We received an extraordinary gift from Mrs. Susan Dodson. It is a 5-page typed letter that her mother, Elaine G Getchell, wrote to her parents in October of 1954 after Hurricane Hazel struck Goldsboro. She gives an hour by hour very detailed first-hand account of the storm, what it felt like, what it sounded like, what the barometer readings were, and what the damages were as they occurred. She describes glass windows being sucked out of storefronts downtown as she took her husband, Dr. Robert Getchell to his podiatry office in the Wachovia Bank building. Dr. Gretchell reported that the building “swayed in the wind so hard that they expected it to topple over”. This letter provides a fascinating time capsule of a personal Hurricane Hazel experience and how the storm dramatically impacted Goldsboro. Enjoy reading!
