Maine has a reputation for bad storms, specifically the notorious nor'easters that blow through in the winter. But we also get hurricanes, blizzards, and ice storms that wreak havoc on buildings, roads, ships, and utilities. Death-defying stories of survival are told and retold around hearths and over coffee for generations. Islanders love a good storm, it seems to run in the blood. Bad weather and how we survive it is a link that connects us to our ancestors.
Raney Bench will tell several tales of storms and survival from our past, starting with the bridge connecting the island to the mainland washing out in 1851, hurricane Edna sinking boats in 1954, Daisy washing over Mount Desert Rock in 1962, and what the December 24, 2022 storm tells us about our future.
Raney Bench is a lover of storms and history, and serves as the Executive Director for the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. She lives in Southwest Harbor with her husband and sons, and serves on the boards of A Climate to Thrive and the New England Museum Association.
Offered via Zoom and in-person at MDI High School
Fee: $10