Long Island Overdue for Major Hurricane, Experts Say

A hurricane cannot reach Long Island; only people living hundreds of miles south of here have to worry about the possibility of a hurricane, right?

Wrong.

Long Island has felt the effects of major hurricanes over the last century, and according to some experts, another one could be coming sooner than later.

Bill Goodman is a forecaster for the National Weather Service and says the likelihood of Long Island being hit with a sizeable hurricane in the near future is not something to taken lightly.

"All it takes is one storm heading on the right track to spell disaster for Long Island," he said.

Goodman was one of several speakers who shared information with Long Island residents at a "Being Prepared for a Hurricane/Emergency" community meeting Wednesday night.  The event was hosted by Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick, and held at the Freeport Memorial Library.

Denenberg is a major advocate for Long Island residents to know what to do and how to do it, if and when a hurricane or major storm hits the largest island in the country. He has been involved in spreading the word about the issue for years, including hosting the Long Island Hurricane Symposium in Seaford from 2000-04.

"We are going to have a major storm," Denenberg said. "People need to know what to do in the event of a major storm."

For the people in attendance on Wednesday, a great deal of information was given out and presented by people who make a living regarding these issues.

Goodman was the first to present; he discussed how a hurricane comes to be and why storm surges can dictate how powerful a storm will be.

On average, hurricanes hit the New York metropolitan area every 17 years. The last hurricane to come ashore onto Long Island was Hurricane Gloria in 1985, which means Long Island is overdue for another one, he said.

Goodman said a hurricane off the shore of North Carolina can reach Long Island in 10 hours, with the largest number of hurricanes developing in the months of August and September.

Experts are predicting this hurricane season to be very eventful, due in large part because of the warmer temperatures in the surrounding waters.

James Callahan, commissioner of the office of emergency management in Nassau County, spoke about what to do in the event of a hurricane or major storm. He also showed pictures from the hurricane that hit Long Island in 1938, killing 700 people and tearing houses to pieces.

Callahan gave people information and tips that could one day be vital in the event of a hurricane, minor things such as:

• Having a tarp in the house in case severe winds break a window
• Filling up the bath tub before the storm hits to preserve water
• Making sure the cars in the driveway have a full tank of gas
• Always have some cash handy because without electricity, credit and debit cards are useless.

Callahan mapped out the evacuation routes and showed the list of schools that would be shelters if an evacuation did occur; there are 25 hurricane shelters in the county.

"I take this idea of needing to do an evacuation order very seriously," Callahan said. "If I tell you to evacuate, it's because it is not safe for you to be there."

Beverly Poppell, of the Pet Safe Coalition, urged people to take care of their pets in the event of an evacuation. There are animal shelters nearby, but Poppell said, "There's no way that any shelter is going to be able to take care of your pets the way you are."

The possibility of a hurricane is out there, and it is up to each individual to know what to do in the event that the unthinkable becomes a reality.