New Yorkers give little thought to hurricanes since Long Island is so far from the warm, tropical oceans that feed hurricanes. However, according to the 1984 Hurricane Damage Mitigation Plan by the Long Island Regional Planning Board, several hurricanes and 15 tropical storms have made landfall in this area since 1886. According to historical record, there have been five "epic hurricanes" (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir Simpson Scale) in the years 1938, 1893, 1821, 1815, and 1635 (Hughes).
from http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/38hurricane/hurricane_climatology.html

So, you know, it doesn't really matter how often a threat, it only takes one devastating event to change the lives of many. Long Island, like Florida and the rest of the coastal areas of the United States have had such a population growth that a dramatic storm now impacts millions.