Thompsons Tidal Wave

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
This is an old article off the Daily Journal website.I knew there is an interest in Thompsons Beach here by a few so i posted it in total.



Local News: Tidal Wave Hits Cumberland County (1950)



There had been no warning. A perfect or imperfect combination of the elements combined to form what some insurance companies classified as a "tidal wave," which reduced waterside resorts almost to bare sand.


Thompsons Beach and Moores Beach were among the worst affected of Cumberland’s bayshore communities when a deadly tide hit with severe swiftness on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 25, 1950.


One couple, still in bed at the time, heard water crashing through their front door and struggled to get away.


Unable to start their flooded car, they tied ropes around themselves and climbed onto a garage roof, which floated away and later broke, dumping them into the frigid water.


Although the two survived, more than 30 others in New Jersey, including at least 14 dead or missing and presumed dead in Cumberland County, weren’t as lucky.


At Moores Beach, four children from one family alone were claimed by the storm, caused by unusually high tides, heavy downpours and 70-mph wind that drove the water before it.


In Fortescue, the Johnson Hotel and Sea Gull restaurant were destroyed. And an old boardwalk, on the beachfront at least as early as 1911, was smashed to bits.
In these and other bayside villages south of Millville, countless numbers of cars were left underwater. And hundreds of summer cottages were destroyed or simply floated away after being torn from their footings.


"I told ‘em so," said Edward H. Thompson, age 100 at the time.


Thompson once owned 350 acres of meadowland, including all of Thompsons Beach, before selling to a cousin who divided up the land into beachfront lots for development.


"I have said there was no telling when the tide would come in and do a lot of damage," he told the Millville Daily Republican shortly after storm waters engulfed the resort.


The newspaper also reported that, according to Bridgeton’s Edward Maier, county engineer in 1954, the Nov. 25 storm was the "coup de grace" of beach erosion that had been going on for some time.


But most property owners in the area didn’t need more convincing.


"We will never return to Thompsons Beach to live," declared one resident. "We have lost practically everything we owned and that’s enough for us."


In 1980, another storm took out much of the remaining Thompsons and Moores beach communities.


Eighteen years later, Maurice River Township secured the last property on Thompsons Beach, ending an ongoing conflict with holdout residents.


It was announced that the road to Thompsons Beach would soon be closed and the demolition of structures on Moores Beach was about to begin.


Once there were cottages, hotels and businesses lining the beach communities.


By the late 20th century, Thompsons Beach was part the PSE&G Estuary Enhancement Project, home only to king crabs and migrating birds, and Moores Beach was all but a memory.
 
Oct 25, 2006
1,757
1
73
Thanks Al for posting, i still would like to see then pics about how Thompson's and Moore's Beach once looked in their active days, i cannot find anything.

Jim
 
This is an old article off the Daily Journal website.I knew there is an interest in Thompsons Beach here by a few so i posted it in total.
.......the late 20th century, Thompsons Beach was part the PSE&G Estuary Enhancement Project, home only to king crabs and migrating birds, and Moores Beach was all but a memory.

I assume you mean horseshoe crabs. If not, them boys on the bering sea are risking it all for nothing.:bang: Good article. I never made it to Thompsons beach area, but after these references feel a need to explore! Thanks.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
I assume you mean horseshoe crabs. If not, them boys on the bering sea are risking it all for nothing.:bang: Good article. I never made it to Thompsons beach area, but after these references feel a need to explore! Thanks.

technically your right.they are horseshoe crabs but the locals here have called them king crabs ever since i have been a little tyke.I usually use the term king crab myself and have been reprimanded by non locals for doing so.Perhaps their is something to be said for latin names.lets just start calling them Limulus polyphemus and end the arguement:)
Al
 

davensj

Explorer
Apr 8, 2004
148
0
The Real South Jersey
That same storm in 1950 almost wiped out Fortescue too, But the people stayed and rebuilt what was left. Alot people don`t know this, but Fortescue used to have a boardwalk about a mile long, that they never rebuilt.
 
technically your right.they are horseshoe crabs but the locals here have called them king crabs ever since i have been a little tyke.I usually use the term king crab myself and have been reprimanded by non locals for doing so.Perhaps their is something to be said for latin names.lets just start calling them Limulus polyphemus and end the arguement:)
Al

Hell, if I could call 'em that, I'd be eatin' King Crab! (Litmus Polyblasphemus you say?) You gonna make me a vegan!:beerspill:
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
Good post :)

there are things in the barrens at night that are more dangerous and scarier then the Jersey Devil.Namely drunks carrying guns for target practice around the camp fire.I've ran into these before.Was investigating a fire and yelling and suspected partiers.as i got closer to the clearing they started shooting at me.actually they were shooting at targets they propped up at the woodline which happened to be in my direction.I beat a hasty retreat,circled around and came in behind em.at first they were scared of me believe it or not.thought i was the law.Once i told em we were camped nearby they invited us to party.neither of us were partiers so we declined and ended up moving camp to get away from the noise.this was a good move.we ended up in the middle of a coyote chorus which kept us awake also but was much more musical.
Al
 
Top