New England's hurricane history
As intense Hurricane Lee journeys through the Atlantic, and AccuWeather forecasters warn a strike in New England is one possible scenario, here's a look back at historic hurricanes to make landfall in the region.
Tracks of hurricanes that made landfall between 1938 and 1991.
NOTE: This entry was written before Post-Tropical Storm Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia with 70 mph sustained winds on Sept. 16, 2023.
New York City, Long Island and New England have been hit by hurricanes over the years but not officially since Hurricane Bob in 1991. More recently, tropical systems that were not officially hurricanes when they hit the region have done significant damage in New York City and the coast of southern New England, including Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and Tropical Storm Henri and Tropical Rainstorm Ida in 2021.
The most recent hurricane hit in New England was under the unassuming name "Bob." On Aug. 19, 1991, Category 1 Hurricane Bob made landfall in Rhode Island with 100-mph winds, which killed 17 people and caused $1.5 billion in damage (1991 USD). At the time, because of the heavily-populated area affected, it was one of the costliest hurricanes in the United States.
Hurricane Gloria made landfall on Long Island as a Category 1 storm with 85-mph winds on Sept. 12, 1985, after striking the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 storm. Like Hurricane Donna 25 years prior, heavy rain and high winds caused damage across much of the East Coast.
Hurricane Donna slammed into the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm in September 1960 then made landfall again on the Florida mainland and eastern North Carolina before coming ashore as a Category 2 storm on Long Island on Sept. 12. In total, the storm killed 50 people in the U.S., and damages approached $1 billion (1960 USD). Flooding and power outages were recorded from Florida to Maine.
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)
The only year on record to have two hurricanes make landfall in the northeastern U.S. was 1954. On Aug. 31, Hurricane Carol hit the eastern tip of Long Island as a Category 3 hurricane. Less than two weeks later, on Sept. 11, Hurricane Edna hit Massachusetts as a Category 2 storm.
The worst effects of a hurricane are often seen on its eastern flank. Carol's highest storm surge and winds were mostly east of Long Island.
An unnamed hurricane of 1938 hit farther west on Sept. 21, causing immense damage on Long Island and coastal New England. Colloquially called the Long Island Express, it is considered the worst storm to hit the area and was certainly the deadliest.
The hurricane killed between 600 and 800 people, as it hit with little warning. Scores of trees were felled, with 35 percent of New England's forests were affected. Damage was estimated at $308 million (1938 USD). The storm almost killed actress Katherine Hepburn.
An aerial view of an estate on Westhampton Beach following the hurricane of 1938. (Bettmann/GettyImages)
Prior to 1938, several notable hurricanes hit New England and Maine, including the September Gale of 1869, which made landfall in Rhode Island as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing an 8-foot storm surge and high winds that felled trees into Massachusetts.
In addition to Gloria, which traveled over Maine as a hurricane in 1985, only one hurricane has ever officially made landfall in the state of Maine since 1900. Hurricane Gerda came inland just west of Cross Island on the evening of Sept. 9, 1969. There was minor damage from Massachusetts up the coast, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. Hurricane Bob and an unnamed storm in 1944 both lost their hurricane status just before officially hitting the state.
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