Cape Cod has always been in the path of deadly hurricanes and ferocious storms. Unwelcome summer visitors include the “Long Island Express” Hurricane of 1938, the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, the twin Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954 and Hurricane Bob in 1991. These storms destroyed countless homes and left coastal communities under several feet of water. Surging tides carried away houses with residents inside who didn’t survive, and high seas sank the Coast Guard lightship Vineyard in Buzzards Bay, killing all twelve crew members. Fall and winter brought the benchmark Blizzard of 1978, the nor’easter of January 1987 and the infamous “Perfect Storm” of October 1991, which delivered some of the highest tides ever seen on the Outer Cape. In his latest book, “Historic Storms of Cape Cod”, local author Don Wilding revisits the Cape’s most severe weather events and their devastating impact.

Don Wilding has worked as a Cape tour guide and is a regular speaker on Cape Cod lore in Massachusetts and across New England. He was an award-winning newspaper editor, writer, and designer in Massachusetts for 36 years, including a recent stint as a contributing history columnist and photographer for Cape newspapers. Don has also led history walks for the Harwich Conservation Trust since 2018 and was recognized as one of their “Conservationists of the Year” in 2023. Don has also been an instructor of Cape Cod history courses for the Open University of Wellfleet and Nauset Community Education.