Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962

On March 4, 1962, a large low-pressure area developed along a cold front off the southeast coast of the United States, with several ill-defined circulation centers. At the same time, a large ridge was over Atlantic Canada, and a powerful upper-level low was over the Ohio Valley. The upper-level low reached the North Carolina coast on March 6, which aided in the intensification of the frontal system, reaching a minimum barometric pressure of . From March 6–8, the storm drifted northeastward, but the ridge blocked quicker movement blocked by the ridge. The storm was unusual because of its slow movement, contrary to typical nor'easters. In their Mariners Weather Log summary, the U.S. Weather Bureau referred to the weather system as the "Great Atlantic Coastal Storm." ==Impacts==

The Weather Bureau described the storm as "one of the most damaging extratropical cyclones to hit the United States coastline," with damage estimated at $200 million. The storm destroyed 1,793 houses, and damaged another 16,782. Cold, northerly winds first affected Florida on March 5, with peak gusts of in Daytona Beach. Tides reached above normal in Vero Beach. The high tides caused minor beach erosion and extensive drifting of sand. Flooding entered oceanfront properties, damaging docks, streets, and cabanas. Monetary damage was estimated around $1 million. Impacts were minimal in Georgia. In neighboring South Carolina, the high tides eroded beaches, with Folly Beach losing up to of sand. Charleston, South Carolina reported wind gusts of and tides above normal. The storm wrecked a few beachside cottages, and one person drowned along the Santee-Cooper Lakes. Heavy snowfall occurred in North Carolina and into Virginia, reaching in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia. Winchester, Virginia reported of snowfall, a city record at the time. Along the Eastern Shore of Virginia, high waves damaged installations at the Wallops Flight Facility, causing a million dollars in damage. Thousands of people had to be evacuated to the mainland during the storm. At the Town of Chincoteague on Virginia's Eastern Shore near the border with Maryland, of water covered parts of Main Street, and most of the island was flooded to various depths; the storm damaged boats and homes and also killed several livestock. At the Delaware Breakwater, winds reached , and the highest tide was above normal before the tidal gauge failed; the high tide was estimated at . Damage in the region was estimated at $50 million, and ten people were killed – seven fatalities were in Delaware and the other three were in Maryland. Waves more than high occurred at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware destroying the boardwalk and beach front homes. The flow of water flooded waterfront areas of Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. The Weather Bureau forecast for Atlantic City failed to anticipate the severity of the storm, and there was little warning for the flooding along the coasts. ==Aftermath==

, regarding part of the aftermath of the storm there. After the storm, stranded residents in the Outer Banks had food and emergency supplies delivered by ferry. The governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency for the Hampton Roads area and the Eastern Shore. President John F. Kennedy declared a disaster area for the affected areas in New Jersey. Following the storm, the police and National Guard patrolled the damaged barrier islands to keep order. Shore towns cleared sand and restored road access ahead of the summer tourist season. The Army Corps of Engineers made emergency beach replenishments to shore towns to protect from further storms. Some 5,000 private lots comprising what is now National Park Service land on Assateague Island had been zoned and sold for resort development. The Ash Wednesday Storm halted the plans for development, as it destroyed the few existing structures on the island and ripped roads apart. Instead, in 1965, Assateague Island National Seashore was designated by the National Park Service. ==Popular culture==

Shortly after the storm subsided, Misty, the famous horse from Chincoteague who spent the storm in the family's kitchen (her barn was flooded) gave birth to a foal. The family named her "Stormy," laying the basis for another book in Marguerite Henry's award-winning Misty of Chincoteague series. The new book was named ''Stormy, Misty's Foal''. ==References==