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Hurricane Belle 50 years later: forgotten, but devastating
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Dan’s Papers
Belle was classified as a major category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph when its trajectory had Long Island in its sights, triggering panic.
New York State was entering a new era of political austerity as New York City was on the verge of bankruptcy, while fighting stagflation.
Long Island had seen its largest tax increases, with two local school districts triggering a lawsuit over the state’s school funding method.
“If anyone stays,” then-Ocean Beach Mayor Arthur Silsdorf told the Long Island Press as he boarded a ferry off Fire Island, “they’re crazy.”
Northern State Parkway, Southern State Parkway, and the Long Island Expressway were all closed due to flooding and downed trees.