English | Español
 Local Weather

A good map is critical; be sure to mark alternate routes and evacuation routes from your local area. Make sure to include your map and designated routes in your family's emergency plan and Go Bag.

Hurricanes on Long Island

Hurricanes can and have hit Long Island.

While many of us remember the destruction of Hurricane Gloria - a Category 1 when it hit Long Island - few of us are old enough to remember the total devastation of the Class 3 "Long Island Express" that wreaked havoc here back in 1938.

Therein lies the problem: Many Long Islanders don't believe our area is in danger of being hit by a major hurricane. They're wrong.

The fact is, Long Island's East End ranks #8 on the list of the top ten most vulnerable mainland U.S. areas to hurricanes, released this year by the International Hurricane Research Center. Why? It's simple:

• We're an island in the Atlantic corridor, one of the most active hurricane paths in North America. While our cool waters save us from many storms, we are definitely not immune.
• "Bermuda High" weather patterns dominate from summer to autumn. While most of the resulting tropical cyclones usually curve harmlessly out to sea, some make their way to our area.
• Long Island is only 20 miles wide at most, roughly the size of a hurricane eye.
• Parts of the South Shore are barely above sea level.
• Beach erosion from previous hurricanes and nor'easters have erased dunes and depleted sand to dangerous levels in many areas.
• Residents continue to build homes along shorelines, eager for the perfect view and dismissive of the potential dangers.

And with a "more active Atlantic storm season" forecast for 2007 by the National Hurricane Center, which predicts 7 to 10 hurricanes this year - including 3 to 5 "intense" ones - the time for Long Island to prepare for a hurricane is now. Here's how.

The "Big One" - and others

By far, the biggest hurricane to ever hit Long Island occurred in mid-September 1938. The New England Hurricane - also known as the Long Island Express - formed in the eastern Atlantic and initially aimed straight for Florida. At the last moment, the storm turned its course toward Long Island. There were no warnings issued. Residents along the South Shore were completely unaware that a major Category 3 hurricane, with winds up to 130 mph, was bearing down on them.

On September 21, while vacationers were trying to squeeze the last drops out of summer, the hurricane crashed ashore with storm surges of 10 to 12 feet. It devastated the coast and was responsible for 700 deaths, $308 million in damage - and left 63,000 people homeless between Long Island and New England.

The LI Express was so powerful that it created the Shinnecock Inlet and widened the Moriches Inlet in Suffolk County.

Since 1938, there have been a number of damaging hurricanes on the Island, though none has rivaled the "Long Island Express." These include:

• The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, a Category 3 (winds 111-130 mph).
• Hurricanes Carol and Edna of 1954, both Category 3 hurricanes when they hit Long Island and Connecticut.
• Hurricane Donna of 1960, which started as a Category 4 and hit Nassau County as a Category 3 (winds 111-130 mph).
• Hurricane Gloria of 1985, which began as a Category 3 hurricane when it hit Cape Hatteras, North Carolina but was considered a Category 1 (winds 74-95 mph) when it reached Long Island. Even so, Gloria devastated the U.S. and caused serious damage throughout Long Island.

Learn More About Hurricanes | Hurricane Emergency Contact Information | Resource Center | Volunteer Opportunities
Order Preparedness Guide | News & Events | Coloring Pages | Tips

In Partnership with: Nassau County Red Cross, Suffolk County Red Cross, State of New York, Nassau County and Suffolk County