A History of Hurricanes in Dover

With the second hurricane in as many weeks bearing down on New England, I started wondering how many times Dover had actually been hit. This is what I found:

September 1938- an unnamed hurricane strikes Dover. The storm toppled numerous trees, destroyed the roof of the Sherman School, devastated Guppy Park, and smashed store windows on Central Avenue.

August 1954- Hurricane Carol
The Library skylight caved in during this storm, narrowly missing Librarian Anne Elizabeth Leach. Moore's Boatyard was almost wiped out and the B & M freight shed was blown to the ground.

September 1954- Hurricane Edna
Heavy rains brought flooding. Grove Street had four feet of water in the road. The sidewalk at Henry Law Park completely washed away.

September 1960 - Hurricane Donna According to NOAA, Donna was the only hurricane of record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic states, and New England and was the fifth strongest hurricane of record to hit the United States. Foster's Daily Democrat proclaims, "Donna Was Dud in Dover".

September 1985- Hurricane Gloria
Hurricane Gloria knocked down trees and power lines leaving 30,000 homes without power. Residents were advised to seek shelter at the Dover High School.

August 1991- Hurricane Bob
Large trees were uprooted and utility poles were blown over. Most of Dover had lost power by 5 P.M.

Do you remember what it what like to ride out a hurricane in Dover? We would love to hear your story.