Spurned by Hurricane Esther

September 28, 1961, Vol. VI, No. 49

Village Ready, But Esther Fizzles Out

Greenwich Village shared the good fortune of the rest of Manhattan last Thursday morning as Hurricane Esther veered away from the city to head out into the Atlantic. Although occasional strong gusts of wind broke windows and knocked down signs, no major damage or flooding was reported.

The Village began its preparations for the oncoming hurricane late Wednesday afternoon. Shops closed early and sidewalk cafes drew in their tables. Seventh Avenue, normally jammed during the 5 o'clock rush hour, carried only half its usual traffic. At the Charles Street (6th Precinct) police station, extra patrolmen reported for duty while three additional telephones were put in service.

Most of the precautions turned out to be unnecessary. Although occasional heavy rains and wind arrived around midnight and continued into Thursday morning, they caused little damage. Some signs were knocked over, windows were broken, and a few trees were destroyed. But for the Village, Esther had definitely fizzled out.

[Each weekday morning, we post an excerpt from another issue of the Voice, going in order from our oldest archives. Visit our Clip Job archive page to see excerpts back to 1956.]