SHORELINE PROCESSES AND DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THE HALLOWEEN-EVE STORMOF 1991 ALONG THE NORTH AND SOUTH SHORES OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, USA

A strong northeast storm that lasted several days and culminated on Ha lloween Eve 1991 caused extensive erosion and structural damage along Massachusetts' North and South Shores. The passage of Hurricane Bob si x weeks earlier had resulted in a significant decrease of the beach/ba rrier buffer zone which had made the coast extra vulnerable to this ne w storm. Both erosion and structural damage were controlled primarily by the beach and dune morphology, sediment composition, exposure to wa ves and wind, and the presence al absence of coastal structures. The m eet widespread and severe damage to dwellings occurred along the South Shore in areas where storm buffer zones are narrow to nonexistent and where houses were subjected to gravel overwash. Areas heavily impacte d by the Halloween Eve storm were the same ones that were most severel y damaged during the February Blizzard of 1978.