Huricane Brings Wild Waves, High Tides to Chilmark

Hurricane Sandy brought powerful waves and high tides that covered Menemsha docks and partially obstructed fuel tanks.
Peter Simon
Hurricane Sandy brought powerful waves and high tides that covered Menemsha docks and partially obstructed fuel tanks.
Peter Simon
Waves crash in spectacular fashion at Squibnocket Beach.
Timothy Johnson
Waves crash in spectacular fashion at Squibnocket Beach.
Timothy Johnson
Goodbye, dock; hello high water.
Peter Simon
Goodbye, dock; hello high water.
Peter Simon
High tide at the fishing port Menemsha.
Albert Fischer
High tide at the fishing port Menemsha.
Albert Fischer
Surf crashes at Squibnocket Beach.
Peter Simon
Surf crashes at Squibnocket Beach.
Peter Simon
Sightseers gather to gawk at the waves at Squibnocket.
Timothy Johnson
Sightseers gather to gawk at the waves at Squibnocket.
Timothy Johnson
High tides cover docks in Menemsha harbor.
Peter Simon
High tides cover docks in Menemsha harbor.
Peter Simon
Water level rises in Nashaquitsa Pond.
Peter Simon
Water level rises in Nashaquitsa Pond.
Peter Simon
Fishing shack in Menemsha is an island unto itself.
Albert Fischer
Fishing shack in Menemsha is an island unto itself.
Albert Fischer
Menemsha dock is underwater Monday afternoon.
Albert Fischer
Menemsha dock is underwater Monday afternoon.
Albert Fischer
Marjorie Pierce serves up soup at the Chilmark Community Center shelter.
Peter Simon
Marjorie Pierce serves up soup at the Chilmark Community Center shelter.
Peter Simon

Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket Beaches took a beating as Hurricane Sandy rolled into town with high surf and eroding waves.

Aquinnah Rides Out Hurricane Sandy

Surfer braves the waves at Philbin Beach during Hurricane Sandy.
Timothy Johnson
Surfer braves the waves at Philbin Beach during Hurricane Sandy.
Timothy Johnson
Sightseer checks out the wild waves.
Timothy Johnson
Sightseer checks out the wild waves.
Timothy Johnson
Wind wipped and waves crashed, but the cliffs stand tall and strong.
Tmothy Johnson
Wind wipped and waves crashed, but the cliffs stand tall and strong.
Tmothy Johnson
Waves nip at the edges of dunes.
Albert Fischer
Waves nip at the edges of dunes.
Albert Fischer
The tides finds the kayaks pulled up along the shore.
Albert Fischer
The tides finds the kayaks pulled up along the shore.
Albert Fischer

High surf in the aftermath of Sandy beckoned surfers to stormy Aquinnah beaches, where surf crashed onto beaches and overwashed in many areas onto dunes. 

Portions of Island Beginning to Flood as Hurricane Winds Arrive

Sea wall provides little protection in Oak Bluffs.
Sam Low
Sea wall provides little protection in Oak Bluffs.
Sam Low
Rising sea and spray overtakes Sea View Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Sam Low
Rising sea and spray overtakes Sea View Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Sam Low
Waves crash in spectacular fashion at Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark.
Timothy Johnson
Waves crash in spectacular fashion at Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark.
Timothy Johnson
Five Corners is made nearly impassable by rising water.
Ivy Ashe
Five Corners is made nearly impassable by rising water.
Ivy Ashe
Water is rising near the Martha's Vineyard Shipyard building in Vineyard Haven, but it hasn't yet reached the high-level mark from the 1954 hurricane, as noted by the black mark on the building.
Ivy Ashe
Water is rising near the Martha's Vineyard Shipyard building in Vineyard Haven, but it hasn't yet reached the high-level mark from the 1954 hurricane, as noted by the black mark on the building.
Ivy Ashe
Water rises at scallop shack at base of Skiffs Avenue in Vineyard Haven.
Timothy Johnson
Water rises at scallop shack at base of Skiffs Avenue in Vineyard Haven.
Timothy Johnson
Surfer braves the waves in Aquinnah.
Timothy Johnson
Surfer braves the waves in Aquinnah.
Timothy Johnson
Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority terminal is pummelled by waves.
Sam Low
Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority terminal is pummelled by waves.
Sam Low
Oak Bluffs harbor spills over onto Lake Avenue.
Mark Lovewell
Oak Bluffs harbor spills over onto Lake Avenue.
Mark Lovewell
Sandy rears her head near the Island Queen dock in Oak Bluffs.
Mark Lovewell
Sandy rears her head near the Island Queen dock in Oak Bluffs.
Mark Lovewell
More flooding is expected as high tide arrives at noon.
Mark Lovewell
More flooding is expected as high tide arrives at noon.
Mark Lovewell
Never mind a bike; a boat would be more helpful on Dock Street today.
Mark Lovewell
Never mind a bike; a boat would be more helpful on Dock Street today.
Mark Lovewell

Waters are rising in portions of Edgartown, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs as strong winds associated with Hurricane Sandy move into the region.  Residents are urged to stay off the roadways; Beach Road, Sea View Avenue, Dock Street and Five Corners have all been closed due to flooding, with more closures and flooding expected.

Photographed sometime between the summers of 1935 and 1938 by Charles A. Welch of Chappaquiddick and his cameraman Morgan Plummer, these scenes are the oldest known moving images of Island men swordfishing by harpoon on the Atlantic waters south of Martha’s Vineyard.

This clip is being presented in conjunction with an article on the history of the film, which introduces the Gazette's newly-announced initiative to identify and oversee the conservation of old movies of Martha’s Vineyard.