A mysterious marvel of both beauty and violence, the natural world can quickly evolve from fascinating to frightening. With little control over the ebbs and flows of climate, our communities can quickly find themselves devastated by the wrought of natural disaster. Whether you’re a storm chaser or a nature lover, we all have much to learn by the tragedies of nature’s past. For a deeper dive on the Mullica Hill Tornado, the role of natural disasters, and how our communities can recover moving forward, you won’t want to miss the NJ State Library’s latest author talk.

On Wednesday, September 20th, you are invited to join the New Jersey State Library for their latest author talk, “I Looked Up and There Was the Sky: The 2021 Mullica Hill Tornado”. This conversation will take guests through first-hand accounts of the devastating EF-3 tornado which swept through Mullica Hill and surrounding areas in September of 2021. Over the course of the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to hear more about the destruction wrought by the tornado, what eye witness accounts saw, and what the community did to rebuild in the face of this tragedy. Most importantly, however, guests will have the opportunity to reflect on what what lessons can be learned by this harrowing day in New Jersey history.

This conversation will be hosted by Melissa Ziobro, Monmouth University Professor and oral historian. Materials from the conversation will be sourced heavily draws heavily from contemporary news coverage and interviews with 32 community members conducted by Ziobro for the Harrison Township Historical Society from February – June 2022. If you are interested in attending, participation is free but advanced registration is required. You can RSVP by visiting the Zoom link, provided here: Register – NJSL.

Melissa Ziobro is the Specialist Professor of Public History in the Monmouth University Department of History and Anthropology. She is the current President of Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and served for many years as the editor for New Jersey Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, a joint venture of the NJ Historical Commission, Rutgers University Libraries, and Monmouth University. Melissa is also a trustee of the NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation, the Ocean County Historical Society, the Monmouth County Historical Association, the InfoAge Science and History Museums at the Camp Evans National Historic Landmark, and Preservation NJ.

As our climate continues to evolve and shift, natural disasters are unfortunately becoming a more prevalent aspect of our reality. However, by learning from previous occurrences and making preparations now, our communities can be better-equipped to handle whatever Mother Nature decides to throw our way. If you have any questions or would like any help enrolling, please contact the New Jersey State Library at (609) 278-2640 for additional details. There is much to be learned from this historic moment in time, so be certain to RSVP today!

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