Boston was buried under 21 inches of snow on January 21, 1978. The storm came a couple of weeks before the February 6 storm, which made things worse. The heavy Snowfall clogged the narrow streets of Boston. The city was buried under mounds of snow for a few days after the storm. Boston Firefighters had to dig out hundreds of fireplugs throughout the city as part of their duties. It was one of the worst storms in the city’s history.
The storm surge rose 15.2 feet above normal low tide during the blizzard. Many homes in coastal communities in Massachusetts Bay were destroyed. Many low-lying towns experienced severe flooding. During the afternoon rush hour, the storm intensified, and people were trapped in their cars on Boston’s highways. Ninety-nine people tragically lost their lives during the storm. About $1.3 billion (at that time) worth of property was destroyed. A state of martial law was declared, and vehicular traffic was banned for several days. The National Guard used boats to rescue people from the highways in flooded areas. For days, heavy machinery, dump trucks, and tow trucks were used to dig out streets and remove abandoned cars.
Boston saw another storm in which 27.1 inches of Snowfall over 32 hours from Monday morning, February 6, to the evening of Tuesday, February 7. The storm killed about 100 people, injured 4,500 others, and caused more than $500 million in damage in the Northeast.
Below are some photos that document both blizzards.