In One Ear: ‘Rattled and howled’

Published 12:15 am Thursday, December 5, 2024

Ear: Wind

If you will recall, 17 years ago, on Dec. 3, 2007, the Great Coastal Gale began. The winds were ferocious, birds were flying backward, a good chunk of Big Red’s roof blew off, roads were covered with trees, making entering or exiting the area close to impossible and many had no power or phones for weeks.

Well, it wasn’t the first time such a storm happened, of course, and the George Flavel Facebook page shared a tidbit from Dec. 3. 1887, that just might sound a tad familiar:

“The severest blow of the season occurred shortly before daybreak, the breeze from the sea came piping over the hill and set things shivering.

“It blew down signs, upset fences, carried away sky lights, flagstaffs, smashed glass, shook down chimneys and banged and rattled and howled, rocking houses, screaming and sighing and wailing, clattered at doors, vibrated windows, beat the rain into every conceivable cranny and crevice, and then went roaring over into Washington territory, where, meeting other boisterous breezes, it threshed through the tall timber.

“It was the severest blow we’ve had for several years.” (Drawing: George Cruikshank)

Marketplace