Hurricane Bob struck New England 35 years ago on a track not seen since
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New York City, Long Island and New England have been impacted by many tropical storms over the years, but no hurricane has officially made landfall in the region since Hurricane Bob in 1991.
On Aug. 19, 1991, Hurricane Bob made landfall along the Rhode Island coast with sustained winds over 100 mph. It tore through New England with deadly storm surge and widespread power outages, killing 18 people and causing more than $1.5 billion in damage at the time, equivalent to $3.46 billion today. At the time, because of the heavily populated area affected, it was one of the costliest hurricanes in the United States.
Hurricane Bob just before landfall on Aug. 19, 1991. (NOAA)
Bob brushed the North Carolina Outer Banks before making landfall twice, crossing Narragansett Bay, then lost its hurricane status before a third landfall in Maine.
In the 35 years since Hurricane Bob, direct hurricane hits in this part of the country have become rare, mainly due to cold waters off the coast. Still, the Northeast has a long history of being impacted by powerful hurricanes, and the region may be overdue for a hurricane landfall.
In this Sept. 25, 1991, file photo, New England regional FEMA chief Ed Thomas, right, talks with Frank and Mary Mahady, of Mattapoisett, Mass., whose home, seen intact in far background, survived Hurricane Bob because it was built to be hurricane-resistant while touring damage caused by the storm. New Englanders, bracing for their first direct hit by a hurricane in 30 years, are taking precautions as Tropical Storm Henri barrels toward the southern New England coast. (AP Photo/Stephen Rose, File)
More recently, tropical systems that were not officially hurricanes when they hit the region have caused significant damage in New York City and along the coast of southern New England, including Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and several impactful tropical storms and rainstorms, such as Ida during the 2021 hurricane season.
Sandy made landfall in New Jersey in 2012 and, while public sources classified Sandy as "post-tropical," AccuWeather continued calling it a hurricane, knowing people respond more urgently to hurricane warnings than to routine coastal flood alerts. In addition to the coastal damage, Sandy also brought blizzard conditions to the central Appalachians.
"Typically, every 15 to 20 years on average, a hurricane will strike New Jersey northward into southern New England. A major hurricane — so that's Category 3 or higher — for the Northeast is every 60 to 70 years or so," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva explained.
Many more people live on the coast now than in 1991 during Hurricane Bob, DaSilva said.
"I am very worried, especially with sea level rise that, even during nor’easters, you see the ocean threatening houses, so storm surge from a hurricane could be catastrophic," he said.
Boat owners gather their belongings, Aug. 20, 1991 in Dartmouth, Mass., after Hurricane Bob swept through southern Massachusetts. The area was closed to the public allowing boat owners to locate and salvage damaged property. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Evacuation zones have also changed due to urban creep and climate change.
"Even if you did go through Bob, you could have a different evacuation zone today than in 1991," DaSilva explained.
The name Bob was retired due to the immense damage from the storm and will never be used again for an Atlantic storm name.
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