In many homes, windows and doors were battered down by the pounding waves. High winds did tremendous damage, felling trees, deroofing buildings, and destroying crops. Thousands of chickens and many horses, cows, sheep, dogs and other animals were drowned. Today, when people come to visit, they must take a boat to Assateague Island. The impact on Sandbridge would be equally severe.
Storm surges and waves erode the beach, frequently wash out road beds and undermine structures.
Vulnerability of the barrier to damage is generally assessed in terms of the likely impact of a design storm event. The selection of an appropriate design storm event is governed by factors such as safety and social disruption. It is easy to see, then, that Sandbridge's shoreline recession and low elevation play a vital part in determining the damage potential of a storm. Hurricane surge maps are another means to assess the damage potential of a storm. They are made accessible through the City of Virginia Beach's web site.