ANNUAL EXHIBIT 2004
The Great Hurricane of 1938

On the afternoon of September 21, 1938, what today is known as a Category 3 hurricane swept across Long Island and slammed into Fishers Island and New England beyond. The entire region was caught unaware and blind-sided by the storm's fury. The hurricane left a path of destruction and devastation unseen in this area since the Great Gale of 1815, killing over 600 people and leveling coastal communities from Connecticut to Massachusetts. This year's Annual Exhibition documents the storm, its aftermath, and its lasting legacy of change to the landscape and architecture of Fishers Island.

Raging Seas Surging over Money Pond, September 21, 1938: This dramatic photo shows a wind-driven tidal surge sweeping over Money Pond at the height of the Great Hurricane of 1938. During the storm, Fishers Island was sliced from sea-to-sound in two low-lying places. The breach shown here turned Fishers Island's easternmost tip into a temporary "island" that encompassed only the McDonell residence (today Luce) and the Simmons' "castle" (today Hanley).