The Storm Of The Centuries - The 1821 New Jersey Hurricane

by Patricia A. Miller

So you think Superstorm Sandy was the worst storm in recorded history to slam into the Jersey coast?

Think again.

The worst storm has already happened, almost 194 years ago, according to The Press of Atlantic City.

The Category 3 hurricane that roared ashore on Sept. 3, 1821 with a storm surge three times higher than Superstorm Sandy and winds up to 130 miles per hour, would have dwarfed Sandy by comparison.

The Atlantic Ocean met the Delaware Bay in some areas, and inundated Ocean, Cape May and Atlantic counties all the way up to where the Garden State Parkway is located now.

The article detailed a report compiled by global insurance company Swiss Re - entitled ”The big one: The East Coast’s UDS 100 billion hurricane event.

Although the hurricane was almost 200 years ago, there were some weather observations of the storm’s wind speed and direction that still exist. The Swiss Re report relied on computer modeling to do the rest.

To read the entire story, click here.

Today marks the start of the 2015 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a below-normal hurricane season, but warns coastal residents to continue to prepare for a major storm.

NOAA is predicting a 70 percent likelihood of six to 11 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which three to six could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including zero to two major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher), according to the website.

Although a below-normal sesason is likely, there is also a 20 percent chance of a near normal season and a 10 percent chance of an above-normal season, NOAA states.

“A below-normal season doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. As we’ve seen before, below-normal seasons can still produce catastrophic impacts to communities,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D.,

She referred to the 1992 season in which only seven named storms formed. One of them was Hurricane Andrew - – a Category 5 Major Hurricane that devastated South Florida.

Map courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.