The 19th Century’s Perfect Storm: The Portland Gale of 1898

The Portland Gale was a massive storm that struck the coast of New England in late November of 1898. With enormous storm surges and hurricane-force winds, the Portland Gale destroyed shorefront homes and infrastructure, killed more than 400 people and sank 150 vessels, most notably the coastal passenger steamship SS Portland, for which the storm was ultimately named. In Provincetown, the storm demolished nine wharves, while the beaches of the Outer Cape were littered with wreckage from ships and damaged structures. Our exhibit includes a scale model of the Portland, and artifacts and underwater video of the wreck, which lies within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

For more information, click here.