Southampton, New York's History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Southampton most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 7th and September 13th

Years near or within core winds

1872bdts
1874bdts
1877bdxts
1879br
1881tsbr
1882tsbr
1882ts
1888bdts
1888ts
1893br
1893bdtsbr
1894
1896br
1897ts
1900xts
1902xts
1903tsbr
1904xh
1908ts
1913xts
1916br
1924br
1927br
1934ts
1936
1938m
1944
1944tsbr
1954m
1954brm
1955bdts
1958br
1960bdts
1960
1961
1961ts
1962br
1969brm
1971ts
1972tsbr
1972tsbr
1976
1985
1991
1996bdts
1999ts
2008ts
2011ts
2012
2013xts
2017tsbr
2019subtsbr
2020tsbr
2020bdtsbr
2021-2ts

56 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (B and D storms most likely to impact the area)

Carol
Edna
Diane
Daisy
Brenda
Donna
Esther
Alma
Gerda
Doria
Agnes
Carrie
Belle
Gloria
Bob
Bertha
Floyd
Hanna
Irene
Sandy
Andrea
Jose
Melissa
Fay
Isaias
Elsa
Henri

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 33, 58.93%
H = 23, 41.07%

only 7.14% of all tropical systems affecting Southampton are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

9 years 1945-1953

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.73 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 10.93 years. (14 hits) State stats

Average years between direct major hurricane hits. (major hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 51 years. (3 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

96 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

1 year overdue

Last affected by

2021 August 22nd tro storm Henri passes just east with 60 mph winds while moving north-northwest.

This area's hurricane history

1894 October 10th 85 mph from the south-southwest.
1904 September 15th a hurricane becomes extratropical with 80 mph winds while passing just east moving quickly east-northeast.
1916 July 21st, 85 mph to the east clips eastern L.I from the south-southwest
1936 September 19th just southeast by 45 miles with 90 mph winds from the west-southwest.
1938 115 mph passes 35 mles to west September 21st caused storm surge flooding 3 miles inland as a category 3 in central & eastern Long Island. Reports of a 40 foot wall of water destroyed approximately 14,000 homes, however post analysis by HRDNOAA's Hurricane Research Division (HRD) indicates 10 to 12 feet excluding wave breaks with New York City area 4 to 8 feet. 50 killed on Long Island with over 500 killed in states further north. In Westhampton 150 beach homes were destroyed. In New York City, Empire State Building swayed as much as 4 inches with gusts to 100 mph, but the strongest winds were well east of here. Pressure at Bellport 27.76 inHg. Many warnings were put up too late. This system was moving at a forward speed of 40 mph when it hit. | Newspaper article #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | Maximum wind map | Monument | Newspaper article southbridge evening news | Best track data | More on the long island express here | Raw video footage of damage | Surge animation
1944 95 mph (HURDAT) hits east long island from the south-southwest on September 14th early morning just a shade east of where the 1938 system came ashore minor damage reported weather map
1954 August 31st 115mph (HURDAT) Hurricane Carol hits Eastern long island as many homes were splintered by gusts to 130 mph in August. A pressure of 960 mb 28.33inch in Suffolk as the hurricane approached at 47 mph north-northeast. A storm surge of 6.1 ft was observed. Recon mission was flown just hours before landfall. A gust of 135 mph recorded on block island. Newspaper article | Carol headlines #2 | Maximum wind map | Weather map | More on Carol here
1954 September 11th, Hurricane Edna pases just east of the east tip of L.I with 95 mph winds
1960 September 12th Donna hits central/east over Southampton long island from the south-southwest with 100 mph gusts to 125 mph, sustained at 100 mph on eastern end Newpaper Headline | Weather map | More here
1961 September 21st, Hurricane Esther passes just southeast by 63 miles with 125 mph winds from the south-southwest. Hurricane force wind field hits eastern Long Island for several hours as it moves away..
1976 Belle hits August 10th, 37 miles to west peak gust 95 mph system was weakening 24 hrs prior to landfall with a forward speed of up to 25 mph estimated 75 mph at landfall. Weather map
1985 September 27th, Hurricane Gloria hits as a category 1 40 miles west of here with 85 mph winds but fast forward speed gives area gusts to 115 mph area reported many pre mature births due to low pressure.Being low tide at landfall may have saved many lives. (moderate damage) Newspaper article #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | More on Hurricane Gloria here
1991 August 19th Hurricane Bob clips the east end of L.I with 95 mph winds Bob also dumped heavy rain as area n.e of here suffered the worst damage up to 1.5 billion dollars in damage.killing 18, More on Hurricane Bob here
2012 October 29th very large Hurricane Sandy hits while becoming post tropical with winds around 80 mph approximately 150 miles to the south-southwest. Great Gull Island, New York, between Long Island and Fishers Island, measured a 1-min mean wind of 65 kt at an elevation of 18 m at 2035 UTC 29 October. The strongest observed peak wind gust (83 kt) from a reliable station was measured at Eaton's Neck by a WeatherFlow site at 24 meter elevation along the northern shore of Long Island, at 2210 UTC 29 October. Area hit very hard especially from storm surge with worst damage on Staten Island where 48 in New York were killed as of November 3rd. Estimates are that Sandy will be a 50 billion dollar disaster second only behind Hurricane Katrina. Seven subways flooded in New York City, report surge up to 14 feet in some locations. 8 million without power at one point. Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York, more than 100 homes were destroyed in a fire during and after Hurricane. Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan evacuated its 700 patients because the pumps that supply oil to the generators are in the basement under 8 feet of water. Around 100,000 homes on Long Island were severely damaged or destroyed, primarily by storm surge and waves, with more than 2,000 homes deemed uninhabitable. Islip reported gust to 88 mph, New York-Kennedy gust to 84 mph, New York-Laguardia 74 mph, Long Beach 82 mph, Staten Island P.S. 32 The Giffords School 74 mph, Breezy Point - Queens 78 mph, Kings Point storm surge 12.65 feet Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) Complete stats & images on Sandy | Sandy model history | Sandy best models | Sandy visible satellite movie | Long Island tree damage | Long Island flooding | Hurricane warning show | PBS documentary Hurricane Sandy | Long Beach, Long Island 19 days after sandy | Post NHC | USGS surge info

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......