Recent snow doesn’t compare to Blizzard of 1888

A Jan. 29 snowstorm dumped a foot of snow on much of the Cape Region, but it doesn’t compare to the Great Blizzard of 1888.

According to Britannica, a winter storm pummeled the Atlantic coast, from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine, in March 1888, dropping nearly two feet of snow and causing more than $20 million in property damage in New York City alone.

Killing more than 400 people, the storm’s impact was so great that, until 1969, survivors met to commemorate its anniversary.

The storm caused officials to recognize the advantages of putting power and telegraph lines, as well as public transit, underground.

Shown is one of six photographs taken in Milford documenting the storm and its impact. According to the Milford Museum, “Snow fell until about noon and the sun came out, but the wind continued to blow at around 65 mph. The air was filled with very fine snow, with wind causing high drifts. Houses rocked, trees were blown down, roofs were taken off and loose objects were tossed around.”