The Hurricane That Changed Mount Auburn

The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 (aka the Yankee Clipper or Long Island Express) was the deadliest and most damaging hurricane to ever strike New York and New England. Making landfall on September 21, the Category 3 storm caused nearly 700 fatalities, left 63,000 people without homes, and toppled 275 million trees. In Massachusetts, storm surges measured between 18-25 feet and the hurricane’s greatest wave height of 50-feet was recorded in Gloucester.   

Mount Auburn Cemetery lost more than 800 trees in a single day and over 1,000 more suffered significant damage. Despite all the damage, the Cemetery saw an opportunity to replant and replace what was lost while expanding and diversifying its collection. From 1939-1940 alone, over 1,500 new trees and shrubs were introduced to the Cemetery, many of which are still standing today. 

Join Jim Gorman, arborist and MAC staff member, for a curated tour of several of the now-mature trees planted after the hurricane. 

Check-in at Story Chapel

Capacity: 30 people

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