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A strong hurricane hit New England on September 21, 1938, causing widespread damage to buildings, cars, utility poles and forests. The hurricane did not have an official name like the ones today do, because before 1950, storms were not named. However, it was often called "The Long Island Express." The eye of this storm traveled up the Connecticut River, and the winds and rain caused an incredible amount of damage. There had been heavy rains several days before the hurricane hit, and with the additional rain from the hurricane, most of the area received ten to seventeen inches of water in a very short period of time. The town of Ware, Massachusetts, was especially hard hit. Flood waters in Ware reached a height of 18.2 feet after the hurricane. The flood waters washed down Main Street, and when they receded, all that was left was a deep gully with sewer pipes showing in the bottom. The town was stranded for days, with no one able to get in or out. Loaves of bread, medicine and vaccines had to be dropped from airplanes. It is estimated that the damage was $916,000 for the town which had a population of 8,000.

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