31 Aug 1954, Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA — A passerby holds on to a tree for support as hurricane swept waves hammer the sea wall adjacent to the Belt Parkway near 72nd Street in Brooklyn. The New York area and the New Jersey coastline were battered by Hurricane Carol as heavy rains and fierce winds disrupted power lines, felled trees and tangled air and highway traffic. The eye of the hurricane, which originated in the Caribbean, passed the Hamptons on Long Island. An estimated 175,000 persons were left without light and telephone service and thousands of persons evacuated summer bungalows along the southern shore. Gusts of 60 mph were reported in New York City, and 48,000 homes were without electricity. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS