Irene continues moving north northeast at this hour, spreading some sustained hurricane force winds over eastern North Carolina and into southern Virginia.
HISTORIC NEW YORK/NEW ENGLAND HURRICANES: Went back and looked at the historic hurricanes that have affected New York and New England. 1991’s Hurricane Bob was very similar to Irene, just a little east of our current storm’s track. It peaked at Category Three intensity, passed just east of Cape Hatteras and then passed just east of Long Island. It then crossed Rhode Island and Massachusetts, arriving as a Category Two hurricane that was weakening.
Hurricane Gloria was very similar, passing over Cape Hatteras and then making landfall on Long Island. These storms were very similar to 1954’s Hurricane Edna, which brushed the Outer Banks and struck Nantucket as it moved off to the northeast.
Of course, the 1938 Hurricane was one of the worst in the region, bringing 130 mph (Category 3) winds, a 946 mb central pressure and 21 foot storm surge to Long Island. The unforecasted hurricane killed as many as 800 across Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
There was a hurricane in 1821 that struck the present day location of New York City, bringing a 13-foot storm surge to the Battery in Lower Manhattan. It is thought that a similar hurricane today would produce tremendous damage. The 1821 storm is one of only two historic hurricanes to have ever struck New York City’s present location.
