Observations by Forbes Wilson on Two Great Storms Which Hit the Coast of Southern Maine During the Winter of 1978

Authors

• Forbes Wilson

Files

Document Type

Text

Contributing Institution

Maine State Library

Description

This booklet presents Forbes Kingsbury Wilson’s firsthand observations of two major winter storms that struck the southern Maine coast in January and February 1978. Focusing primarily on York, York Harbor, Cape Neddick, Ogunquit, and nearby coastal areas, Wilson documents storm tides, wave action, erosion, property damage, displaced rocks and debris, and the effects of the February 7 northeaster, which he identifies as the most severe storm experienced by the local coastline in modern times. The account combines personal observation, reports from residents, comparisons to earlier storms, and geological interpretation, including discussion of the York River, Stage Neck, and coastal changes caused by storm activity. Wilson also describes the use of radiocarbon dating on displaced peat from Gerrish Island to estimate the rarity of the February 1978 storm, characterizing it as approximately a 1,500-year event.

Publication Date

9-20-1978

Language

English

Supplemental Rights

Digitized and made available here with permissions from the author's daughter, Jeannie Wilson Templeton.

Recommended Citation

Wilson, Forbes, "Observations by Forbes Wilson on Two Great Storms Which Hit the Coast of Southern Maine During the Winter of 1978" (1978). York Books. 17.
https://digitalmaine.com/york_books/17