In March 6th-8th of 1962, Avalon was rocked with one of the most devastating storms to hit the east coast. Below are images of the storm damage donated to the Avalon History Center by Jim Thatcher.
“Think this is at the inlet at Third Ave. Looks like the pictures from the Texas tornado.” – Jim Thatcher
“Front door of our friend’s house on 105th in SH” – Jim Thatcher
“Another south end (former) beach shack. Almost all the houses south of 32nd were very modest cottages on dirt lanes” – Jim Thatcher
“Avalon, 3rd Avenue & 22. You can see Phillips Esso (George and Dee Phillips) station was behind the burned house. The story was that a boat had got adrift, floated past the burning house, thru the gas pumps and wound up across 21st.” – Jim Thatcher
“The great dune at 48th Street. A 1950’s Geological Survey map shows an elevation of 48’. Judging by the figures in the photo, about 25’ was washed off- on a dune nearly 500 ft from the waterline. At the time I guessed that the dune had lost at least 250,000 cu ft of sand.” – Jim Thatcher
“Stone Harbor beach front” – Jim Thatcher
“Sign in window of Keen’s Pharmacy on 21st St.” – Jim Thatcher
“Stone Harbor Beach Patrol shack at 96th St.” – Jim Thatcher
“Corner of Avalon and Eighth. House was removed from foundation, then settled back on it. Rebuilt and still there.” – Jim Thatcher
“This house was at 7th and First. Several of same style still around.” – Jim Thatcher
“Pilings exposed at 8th street. We had been in Avalon for over 20 years and never saw these. The must have been part of the old boardwalk which ran up to 8th, but no one recalled it had extended eastward this far.” – Jim Thatcher
“Stone Harbor. 97th St. Background building was the Cove (?) Motel. Waves were reported breaking over the top of it. Note the waves broke the bulkhead off, not just undermined it.” – Jim Thatcher
“Somewhere on the inlet. Completely demolished.” Jim Thatcher
“South end – very few homes south of 40th St. then. The house in the background was on the pilings in the foreground.” – Jim Thatcher
“Ninth and beach. This house was built the previous year by a building contractor. There were large dunes in his front yard, so he had them plowed down to improve the view. He also build on the cheap, on a slab, with pilings around the perimeter only. When the waves undermined the slab, the whole first floor fell out with all the furniture. We walked under the house and looked up to the second floor.” – Jim Thatcher
“Stone Harbor storm damage” – Jim Thatcher
“Avalon, about 8th and First. Chief of Police’s home, probably form a gas explosion. It was reported that he was shooting at looters rowing across the bay.” – Jim Thatcher
62storm 6r – is the Stone Harbor Women’s Civic Club @ 96th st. The Tides Motel is in the background.
I remember coming down to open our house on 34th street in April and cleaning nonstop. I was 4 years old and probably got in the way more than helped. I also have vivid memories of the beached houses; they haunted my dreams for years! And driving to the Sea Isle inlet to see the drowned streets: washing machines and cars still visible in the tide.