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Nearly seven decades have passed since the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 shook the eastern third of the United States. The coastal communities along New Jersey's Delaware Bay shoreline fell victim to hurricane-force winds, 暴雨和毁灭性的潮汐. 暴风雨, 确定为温带气旋, 摧毁了房屋, 冲走了船只和车辆, 流离失所约2人,500 坎伯兰 County residents and claimed the lives of 15—including five children.

利斯堡居民德鲁·汤姆林说, a longtime docent with the Bayshore Center at Bivalve (BCB), realized the story was one that needed to be told. “I wanted to gather first-hand accounts while people who experienced it were still around," he said.

In 2016, Tomlin began collecting photographs and interviewing survivors of the tragedy. 当肖安·赛雅斯和阿什利·海恩斯, 都是坎伯兰郡学院的毕业生, began working as seasonal interns at the Bayshore Center, they enthusiastically joined Tomlin in the endeavor.

The result is the newly published 100-page oral history, “Tidal Wave: The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 and Its Impact on New Jersey's Bayshore Towns." The book is described as “a cautionary tale concerning disaster preparedness, poor housing practices and environmental injustice."

“这个项目始于三年前, but the bulk of the work was accomplished in a year due to the dedication of Drew, 肖妮和阿什利, 以及志愿编辑和撰稿人,雷切尔·多尔汉切克解释道, 海湾中心的博物馆馆长. “The book speaks to BCB's mission to advance the understanding of the human impact on New Jersey's aquatic environment, and preserves a locally known story that had long-lasting implications and has relevancy to other communities."

Seijas, who recently earned a joint bachelor's degree in anthropology and sociology from Stockton University, found it challenging to write chapters for the book while a full-time college student. But the experience taught her a great deal about writing and publishing.

“This was my first time doing something like this. I had never transcribed an interview before," she said. “It took me weeks to get through one interview and then turn it into a chapter. 我希望一切都是完美的. Writing some of the chapters for this book taught me that I should focus on writing everything out first and then [edit] it a few times. Almost no one gets it perfect the first time they write."

当海恩斯, who was studying engineering and chemistry at 坎伯兰 at the time, 加入了BCB团队. Her contributions helped propel the book to completion.

“Interviewing people was my favorite part of writing the book, Hines said. “每个人都有独特的故事要分享, so learning how to ask the right questions and turn it into something significant had a big impact on me.

“There has been a lot of small-town pride associated with this book. Many of the communities we wrote about have only a couple thousand people in them, 所以我们写的这些人都是熟悉的面孔."

“So far the reactions to 'Tidal Wave' have been overwhelmingly positive," said Seijas. “Many people found themselves connecting to the story in so many wonderful ways."

“One thing about working with the Bayshore Center… when you have an idea, 你被告知要跟着它跑,汤姆林说. “I'm grateful for the help and support I got with the project. 这不是一本“我”的书，这是一本“我们”的书."

“Tidal Wave: The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 and Its Impact on New Jersey's Bayshore Towns" is available at the Bayshore Center at Bivalve, 和 亚马逊.com

In the photo: Shoanne Seijas shows off the new book she co-authored with Drew Tomlin and Ashley Hines for the Bayshore Center at Bivalve.