Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: WGBH Boston
• DVD Release Date: June 5, 2007
• Run Time: 53 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000OCZ9W8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,858 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In September of 1938, a great storm rose up on the coast of West Africa and began making its way across the Atlantic Ocean. The National Weather Bureau predicted it would blow itself out at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as such storms usually did. The coastal forecast from New York to Maine called for "fresh southerly winds" with some cooler, rainy weather.

But the storm didn't blow itself out at Cape Hatteras. It suddenly began an unexpected sprint north along the coast. No one had ever seen a storm like this. The storm without a name turned into one of the most devastating storms recorded in North America. Over 600 people were killed. Another hundred were never found. Property damage was estimated at $300 million -- over 8,000 homes were destroyed, 6,000 boats wrecked or damaged.

This American Experience film chronicles the lives of fishermen, residents and vacationers on the day before the storm, and follows their stories through one of the greatest natural disasters to befall the eastern seaboard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NORTHEAST WAKE UP CALL, June 2, 2007

By	RUSTY (NEW YORK United States) - See all my reviews

People in the Northeast have this idea that hurricanes are southern storms. This PBS special on the Hurricane of 1938 makes it most clear that the entire north east coast of the U.S. is most vulnerable .After New Orleans and Miami ,New York City is the third most vulnerable city to hurricanes.
What makes this particular story so tragic is that there was no warning. Weather forcasters believed the hurricane would go safely out to sea.
I t wasn't until a thirty foot wall of water smashed into Long island that the catastrophy began to unfold. Well done including interviews with survivors,