You’re standing on the boardwalk in Rockaway or maybe staring out at the Hudson from a high-rise in Chelsea. The sun is out. The air is salty. It feels impossible that a tropical monster could ever churn up this far north. Most people think of the Caribbean or Florida when they hear the word "hurricane," but if you’re asking does New York get hurricanes, the answer is a complicated, historical, and occasionally terrifying yes.
It happens. Not often, but when it does, it's a mess.
New York sits in a weird geographical pocket. Scientists call it the "New York Bight." It’s basically a giant right-angle bend in the coastline where New Jersey meets Long Island. This shape acts like a funnel. If a storm hits at just the right angle, the water has nowhere to go but up into the streets of Lower Manhattan. We saw it with Sandy. We saw the remnants with Ida. It isn’t just about wind; it’s about the geography of a city built on the water’s edge.
The Science of Why They Come North
Hurricanes need warm water. Usually, that means anything above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. As storms move north past the Carolinas, they usually hit the colder waters of the Labrador Current and lose their engine. They "extratropicalize," which is just a fancy way of saying they turn into big, messy rainstorms.
But sometimes, the atmosphere gets weird.
If the Atlantic is running hot—which it has been lately—and the jet stream dips in a specific way, it can pull a tropical system straight into the New York area. It’s like a vacuum cleaner sucking a storm toward the coast. When this happens, the storm doesn't have time to weaken. It slams into the city with tropical characteristics still intact.
The "Bight" makes it worse. Because New York City is tucked into that corner, a storm coming from the south can push a massive wall of water—the storm surge—straight into New York Harbor. This isn't a slow tide. It’s a surge that can rise several feet in an hour.
The Heavy Hitters: A Timeline of Impact
New York’s history is littered with these events.
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938: This is the big one people forget. It was a Category 3. It didn't just graze the city; it absolutely hammered Long Island. The "Long Island Express" moved so fast that people didn't have time to evacuate. It literally reshaped the coastline, creating new inlets that still exist today.
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Hurricane Donna (1960): This one brought 100-mph winds to the city. It’s one of the few storms that caused hurricane-force winds in every state from Florida to Maine.
Superstorm Sandy (2012): Technically, it wasn't a "hurricane" when it made landfall because it had lost its warm core, but tell that to the people in the Rockaways. It brought a 14-foot storm surge to Battery Park. The subways flooded. The power went out for weeks. It changed how the city views climate risk forever.
Hurricane Ida (2021): This is the one that really scared the experts. It wasn't even a hurricane by the time it reached New York. It was just the leftovers. But it dropped so much rain—over 3 inches in a single hour in Central Park—that people drowned in basement apartments in Queens. It proved that "does New York get hurricanes" isn't just about the coast; it’s about the rain.
Why Long Island is the City’s Shield (and its Victim)
Long Island is basically a giant sandbar left over from the last ice age. It sticks out into the Atlantic like a sore thumb. For Manhattan, this is actually a good thing. Long Island takes the brunt of the Atlantic's anger. It breaks the waves. It slows the wind.
But for the people living in Montauk or the Hamptons? They’re on the front lines.
When a storm moves up the coast, it usually stays offshore. But if it "hooks" left, it hits Long Island first. The South Shore is incredibly vulnerable. Places like Fire Island and the Barrier Islands are constantly shifting. Every time a major storm hits, millions of dollars of sand are washed away, and the government spends millions more to pump it back. It’s a constant battle against the ocean.
The "Perfect Storm" Setup
Honestly, the worst-case scenario for New York is a high-speed storm hitting during high tide.
The tides in New York Harbor vary by about five feet. If a hurricane brings a 10-foot surge and it arrives during "spring tide" (when the moon is full or new), you’re looking at 15 feet of water above the normal level. That’s enough to submerge the FDR Drive and turn the Financial District into a canal.
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Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center watch the "Bermuda High" for this reason. If that high-pressure system stays put, it acts like a wall, forcing hurricanes to curve out into the empty Atlantic. If it moves, the "alleyway" opens up right toward the Jersey Shore and New York City.
How the City is Changing to Survive
New York isn't just sitting there waiting to get hit. After Sandy, the "Big U" project started. It’s a massive system of berms, walls, and gates designed to protect Lower Manhattan. You can see the construction now if you walk along the East River.
It's controversial. Some people think it's ugly. Others think it won't be enough. But the reality is that the city is sinking slightly while the sea level is rising. Combined with the threat of hurricanes, New York is in a race against time.
The city has also overhauled its evacuation zones. There are six zones now, based on the risk of storm surge. If you live in Zone 1, you’re basically on the water. If you live in Zone 6, you’re probably on a hill in the Bronx or Staten Island.
Basement Apartments and the Ida Lesson
We have to talk about the inland flooding. Ida showed that our sewers can't handle the "new normal" of rainfall. New York's drainage system was built for the 20th century. It can handle about 1.5 inches of rain per hour. When a hurricane remnant drops 3 or 4 inches, the water backs up.
It flows into the subways. It fills up basement apartments. This is a massive social issue. Many of the people most at risk are low-income residents living in "illegal" or unregulated basement units. The city is now trying to map these units and install sensors to warn people when the water starts rising.
What You Should Actually Do
If you live in or are visiting New York during hurricane season (June to November), don't panic, but don't be naive. People get complacent because we go a decade without a big hit.
First, know your zone. The NYC Hurricane Map is interactive and updated constantly. If the Mayor tells you to leave Zone 1, leave. Sandy killed people who thought they could "ride it out" in houses that had stood for 80 years.
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Second, understand that the subways will shut down. The MTA doesn't take chances anymore. If winds hit 39 mph (tropical storm force), they start pulling trains off the tracks and outdoor bridges. If a surge is predicted, they seal the vents. You will be stranded wherever you are.
Third, look at your windows. Most NYC apartments don't have shutters. If a storm is coming, move your electronics away from the glass. Tape doesn't do anything—that's a myth. Just get away from the windows.
The Future of New York Hurricanes
Is it getting worse? Probably. Warmer water means more fuel for storms.
While we might not see a hurricane every year, the ones we do see are likely to be "wetter." That means more flooding, even if the winds aren't that high. The atmosphere holds 7% more moisture for every degree Celsius of warming. That’s a lot of extra water falling on Brooklyn.
New York is a coastal city. It always has been. From the privateers in the 1700s to the shipping magnates of the 1800s, the water is why the city exists. But the water is also the city's greatest threat. Understanding that does New York get hurricanes is the first step in respecting the power of the North Atlantic. It isn't just a Florida problem. It's a 5-borough problem.
Actionable Steps for New Yorkers:
- Check the NYC Flood Maps: Don't guess. Look up your specific address on the NYC "Know Your Zone" website to see if you are in a storm surge area.
- Sign up for Notify NYC: This is the city's official emergency alert system. They send texts and calls for everything from "a weird smell in Queens" to "major hurricane inbound."
- Review your Insurance: Standard renter’s or homeowner’s insurance almost never covers flooding. If you’re in a low-lying area, you need separate flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- Go-Bag Essentials: Don't just pack water and granola bars. Include a paper map of the city (GPS fails), a portable power bank, and copies of your ID in a waterproof bag.
New York is resilient. It's survived fires, blackouts, and financial collapses. It can survive hurricanes too, but only if the people living there stop pretending they live in a place where the weather is always predictable. The ocean is right there. It’s beautiful, it’s iconic, and occasionally, it wants its space back.