# 5777
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center now believe that Irene – which is currently battering the Southern Bahamas – is likely to track to the east of Florida and pose a late-week threat to the mid-Atlantic states.
There remains some uncertainty about this path, particularly on days 4 and 5, and interests along the Eastern seaboard should not focus on the exact forecast positions displayed.
And as these tropical systems gain latitude, they often pick up forward speed – which can enhance the effects of their winds – and they usually expand in size as well.
Meaning that even if the center of Irene stays off shore, the storm could still produce serious effects along the Eastern Seaboard.
Irene weakened slightly yesterday, but has regained CAT 2 strength. Conditions favor the storm intensifying and it is forecast to become a major hurricane later today.
Hurricanes are not just a Southern concern.
While hurricanes do tend to lose intensity as they traverse over the cooler waters of the North Atlantic, very strong storms have made it as far north as New England.
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was a strong CAT 3 storm and produced gusts of CAT 5 strength over parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts including Cape Cod. It was responsible for hundreds of deaths and great destruction.
1938 New England Hurricane – Credit Wikipedia
Six years later the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 brushed Cape Hatteras before making landfall as a CAT 1 hurricane on Long Island. It caused heavy damage in North Carolina, and along the Jersey Shore.
1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane – Credit Wikipedia
And in August of 1954, Hurricane Carol struck as a Category 2 affecting southeast Rhode Island and south coastal Massachusetts.
1954 Hurricane Carol – Credit Wikipedia
Two weeks later, Hurricane Edna – a CAT 1 storm at landfall – hit Cape Code, Martha’s Vineyard, and caused heavy damage in Maine.
1954 Hurricane Edna– Credit Wikipedia
Other notable hurricanes that have impacted New England include Donna in 1960, Gloria in 1985, and Bob in 1991.
It has been 20 years since the last hurricane made a New England landfall, although a number of weaker tropical storms have impacted the region.
Many residents have therefore become complacent, believing that these storms are unlikely to pack a punch when they arrive.
But as the Great Hurricane of 1938 (aka `The Long Island Express’), the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, the double strike of Carol and Edna in 1954, and Hurricane Donna in 1960 prove . . . New England cannot claim immunity to destructive hurricanes.
No matter where you live, NOW is the time to review your emergency plan, including where you will go if you are ordered to evacuate, and to make any last minute additions to your emergency kit.
If you live in Hurricane country, the National Hurricane Center website should be your primary source of forecast information, but if you are on Twitter, you should also follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific and @ReadydotGov for the latest Emergency information.
To become better prepared as an individual, family, business owner, or community to deal with hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or any other type of disaster: visit the following preparedness sites.
FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/
AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/
