WBZ Weather Almanac

Hurricanes Connie & Diane... August 13th/18-20th, 1955

David Vallee, National Weather Service, Taunton, MA

Not even a year had passed since the one-two punch of Hurricanes Carol and Edna, when on August 12th, 1955, Hurricane Connie snaked ashore in North Carolina. Although the storm had weakened, it was about to set into motion a catastrophic chain of events. On the 13th, Connie soaked New England with torrential rains. Just five days later, Tropical Storm Diane followed suit creating massive flooding not seen since the 1930s.

Hurricane Diane made landfall on the North Carolina coast on August 17th. The system soon weakened to a tropical storm before beginning a slow march northward. By August 18th, heavy rains began to affect southern New England as Diane made a sharp turn up the coast. The center passed over Block Island on August 19th, tracking east of Cape Cod by the 20th. August 19, 1960: A woman is pulled from the rising waters in Worcester by rescuers in wetsuits. Photo courtesy Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

August 13th/18-20th, 1955 Diane dumped excessive rainfall measuring 15-20?from northern Connecticut east to the Boston area. The greatest total of 19.76?occurred in Westfield, also setting the highest 24-hour rainfall record for the region—an incredible 18.15? As much as 5-10?of rain fell across the remainder of southern New England.

50 Years Later

The combination of Connie and Diane yielded rainfall totals close to 25?in some areas, resulting in unprecedented flooding. Nearly all of the major rivers in the lower Connecticut Valley exceeded flood stage. Some rivers rose more than 20 feet over their banks. Hardest hit rivers included the Westfield, Farmington and Chicopee. Flooding was compounded by numerous dam failures.

Severe flooding also occurred across central Massachusetts where 40% of downtown Worcester was submerged. In Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the Blackstone River rose to 17 feet above flood stage, drowning the town as water rose to the height of streetlights! Along rivers in southern New England, roads, bridges and railroads were badly damaged or destroyed. Over 100 homes were lost, another 1500 damaged by floodwaters. The death toll climbed to 90 in the region. And so ended the "roaring??0s, when hurricanes came in pairs.

David Vallee is the Science and Operations Officer for the National Weather Service in Taunton, MA. He is responsible for leading research efforts, infusing new methods and technologies into operations and for developing training for the entire staff.