It's been more than three decades since a true hurricane made landfall in the Northeast and over 70 years since a major one did.
While Florida and the Gulf Coast face frequent hits, New England states have largely escaped direct strikes in recent memory. But history, science and a handful of close calls tell a different story: This region isn't immune, it's overdue.
"The Northeast is climatologically overdue for a direct hurricane landfall," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. "This kind of storm will happen again in New England it's just a question of when. People have to be prepared."
A long stretch without a landfalling hurricane doesn't mean the risk has gone away. In fact, meteorologists say the odds of another major hurricane hitting the Northeast are about 1.5 in any given year. This is about the same chance of flipping a coin and getting the same result 6 times in a row.
"Typically, every 15 to 20 years on average, a hurricane will strike New Jersey on northward into southern New England. A major hurricane -- so that's Category 3 or higher-for the Northeast is every 60 to 70 years or so," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva explained.
