It's been 44 years since the Blizzard of ’78 took the South Shore by storm
This weekend marks the 44th anniversary of the Blizzard of '78, a catastrophic nor'easter that lives in infamy. To this day, every snowstorm in New England is compared to the blizzard that stranded thousands, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands and killed dozens of people.
President Jimmy Carter designated the storm, then referred to as the Great Blizzard of '78, a disaster in the Northeast. Eastern Massachusetts was closed for three days as snow fell mostly from Monday morning, Feb. 6, to the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 7. The storm killed about 100 people, injured 4,500 more and caused more than $500 million in damage when it slammed the Northeast.
The Patriot Ledger did not publish a newspaper on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1978, and explained the decision in a front-page note to readers.
"So, like many other community services which are part of our daily lives, Tuesday's editions of The Patriot Ledger became a casualty of the Great Blizzard of '78," editors wrote. "For the record, it was the first time within memory that an edition of the newspaper had become a victim of weather. Also for the record, we hope it will be the last time."
And while that three-day event lives on as a milestone moment for many, that once-in-a-lifetime storm is becoming less and less rare.
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The Blizzard of '78 dropped more than 27 inches of snow on Boston. A blizzard on the South Shore last Saturday, Jan. 29, brought 30 inches to Quincy. The storm 44 years ago sent waves pouring over sea walls in Marshfield, Scituate and beyond, but no worse than the series of storms that hit in early 2015.
Meteorologists and historians say much has changed in the more than four decades since the Blizzard of ’78 brought the region to its knees. Weather forecasting is more accurate and gives greater warning, coastal homes are better outfitted, officials are quicker to cancel school and order drivers to stay off the road, and people are more likely to heed warnings and prepare for the worst.
Looking back: Much has changed since Blizzard of '78
Time to dig out: South Shore buried under record-breaking snowfall
“People are far more prepared now than they were then,” David Ball, president of the Scituate Historical Society and a member of the Scituate Coastal Coalition, said in 2015. “It's just a tremendous difference.”
To mark the anniversary, we've compiled file photos and firsthand accounts of the historic storm:
Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Blizzard of ’78 brought New England and South Shore to its knees
