Hurricane Preparedness Week May 25th - May 31st

By Meteorologist Rich Hoffman

Hurricane season starts June 1st and ends November 30th. Early Forecasts are looking for this season to be an active season. NOAA Predicts Near Normal or Above Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season. Hurricane Outlook Click here. Storm Names for this year - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

Now is the time to prepare. It has been more than 20 years since Long Island has been hit by a Hurricane. That hurricane was Gloria back in September of 1985.

Tropical Weather link from National Weather Center -
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/okx/hurricane.html

National Hurricane Center - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

How to Prepare - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml

More on Gloria

September 27, 1985,

Hurricane Gloria hit Long island--it was the last time Long Island had a direct hit from a hurricane. The eye of the storm moved over eastern Nassau and western Suffolk, including my house in West Babylon. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. The rain starting during the early morning and I couldn't sleep. I kept on looking out the window watching the Amoco sign sway back and forth until it finally fell. The storm arrived during the morning hours and as we went into the afternoon the eye of the storm moved overhead and I waited for the back half of the storm. That back half never came. As Gloria made landfall the terrain of Long Island, as well as the loss of its energy source (warm water), Gloria quickly weakened. That was good news for Long Islanders

At the time of landfall on Long Island - Gloria had sustained winds of around 85-mph. However, Gloria was moving forward at 35-mph when it struck land. This combination of sustained winds and forward motion - produced peak winds of at least 111-mph across a narrow area of eastern Long Island.

Winds at Montauk reached 100 mph, 11 deaths were reported across the northeast and more than 285 million dollars in Damage. 48 homes destroyed on Fire Island and more than 750,000 people had no power for more than a week. http://www.hurricanes-blizzards-noreasters.com/HURRICANE-GLORIA.html

Gloria -

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at198507.asp

Long Island Hurricanes - http://www.bnl.gov/weather/files/Hurricane/LI_hurricanes.htm