Story of the Hurricanes: A Timeline of New York Storms
1938: The Long Island Express
This storm was a Category 3 when it hit Long Island, the strongest storm ever to make a direct hit near NYC. Although Long Island and New England bore the brunt of the storm—which caused 700 deaths and made 63,000 people homeless—NYC also suffered through this storm, which created a storm surge of 17 feet and waves that reached heights of FIFTY FEET. This is very, very high. The storm knocked out power everywhere above 59th Street in Manhattan and the winds were so strong that the Empire State Building was visibly swaying due to their power. And this was just the effects of the weaker side of the storm. Who knows what would have happened if NYC had sustained a direct hit? Let’s not think about that right now.