I was speaking with a neighbor last week who remarked that, in his opinion, our area is experiencing severe weather never before seen prior to Tropical Storm Irene, Hurricane Sandy and our most recent Nor'easter, "Nemo."
I did some research and discovered that our area is, in fact, no stranger to severe weather in the form of Hurricanes, Tropical Storms and Nor'easters.
1821 HURRICANE..."The Great New England Gale"
Reaching the City on
September 3, 1821, the storm was one of the only hurricanes believed to have
passed directly over parts of modern New York City. The tide rose 13 feet in
one hour and inundated wharves, causing the East River to converge into the
Hudson River across lower Manhattan as far north as Canal Street. However, few
deaths were attributed to the storm because flooding was concentrated in
neighborhoods with far fewer homes than exist today.
BLIZZARD OF 1888 (Nor'Easter)
With
21 inches of snow falling over a two-day period — the third largest
accumulation on record — the blizzard of 1888 hit New York City by surprise at
the end of a warm March day (March 11-14). As two storms, one approaching from
the south and one from the north, met over the City, heavy precipitation and
winds gusting up to almost 75 mph resulted in snowdrifts up to 30 feet high.
Roads and highways were blocked, steam train service was suspended, horse-drawn
streetcars and taxis halted operations, and ships docked in New York's harbor.
A
New York Central locomotive derailed while attempting to push past snow drifts
in the 4th Avenue tunnel, and many commuters were stranded on elevated tracks
in unheated cars. It took 14 days for the City to completely recover. The mayor
responded in early 1889 by ordering all overhead wires placed underground.
1938 HURRICANE..."The Long Island Express"
The most powerful hurricane known to have made landfall nearby — a category 3
hurricane — occurred in 1938. Its eye crossed over Long Island and into New
England, killing nearly 200 people. The storm killed 10 people in New York City
and caused millions of dollars in damage. Its floods knocked out electrical
power in all areas above 59th Street in Manhattan and in all of the Bronx, the
new IND subway line lost power, and 100 large trees in Central Park were
destroyed.
Fortunately,
New York City experienced the weaker "left side" of the 1938
hurricane — the City was 75 miles from the eye when it passed over Long Island.
The hurricane could have caused far more deaths and damage if it passed closer
to the five boroughs.
BLIZZARD OF 1947 (Nor'Easter)
Holding
the previous record for the biggest snowstorm in New York City history, the
blizzard of 1947 dropped 26.4 inches of snow in Central Park over two days
(December 26-27). As moisture in the Gulf Stream fed the storm's energy, the
City was paralyzed when the blizzard barreled its way through, stranding cars
and buses in the streets, halting subway service, and claiming 77 lives.
1954 HURRICANE CAROL
In 1954, Hurricane Carol made landfall in Eastern Long Island and Southeastern
Connecticut. With sustained winds over 100 mph and gusts of 115 to 125 mph, it
was the most destructive hurricane to hit the Northeast coast since the Long
Island Express in 1938. Fortunately for City residents, the storm's track was
forty miles further east, and spared it a direct hit, but did result in major
flooding throughout the City.
1955 HURRICANES CONNIE and DIANE
Leftover rains from hurricanes Diane and Connie caused significant flooding in the City in August 1955, even though the eye of those storms did not cross directly over any of the five boroughs. Diane caused more than 200 deaths in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Connie dropped more than 12 inches of rain at LaGuardia Airport.
1960 HURRICANE DONNA
In 1960, Hurricane
Donna created an 11-foot storm tide in the New York Harbor that caused
extensive pier damage.
1972 TROPICAL STORM AGNES
In June 1972, Tropical
Storm Agnes fused with another storm system in the northeastern U.S., flooding
areas from North Carolina to New York State, causing 122 deaths and more than
$6 billion dollars in damage (when adjusted for inflation).
BLIZZARD OF 1978 (Nor'Easter)
While
the storm, which occurred February 6-7, 1978, is more well known for its impact
on coastal New England and Long Island, it still affected eastern New York:
17.7 inches was recorded in mid-Manhattan alone.
1985 HURRICANE GLORIA
The US Army Corps of
Engineers has said that 1985's Hurricane Gloria could have been catastrophic if
it arrived at high tide and just a little closer to the City.
1993 STORM OF THE CENTURY
From
March 13-14, 1993, the 1993 superstorm was called such because it affected the
entire eastern third of the U.S. There was a major severe weather event in the
southeast, flooding and snow in the Mid-Atlantic states and blizzard conditions
in the northeast. New York City's Central Park recorded 10.2 inches of
snowfall on March 13. Overall, the nation incurred more than $3 billion in
damage.
The
"Storm of the Century" marked the first time that NOAA's Weather
Service was able to forecast a storm of this magnitude five days in advance and
provide storm and blizzard warnings two days in advance.
1995 HURRICANE FELIX
Hurricane Felix
lingered off the East Coast for nearly a week in 1995, menacing the
northeastern US before it finally drifted out to sea.
BLIZZARD OF 1996 (Nor'Easter)
Dumping
more than 20 inches of snow in Central Park, the blizzard of Jan. 7-8, 1996,
marked the second biggest snowstorm in New York City history. With winds
gusting to more than 50 miles an hour, the powerful nor'easter caused
widespread power outages, scores of fatalities and $1 billion in damages from
Washington, D.C. to Boston.
