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Overcast Officials: L.I. overdue for a hurricane
County legislator hosts emergency-preparedness seminar
The flooding rains that hit Long Island’s South Shore on Aug. 14 might be a preview of what could happen if a hurricane were to strike here. That’s why County Legislator Dave Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, hosted a hurricane-preparedness seminar last Wednesday at the North Bellmore Library.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Center joined with representatives from the county and state Offices of Emergency Management to educate attendees on how best to prepare for a hurricane.
Dave Wally, a National Weather Center forecaster, said the hurricane season, which lasts from June until the end of November, is expected to be 65 percent stronger this year than the average, peaking around mid-September. He added that 14 to 19 tropical storms, half of which could become hurricanes, are expected to develop in the Atlantic this season. Three to five of those storms could become intense hurricanes. Wally explained that the combination of light winds and warm sea surface temperatures equates to an above-normal season. “We’re pretty much on target for an active season,” he said.
Wally said that storm patterns in the Caribbean will begin to impact Long Island’s shores in the coming weeks, causing rip currents, high surf and beach erosion. In the event that Long Island were to take a more direct hit, residents would be notified at least 48 hours in advance, Wally said.
Historically, a hurricane has slammed into Long Island about every 17 years. The last one to make landfall on the Island was Gloria in 1985, which generated winds of 95 to 100 miles per hour and left 400,000 residents without power, said Raquel Wolf of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. Gloria was a Category 2 storm and caused an estimated $300 million in damage.
Nassau and Suffolk counties are overdue for a hurricane, Wally said. “We’re past all these points of return,” he said.
If a Category 3 hurricane were to strike the South Shore, all properties south of Sunrise Highway would be in danger of being flooded. That is why the county has its evacuation plans already in place, Wolf said.
