In 1938, one of the most destructive Hurricanes in American history ravaged the New England Coastline. In Hartford, the Connecticut River swelled to more than nineteen feet above the flood line. Towns in Massachusetts were submerged in eight feet of water. The town of Charlestown, RI, lost 160 out of its 200 homes beneath the surging waves. Communities were destroyed, families devastated, and an entire way of life swept away.

While no one could undo the destruction of The Great Hurricane, one man decided to protect his community from future catastrophe. Francis Lathrop Sr. started the Lathrop Insurance Agency in 1939 in Westerly, RI. His mission was simple; to safeguard his community against future disaster. Over time the community recovered, reclaiming its identity as a premier tourism location and thriving business town. And the Lathrop Insurance Agency grew with it.