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Long Island’s southern coastline faces the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and is vulnerable to numerous coastal hazards, especially the unobstructed path of southern storms traveling up the coast. Eastern Long Island is listed in the top ten areas in the U.S. most vulnerable to hurricanes. Because of this unique geographic location, exposure, and vulnerability, the 1.5 million residents of Suffolk County are susceptible to a variety of coastal events and natural disasters.

Recently, during the winter of ’09 and spring of ‘10, two Long Island storms were declared Presidential Disasters and caused over $50 million in public property damage and $7 million in homeowner losses. Neither of these were hurricanes.

Do you remember Hurricane Gloria in 1985?

  • Category 1 storm when it hit
  • Hundreds of thousands lost power
  • 48 homes destroyed and thousands more were damaged
  • $4.3 Billion in damages (2010 dollars)

What about the Long Island Express in 1938?

  • Category 3 storm when it hit
  • 700 deaths and thousands of injuries
  • 63,000 left homeless
  • $6.1 Billion in damages (2010 dollars)

Suffolk County has developed this website as an information source for our residents to assist in their individual preparedness should a disaster occur. An educated and aware public is one of our primary defenses against losses.

LONG ISLAND IS OVERDUE FOR ANOTHER MAJOR STORM

ARE YOU READY???