STORM ANSWER - Posted by Wayne-NC

Posted by Wayne-NC on March 18, 2006 at 12:33:21:

My grandparents met in Union Beach as they had places there. They later bought a cottage in 1950 down at Ocean Beach right on the oceanfront. Yes, it did survive the 1962 storm. I currently have 2 places in Largo, Fl. One is a vacation rental and the other is a duplex. I used to live in Boynton Beach for 15 years too. Appreciation (as where I live now) has been absolutely tremendous!

STORM ANSWER - Posted by Wayne-NC

Posted by Wayne-NC on March 18, 2006 at 06:55:09:

To those who may want this, first the question again.
What was the most “distructive” (not “expensive” due to inflated RE values) storm to hit the east coast in the last 50 years and when? Then some technicalities were brought up looking for a clarification-“assume that destruction is a function of power, duration and the fetch of a storm. Distruction creates disruption of just about everything which may include everything…” Notice in the question that “hurricane” was never mentioned and not every severe storm has a name? Maybe this is not fair to those that don’t live in the north east but winter time storms along the NE coast spin opposite of hurricanes and they are called North Easters or Nor’easters for short. Although not as powerful, the duration and fetch (size) can be tremendous. They typically last 3 days on average. A hurricane will come and go in 8 hours which is maybe one high tide for the beach front. The 3 day nor’easter will have 6 and that is where the real damage occurs. Now when you couple that with hurricane intensity, you get the Great March Storm of 1962! This storm was finally given a name and called the Ash Wednesday Storm. Navy ships were washed ashore in NJ. Yes, it was more widespread than the other named storm, the Perfect Storm. Notice the snowstorm associated with it as mentioned in one article. Read on: The Great Ash Wednesday Storm

“One of the worst, and still a benchmark against which other storms are measured, was “the great Ash Wednesday storm,” a giant northeaster that raged along one thousand miles of the Atlantic coast from March 5 to 8, 1962. The storm struck at the perigean spring tide, when the tides rise highest, and howled through five high tide cycles… with waves as much as thirty feet high.” -excerpt from the book, Against the Tide: The Battle for America’s Beaches, by Cornelia Dean, Columbia University Press, 1999, pg. 145
“…the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, a major winter storm known as a Nor’easter, was one of the most destructive storms to ever hit the United States’ Atlantic seaboard, killing 40 people and doing $1.3 billion in damage in six states?” From a blog.
And a link: http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=15p6hppm47j0j?tname=ash-wednesday-storm-of-1962&curtab=2222_1&hl=ash&hl=wednesday&sbid=lc06b
I was a young boy watching the boardwalk wash down the street to the bay in Lavallette, NJ.
Conclusion: Real estate investors, beware of one of these!

Re: STORM ANSWER - Posted by Natalie-VA

Posted by Natalie-VA on March 18, 2006 at 09:08:35:

So Wayne, are you actually from Lavalette? I rolled through there last week. I was attending a wedding in Seaside Park and the reception was at The Breakers in Spring Lake. I’m from NJ also (Westfield). Small world.

–Natalie

Minor correction - Posted by Wayne-NC

Posted by Wayne-NC on March 18, 2006 at 08:20:58:

I know how things are trying to be exact here so “spin opposite of hurricanes” was supposed to say spin like hurricanes. Opposite would be a southern hemi storm. I have the “2 year old” interuptions going on and it’s early. The rest is rather factual.

Even smaller - Posted by Wayne-NC

Posted by Wayne-NC on March 18, 2006 at 09:28:53:

Depending on how old you are you may remember the Tinnesz family from Westfield. Good friends of mine. I knew the 5 brothers. They went to Ocean Beach for the summers (if you know where that is, 1 mile north of Lavallette). David still holds state wrestling records from HS. In Lavallette, my family once owned a lot of RE there. You should see what it is worth today even with those storms and future threats. Nobody is leaving. Equity Hunter should realize this with his recent comments on Fl. In short, I was born in Pt. Pleasant and know the Jersey Shore well. Now you know why I am here on the Outer Banks. Just like home but quite a bit less expensive, but catching up. A good time to invest as it is still a bargain from NJ and they know it!

Re: Even smaller - Posted by Natalie-VA

Posted by Natalie-VA on March 18, 2006 at 14:31:42:

Nope, I wasn’t even a twinkle in anyone’s eye during the Ash Wednesday Storm. I wasn’t born until '67.

Great times along the Jersey shore growing up…

I still spend time up in LBI (my Aunt has a house there).

–Natalie

Re: Even smaller - Posted by ski

Posted by ski on March 18, 2006 at 11:29:57:

I too am from NJ. Raised in Edison and lived one block from the beach in Union Beach. Now reside in sunny SWFLA and love it.