Historical Images: 47th and Central After '62 Storm
Our weekly feature includes photographs from the Ocean City Historical Museum collection and from the modern era.
This week's "Then and Now" features the view looking south down Central Avenue from 47th Street.
The first image shows destroyed beachfront homes in the 4700 block of Central Avenue and was taken following the infamous nor'easter that struck March 6 to 8, 1962.
The second image shows the same block as it appears today.
The Ocean City Historical Museum will host "Ocean City Natives Night—Were You There?" to discuss the 50th anniversary of Storm of '62 at 7 p.m. March 8 at the Ocean City Free Public Library. Please join us with your photos and stories from the storm!
To see more historical photos of Ocean City, visit the Ocean City Historical Museum in the Community Center at 1735 Simpson Ave.
In This article
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Ocean City Community Cultural Center
1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ -
Ocean City Free Public Library
1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ
Florence Moyer
7:22 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012
Cool that the little Cape Cod is still there.
Meredith Martindale Gehrke
9:22 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012
What a nice event to sponsor. Since I can't be there, I'd like to share my abbreviated story.
I was in 8th grade and lived at 49th and West. On the morning of Tuesday, March 6, I was shocked to see Asbury Ave. a raging river. School was canceled for the whole week. By Wednesday, we lost our electricity and heat. The storm caught us with little food in the house, but we managed to use our fireplace to cook eggs (which turned out runny) and toast ( which was bread internally and burnt externally). While listening to our transister radio, we learned that the water was contaminated and everyone south of 34th Street had evacuated. Nobody even knew we were there!!
With each high tide, the water level rose higher. Eventually we got water in our garage and our utility room, but nothing in our living area, lucky for us. At night through eerie blackness, we could hear the water slapping against the house, but we weren't rocking.Yeh! The National Guard told us to evacuate, and if we didn't, he was not coming back to save us. My father refused to leave...he wanted to be there to take up the carpeting if need be. So my family stayed until that Friday.The only way out was to walk to 34th as the roads were impassable. With one suitcase and a dog on a leash, we felt like refugees. Walking down Central Ave. was a total shock! We had no idea of the magnitude of the destruction! It certainly was an experience that I'll never ever forget!
Meredith Martindale Gehrke
Michael McMahon
7:27 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thanks for sharing your story Meredith!
Bill McDonnell
9:36 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012
Meredith been a long time ..... I lived at 33rd and Central that day in March ..... as I looked out the window and said to my mother no school today ...... as the waves were coming down 33rd from the beach ..... We never left our home, was neat at low tide to go out and see the damage that each high tide would bring (neat cause we were kids) So much damage ...... But OC rebuilt
Patrick Piriano
10:26 am on Sunday, February 19, 2012
Good story Meredith, I lived through it too, 11th and Asbury Ave, we were under water, but we stuck it out for two days, I think. My dad worked for the city, when it was no other choice other than to go, he drove the dump truck on the side walk, and took me and my mom, Grandmom and others to first at 13th and Wesley Ave for evacuation, then onto the High School, I was little and I thought it was fun? When we came back home... Well you can guess what we walked into. I remember the Sinclair Gas Station Burning down during that time at 10th and West Ave. By the way... I still live in that same house now! LOL My whole life.
Diane
7:19 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Wow, what a cool story! Thanks for sharing! Any chance you took photos? Would love to see them :)
Beachy Keen
5:21 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012
Awesome story Meredith! I trust that it all turned out okay for you and your family.
Lynne
10:34 am on Sunday, February 19, 2012
Great stories - thanks for sharing!
Diane
7:21 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Initially commented on Meredith's story, but all the posted were great stories. If anyone has any photos from those couple days, it would be so great to see them :)
Michael McMahon
10:43 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Diane, the Ocean City Historical Museum will host "Ocean City Natives Night—Were You There?" to discuss the 50th anniversary of Storm of '62 at 7 p.m. March 8 at the Ocean City Free Public Library. If you can't make that, the Museum has lots of photos from the Storm of '62 that you can look at anytime and the next month of the Then & Now series will feature photos from the Storm of '62.
Diane
3:00 pm on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thanks for all the info, Michael. Love seeing all the photos!
Bill Bondar
8:08 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Those pictures bring back memories. I Remember working at my aunts seafood restaurant, "Spence's Seafood" at 10th & Asbury. I watched as the Bay met the Ocean.. quite a sight.