On September 21st, 1938, thousands of residents of the small coastal towns of Connecticut were going about their daily routine without any knowledge a massive storm heading their way. At the time, storms were tracked using barometric readings and educated guesses based on previous storms and results. The storm was originally on a path of destruction for Florida but quickly turned and moved up the eastern coast of the United States. Instead of turning out to see where the storm would have dissipated or going into the Carolinas, it was sandwiched between two warm air masses and funneled into toward Long Island, NY and coastal Connecticut region. The storm resulted over 50,000 homes being destroyed and the death of 500 people. With the rich history brought out by primary and secondary sources, there have been numerous publications on this tragic event.

The first book that highlights these events in detail is, The Great Hurricane: 1938 by Cherrie Burns. In this book, the author details personal accounts from both Long Island and Connecticut residence about the event. In her book she also points out the lack of a sufficient weather system and how there were signs that pointed where the storm was heading toward New England. By using primary sources and first hand accounts of the events that night, Burns' book will captivate you while offering a window into the past and allows you to feel as if you were eating dinner on the Connecticut shoreline that night. The book cost roughly $5.00.

Another book about this faithful night is A Wind to Shake the World: The Story of the 1938 Hurricane by Everett Allen. Unlike the previous author, Allen was a journalist who had first hand account of this. Burns' book is considered a secondary source whereas Allen's book is considered a primary source. In this book, the author talks about how the storms affect the different areas of Long Island and Connecticut. Allen also covers the results, destruction and the cost of the storm. Like Burns, he mentions the loss of lives and the lack of an adequate weather system. The price of this book would be around $8.00

Another local author is Mary Cummings. She wrote the book Hurricane in the Hamptons, 1938. In her book, Cummings draws from her resources as an employee at the South Hampton Historical Museum. In her book she has provided handfuls of pictures from people and newspapers. She too draws from the local accounts about what happened on Long Island and Connecticut. This book does something the other two do not and that is offers numerous visuals. There is less text but more pictures.

All three books offer great insight on this event. With many people being unaware of what was coming, it was one of the worst storms to hit Connecticut and New England. It caused a lot of damage with homes and the communities. It is rare when a weather event like a hurricane comes to Connecticut but when it does it is historical and is brought out by books.