Thousands
of travelers were stranded at City airports, bus terminals, and highway rest
stops as transportation ground to a halt. On Jan. 8, New York City public and
parochial schools were ordered closed, several Broadway shows canceled
performances, and the New York Stock Exchange had a short day.
1996 TROPICAL STORM BERTHA
A weakening Tropical
Storm Bertha brought heavy rain to the City in July 1996.
1996 HURRICANE EDOUARD
Hurricane Edouard veered out to sea after tracking toward New York City around
Labor Day 1996.
1999 TROPICAL STORM FLOYD
In September 1999, Tropical Storm Floyd brought sustained 60 mph winds and
dumped 10-15 inches of rain on upstate New Jersey and New York State over a
24-hour period. Flash flooding from this tropical storm — one of the most
powerful to affect New York City in a decade — forced hundreds of people to
leave their homes in counties just outside the five boroughs. Floyd caused New
York City's schools to close for the first time since 1996 and led the city to
open emergency storm shelters as a precautionary measure.
2003 PRESIDENTS DAY STORM (Nor'Easter)
Nearly
two feet of snow blanketed the New York City area following the President's Day
storm of Feb. 17, 2003, which claimed 42 lives nationwide, stranded thousands
of travelers, and cost the City $20 million.
Two
deaths in the metropolitan area were attributed to the storm, including a man
who died of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was warming up his car, and a
man killed when a roof collapsed under the weight of the snow.
Major
airports along the eastern seaboard — including LaGuardia Airport — shut down,
while Kennedy and Newark Airports issued extensive flight cancelations. Bus
service was halted in and out of Port Authority Bus Terminal, while
Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak trains ran
with scattered delays.
BLIZZARD OF 2006 (Nor'Easter)
Record-breaking
snowfall blanketed New York City on February 11 and 12, 2006, making this
February storm the biggest in the city’s history. Measurements taken in Central
Park showed that 26.9 inches had accumulated by the storm's end. The snow fell
for 16 hours, and meterologists classified the storm as a nor'easter with
winds about 20-30 mph.
In
the city, the Department of Sanitation worked around the clock to remove snow
from roads and walkways. The City deployed 2,500 workers to cover 12-hour
shifts to handle snow clean-up.
With
25.4 inches of snow reported at LaGuardia Airport, hundreds of flights at both
LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy Airports were canceled. Long Island Railroad
temporarily stopped service into and out of Penn Station; Metro-North service
shut down for part of the day; extensive subway delays were seen mostly on the
2, 4, 5, L and M lines; New York City's Bus service was running at 50%
capacity. Despite the transportation interruptions, no serious storm-related
injuries occurred.
BLIZZARD OF 2010 (Nor'Easter)
On
December 26, 2010, a Nor’easter dropped more than 20 inches of snow on New York
City. Strong winds pushed the falling snow into drifts that measured up to four
feet. Transportation suffered major delays as airports and rail shut down
across the city and Long Island. Travelers driving home from the holidays got
stuck in the snow and abandoned their vehicles. These abandoned vehicles made
it difficult for the city’s plows to clear the accumulating snow. The 2010-2011
winter went on to be one of the snowiest on record, with 56.1 inches falling in
January 2011 alone.
After
the storm, OEM introduced a Snow Emergency Declaration to caution residents
against unnecessary driving during a snowstorm and keep roads clear for plows
and emergency vehicles.
2011 TROPICAL STORM IRENE
In August 2011,
Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm right before it made
landfall in New York City. In preparation the City issued the first-ever
mandatory evacuation of coastal areas on August 26, 2011. The evacuation
encompassed 375,000 residents living in evacuation zone A, the entire Rockaway
Peninsula, and 34 health care facilities located in evacuation zone B. The
City sheltered 10,000 evacuees at 81 shelters. The rest stayed with family and
friends outside the evacuation zones. Irene dropped up to seven inches of rain
across the city and brought winds of 65 mph. The storm cost the city an
estimated $100 million in damages. More than 8,000 residents were approved for
$13.6 million in federal disaster assistance to help with the recovery.
2012 HURRICANE SANDY
In late October 2012,
Hurricane Sandy was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it made
landfall in New York City. In preparation the City issued the second-ever
mandatory evacuation of coastal areas on October 28, 2012. The evacuation
encompassed residents living in evacuation zone A, which was updated to
include: Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, and Red Hook and other areas along the
East River in Brooklyn; all of the Rockaways, as well as Hamilton Beach and
Broad Channel in Queens; almost all the coastal areas of Staten Island; City
Island, a small patch of Throgs Neck, and other patches of the South Bronx; and
Battery Park City and stretches of the West Side waterfront and of the Lower
East Side and East Village in Manhattan. The City opened 76 shelters to the
public. Sandy brought winds of up to 85 mph, total rainfall of about
1 inch across the city, as well as a peak storm surge of 13.88
feet.
NOR'EASTER NOVEMBER 2012
Authorities imposed
gasoline rationing on motorists in New York City and Long Island on Thursday, a
day after a nor'easter added to the woes of our area still grappling with the
damage left behind by Superstorm Sandy.
BLIZZARD ("NEMO") OF 2013 (Nor'Easter)
In February 2013, "Nemo" ran up our coast with wind gusts of 50 mph dumping 8" of snow in our area with a significant storm surge.
