Photos: 1933 hurricane slams the Shore

Left grounded after the tide subsided from the August storm of 1933, this luxury boat was found on Hoopers Island by the photographer. Other boats from the community were found miles away.

Heavy seas smash against the Boardwalk near the pier building during the storm of 1933.

Damage from the 1933 storm to the Trimpers Whip building near the new inlet.

Damage to the Boardwalk is shown with a fishing boat lying against the Boardwalk from the storm of 1933.

Ocean waves covered the beach and flooded the town, on Aug. 23, 1933, when a vicious hurricane swept the Atlantic coast. In its wake and the surge tides that followed, the Ocean City Inlet was created. The commercial fishing camps in the area were leveled and the railroad bridge linking ocean city to the mainland was destroyed. The storm was considered a godsend to the town, as the new Inlet then allowed both sport and commercial fishermen easy access to the sea.

Storm damage in the area of the present day Ocean City Inlet.

It's what you don't see in this photo taken in August of 1933 that has these two men in a boat just offshore in Public Landing near Snow Hill. Just hours prior to this photo, there was a pier, theater, concession stand, rides and even a dance hall that stood over the pilings shown in the center of the photo. The famous August storm of 1933 ripped the popular bayside recreational site apart and destroyed all the buildings offshore. At the time Public Landing was as popular as Ocean City to many locals. It was never rebuilt.

This photo shows a young lady being evacuated by boat from her home in Greenbackville. Despite its poor quality, the photo has historic value as it is one of the few known photographs showing people dealing with the extensive flooding.

The railroad track leading from Ocean City to the fish camps on Assateague during the 1933 storm.

Taken within hours of the passing of the August storm of 1933, this photograph shows widespread destruction along the waterfront in Public Landing. In just a few hours, the public waterside resort was forever changed and never regained its popularity.

When Sinepuxtent Bay swelled with an abundance of water on Aug. 23, 1933, it cut through a narrow strip of Assateague Island, creating a channel between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. While fish camps and rail lines were destroyed, the creation of what is now known as the Inlet proved to be the economic foundation of modern Ocean City.