Hurricane

Throughout history, hurricanes have shaped the New England landscape in important ways.

The Great Hurricane of 1938, which blew northwest through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, felled 70 percent of the standing trees in our region. The storm was well documented by Harvard Forest scientists at the time, and ecosystem disturbances caused by major storms remain a study topic at the Forest today.

• Learn more about the 25+ year-old hurricane manipulation experiment at Harvard Forest, led by Audrey Barker-Plotkin.
• Browse the wealth of materials related to hurricanes available in our Archive.
• Learn about reconstructing historical hurricanes and modeling hurricane impacts based on topographic exposure