129 Years Ago, This Mid-March Blizzard Changed New York City Forever

Though much of the Northeast is enduring the effects of an aggressive winter storm, many residents were well prepared because weather systems had predicated the blizzard for days. However, when a great blizzard hit this region 129 years ago, its residents were not prepared at all. And the repercussions were dire.

The Blizzard of 1888, also known as the "Great White Hurricane," was one of the worst winter storms in American history. In total, more than 55 inches of snow accumulated in the areas hit the hardest. The blizzard, which lasted from March 11 to March 14, killed roughly 400 people. The reason so many perished was not only because nearly a quarter of all Americans lived in the region at the time, but Americans didn't have the same type of technology or sanitation in the late 19th century as we do today.

New York was perhaps the city most affected by the blizzard. With a population hovering near 2 million (two of the more famous residents were Mark Twain and P.T. Barnum ), the Big Apple made up roughly four percent of the U.S. population. The storm was catastrophic for the city because at the time all the train, water, phone, and gas lines were above ground, leaving them liable to freeze and, in some cases, burst open. The damage forced the city to significantly reconsider its infrastructure. Eventually, it opted to build almost all water, electrical, phone, and train lines underground.