A honeymoon to remember on this date in 1954. As Hurricane Hazel made her destructive move toward the North Carolina Coast, newlyweds Jerry and Connie Helms were honeymooning at Long Beach, North Carolina. They had spent the evening roller skating and returned to their beachfront cottage after area residents had been warmed about the storms approach.
Later that night, the couple awakened at dawn to the sound of the storm surge crashing over the dunes. They tried a desperate escape in their car, to no avail, as the rising waters cut off their escape route. They broke into a two story house to flee the rapidly rising waters, but the pounding waves began to tear the house apart.
The couple escaped the shattered house on a mattress, carried out to sea on the storm-tossed waves. . Fortunately, the mattress became wedged in some tree tops, and the shivering couple rode out the rest of the storm there with the calm of the eye passing directly over them.
After the storm, the Helms found their cars buried in the sand and their beach house destroyed, but they did find the refrigerator, about one mile away, sealed tight and still cold. After their harrowing experience, they had a beachfront picnic from its contents!
Later that night, the couple awakened at dawn to the sound of the storm surge crashing over the dunes. They tried a desperate escape in their car, to no avail, as the rising waters cut off their escape route. They broke into a two story house to flee the rapidly rising waters, but the pounding waves began to tear the house apart.
The couple escaped the shattered house on a mattress, carried out to sea on the storm-tossed waves. . Fortunately, the mattress became wedged in some tree tops, and the shivering couple rode out the rest of the storm there with the calm of the eye passing directly over them.
After the storm, the Helms found their cars buried in the sand and their beach house destroyed, but they did find the refrigerator, about one mile away, sealed tight and still cold. After their harrowing experience, they had a beachfront picnic from its contents!