As of this writing, the National Hurricane Center is predicting that Hurricane Earl will remain offshore, and that Long Island will only have to deal with tropical force winds. However, hurricanes have been known to change course, and we hope that everyone takes the threat seriously and stays home if possible during the worst of the storm.

Those who find hurricanes interesting might want to do an internet search on the Hurricane of 1938 (sometimes referred to as the “Long Island Express”). Because weather forecasting was minimal at the time, and the storm changed course unexpectedly, an estimated seventy Long Islanders were caught unaware and were killed as the category three storm made a direct hit on the east end.

Today because we have so much information about hurricanes, and we track them for a week in advance, some people take the danger less seriously than they should. Everyone who lives in hurricane prone areas like ours should monitor the situation and try to stay off the roads and in their homes for the duration of the storm.

Meg Morgan Norris

Publisher