Hurricane Gloria hit Long Island in 1985. The center of the hurricane passed over Long Island on Friday, September 27th leaving two-thirds of Long Island Lighting Company's customers without power. Gloria wasn't the first hurricane to hit Long Island. On the contrary, we have quite a stormy history. These hurricanes have affected Long Island over the last 100 years.
New England Hurricane (1938)
The "Long Island Express" was first detected over the tropical Atlantic on September 13th, although it may have formed a few days earlier. Moving generally west-northwestward, it passed to the north of Puerto Rico on the 18th and 19th, likely as a category 5 hurricane. It turned northward on September 20th and by the morning of the 21st it was 100 to 150 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. At that point, the hurricane accelerated to a forward motion of 60 to 70 mph, making landfall over Long Island and Connecticut that afternoon as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm became extratropical after landfall and dissipated over southeastern Canada on September 22th.
Blue Hill Observatory, Massachusetts measured sustained winds of 121 mph with gusts to 183 mph (likely influenced by terrain). A U.S. Coast Guard station on Long Island measured a minimum pressure of 27.94 in. Storm surges of 10 to 12 feet inundated portions of the coast from Long Island and Connecticut eastward to southeastern Massachusetts, with the most notable surges in Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay. Heavy rains before and during the hurricane produced river flooding, most notably along the Connecticut River.
This hurricane struck with little warning and was responsible for 600 deaths and $308 million in damage in the United States.
Great Atlantic Hurricane (1944)
This large and powerful hurricane was first detected northeast of the Leeward Islands on September 9th. It moved west-northwestward through the 12th, then turned northward on a track that brought the center near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on the 14th. The cyclone accelerated north-northeastward, moving across eastern New England and into Canada by September 15th. The storm became extratropical over Canada and finally merged with a larger low near Greenland on September 16th. This hurricane was of Category 3 intensity at landfalls at Cape Hatteras, Long Island, and Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Category 2 as far north as the coast of Maine.
Cape Henry, VA reported 134 mph sustained winds (measured 90 feet above the ground) with estimated gusts to 150 mph. Widespread hurricane-force winds were reported elsewhere along the storm track from North Carolina to Massachusetts with a maximum reported gust of 109 mph at Hartford, Connecticut. Rainfall totals of 6 to 11 inches accompanied the storm.
While this hurricane caused 46 deaths and $100 million in damage in the United States, the worst effects occurred at sea where it wreaked havoc on World War II shipping. Five ships, including a U. S. Navy destroyer and minesweeper, two U. S. Coast Guard cutters, and a light vessel, sank due to the storm causing 344 deaths
Hurricane Carol (1954)
Carol formed near the central Bahama Islands on August 25th, and moved slowly northward and north-northwestward. By August 30th it was a hurricane about 100-150 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina. It then accelerated north-northeastward, made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane over Long Island, New York and Connecticut on the 31st. The cyclone became extratropical later that day as it crossed the remainder of New England and southeastern Canada.
Sustained winds of 80 to 100 mph were reported over much of eastern Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. A peak gust of 130 mph was reported at Block Island, Rhode Island, while gusts of 100 to 125 mph occurred over much of the rest of the affected area.
Storm surge flooding occurred along the New England coast from Long Island northward, with water depths of 8 to 10 feet reported in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Carol was responsible for 60 deaths and $461 million in damage in the United States.
Hurricane Donna (1960)
One of the all-time great hurricanes, Donna was first detected as a tropical wave moving off the African coast on August 29th. It became a tropical storm over the tropical Atlantic the next day and a hurricane on September 1th. Donna followed a general west-northwestward track for the following five days, passing over the northern Leeward Islands on the 4th and 5th as a Category 4 hurricane and then to the north of Puerto Rico later on the 5th. Donna turned westward on September 7th and passed through the southeastern Bahamas. A northwestward turn on the 9th brought the hurricane to the middle Florida Keys the next day at Category 4 intensity. Donna then curved northeastward, crossing the Florida Peninsula on September 11th, followed by eastern North Carolina (Category 3) on the 12th, and the New England states (Category 3 on Long Island and Categories 1 to 2 elsewhere) on the 12th and 13th. The storm became extratropical over eastern Canada on the 13th.
Donna is the only hurricane of record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic states, and New England. Sombrero Key, Florida reported 128 mph sustained winds with gusts to 150 mph. In the Mid-Atlantic states, Elizabeth City, North Carolina reported 83 mph sustained winds, while Manteo, North Carolina reported a 120 mph gust. In New England, Block Island, Rhode Island reported 95 mph sustained winds with gusts to 130 mph.
Donna caused storm surges of up to 13 ft in the Florida Keys and 11 ft surges along the southwest coast of Florida. Four to eight ft surges were reported along portions of the North Carolina coast, with 5 to 10 ft surges along portions of the New England coast. Heavy rainfalls of 10 to 15 inches occurred in Puerto Rico, 6 to 12 inches in Florida, and 4 to 8 inches elsewhere along the path of the hurricane.
The landfall pressure of 27.46 inches makes Donna the fifth strongest hurricane of record to hit the United States. It was responsible for 50 deaths in the United States. One hundred and fourteen deaths were reported from the Leeward Islands to the Bahamas, including 107 in Puerto Rico caused by flooding from the heavy rains. The hurricane caused $387 million in damage in the United States and $13 million elsewhere along its path.
other li/nyc canes
LI Express
LI Cane Storm Surge Simulator
gloria
vulnerable LI
nassau county press release
more 1938 from PBS
canes affecting NY harbor
NE Canes
nyc threats
1893 Hurricane
More 1893
1893 canes
On August 22, 1893, four hurricanes were occurring simultaneously. Storm #3 approaching Nova Scotia, Canada, storm #4 between Bermuda and the Bahamas, storm #6 northeast of the Lesser Antilles and storm #7 west of the Cape Verde Islands. Storm #4 would end up making a direct hit on New York City as a Category 1 hurricane two days later and storm #6 ending up hitting Georgia and South Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane (the "Sea Islands Hurricane") and killing 1,000-2,000 people. The only other known date with four hurricanes occurring at the same time was September 25, 1998, when hurricanes Georges, Ivan, Jeanne and Karl were in existence.
1893 also had the "Chenier Caminanda Hurricane" that struck Louisiana in and killed about 2,000 people was assigned a Category 4 at landfall.
chenier caminada
Interestingly enough, the US had seven landfalls that year, but not one in Florida, although two were probably a little too close for comfort, making sharp northward turns very close to the coast
I believe the "Sea Islands Hurricane" and the "Chenier Caminanda Hurricane" rank 2 and 3 as the deadliest hurricanes to hit the US.
The information I've been gathering has been spotty. If anyone knows of a good link (or links) describing the 1893 season, by all means, post them.
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