Eastern Coast Hurricanes

As Hurricane Irene continues to batter the east coast with heavy rain and gusty winds, I decided to spend some time looking back at the history books on tropical systems that hit the eastern coast.

The last time a hurricane affected New York/New England region was back in 1991 when Hurricane Bob rushed through the eastern side of the U.S.  Very similar to Irene, Bob tracked along the east coast as a Category 3 storm before dropping intensity across land.  By the way, Bob was the costliest hurricanes in New England's history.

At this stage of the game Irene doesn't appear to have the same strength as Bob, but it will sure leave a trail of damage behind.

Of course nobody can forget the 1938 Hurricane that was the absolute worst for the region.  According the record books, there was a 21 foot storm surge that struck Long Island.  Along with the high surge, there were winds reaching 130 mph.  Unlike Irene, the hurricane was not forecasted to hit the region leaving 800 deaths across Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachuetts.

Let it be known that Irene will be memorible for its track then its intensity.  It doesn't appear on the scale of Hurricane Bob or the 1938 Hurricane but since it will impact millions it will be known for years to come.

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