Groundhog Day gale of 1976

The Groundhog Day gale was a severe winter storm which hit the north-eastern United States and south-eastern Canada on February 2nd, 1976. The storm itself was a nor'easter which brought maximum sustained winds of 164 kilometers per hour (102 mph) in coastal areas, with wind gusts of up to 188 kilometers per hour (116 mph). The storm caused extensive damage in many areas, including Bangor, Maine, where the storm generated a twelve foot storm surge. Although lots of trees were blown down by the storm, many more were killed after large amounts of seawater were blown inland.