The East River, New York

Carts Take The Snow From The City And Dump Them In The East River, New York

Report

#6

Trolley Is Pushing Through The Snow, Washington, DC

Trolley Is Pushing Through The Snow, Washington, DC

Report

#7

Brooklyn Bridge During The Blizzard

Brooklyn Bridge During The Blizzard

LIFE Photo Archive Report

#8

Derailed Train Already Half-Buried In The Snow, harlem Railroad In The State Of New York

Derailed Train Already Half-Buried In The Snow, harlem Railroad In The State Of New York

New York Historical Society Report

DariaB
Community Member
7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This reminds me of Mato Lovrak's children novel "Vlak u snijegu" (train in the snow).

#9

Store's Billboard Is Brought Down By The Weight Of The Snow

Store's Billboard Is Brought Down By The Weight Of The Snow

Associated Press/AP Photo Report

#10

New York - Madison at Fiftieth

New York - Madison at Fiftieth

Report

#11

Snow Has Covered The Windows Of This Shop In Manhattan

Snow Has Covered The Windows Of This Shop In Manhattan

Bettmann/CORBIS Report

#12

Snow And Ice Taken From The City Is Dumped Into The East River, New York

Snow And Ice Taken From The City Is Dumped Into The East River, New York

Buyenlarge/Getty Images Report

#13

Workers Dig Out The Snow From Underneath An Elevated Train Line After The Blizzard

Workers Dig Out The Snow From Underneath An Elevated Train Line After The Blizzard

Bettmann/CORBIS Report

#14

Corner Of Broad And Market Streets, Newark

Corner Of Broad And Market Streets, Newark

Newark Public Library Report

#15

Employees Of TP Howell & Co., Newark

Employees Of TP Howell & Co., Newark

Newark Public Library Report

#16

Work Crew In Front Of Hotel Pennsylvania In New York City

Work Crew In Front Of Hotel Pennsylvania In New York City

New York Historical Society Report

#17

Grand Opera House Under A Blanket Of Snow, Brooklyn

Grand Opera House Under A Blanket Of Snow, Brooklyn

Wallace G. Levison/the Life picture collection/Getty images Report

#18

14th Street, New York City, Just After The Storm

14th Street, New York City, Just After The Storm

Langill Report

#19

People Struggling On Their Daily Commute, Downtown New York

People Struggling On Their Daily Commute, Downtown New York

Life picture collection/Getty Report

#20

Workers Remove Snow In Times Square

Workers Remove Snow In Times Square

Report

See Also on Bored Panda
#21

A Women On A Brownstone-Lined Street Sweeps The Sidewalk Near Where Two Horse-Drawn Buggies Are Parked In Brooklyn

A Women On A Brownstone-Lined Street Sweeps The Sidewalk Near Where Two Horse-Drawn Buggies Are Parked In Brooklyn

Getty Images Report

#22

Corner Of High And Court Streets, Newark

Corner Of High And Court Streets, Newark

Newark Public Library Report

#23

Pedestrians Involved In Snow Removal Operations

Pedestrians Involved In Snow Removal Operations

Bettmann/CORBIS Report

#24

Brooklyn During The White Hurricane

Brooklyn During The White Hurricane

Wikimedia Commons Report

#25

New Yorkers Hiking Across The Brooklyn Bridge After Being Forced To Leave Their Train

New Yorkers Hiking Across The Brooklyn Bridge After Being Forced To Leave Their Train

Report