It was 36 hours later that the storm was at its most intense stage. Winds peaked at 100 mph. Data buoys recorded waves of at least 100 feet, among the highest ever measured anywhere in the world. Waves that high are something of a mystery to scientists. They know waves have a maximum theoretical height of about 190 feet, but they do not know how many ever get close to such a height, or how such monumental waves behave.
Saving lives is the first obligation of forecasters.
The giant storm had taken a deadly turn. Retrogressions are highly unusual, especially for huge storms with great momentum. Over three days, the storm churned back from Newfoundland to just south of Nantucket, picking up strength and speed. It smashed into the shore on the afternoon of October 31 with waves 30 and 40 feet high, record wave heights for the southern New England coast. The waves dissolved ocean-view homes and splintered seaside communities.