Hurricanes are usually thought of as slamming into Florida or the Bahamas. However, Hurricanes do reach up to Massachusetts, sometimes with intense power and damage!

2011 - Irene
Irene was a massive hurricane which was a level 3 at its strongest. It came along the North Carolina coast, wreaked havoc with New Jersey and New York, then came along the New York / Massachusetts border. Most of Massachustts felt the force of its water and wind, although it was not nearly as strong as Bob. Still, power was out for most of Massachusetts and many trees came down.
Hurricane Irene Photos


1991 - Bob
Exactly 20 years before Irene, the most recent hurricane to hit Massachusetts and still be at hurricane strength was Hurricane Bob, in 1991. This landed in Rhode Island on August 19, 2001, and it was a Category 2 Hurricane when it hit. Winds hit 125 miles per hour on the Cape.

1985 - Gloria
Before Hurricane Bob there was Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Many people remember Gloria more strongly because it was a Category 4 Hurricane at its strongest, and it was watched with fearful eyes as it crept up the coast. However, by the time it got to Massachusetts it was weaker than Bob - it was only a Category 1 Hurricane. Where Bob landed on Rhode Island, Gloria skipped along the coast and it was its third landfall by the time it got up into the Massachusetts area.

1976 - Belle
Going back from Gloria, you reach Hurricane Belle, which is such a sweet, gentle name. Belle was in 1976 and again it was "only" a Category 1 (down from a Category 3) by the time it got to Massachusetts.

Continuing back in history, we have:
1960 - Hurricane Donna - landed as a Category 2 in Massachusetts, was a Category 5 at its height
1954 - Hurricane Edna - landed as a Cat 1, was a Cat 3
1954 - Hurricane Carol - landed as a Cat 2, was a Cat 3
1944 - "Great Atlantic Hurricane" - landed as a Cat 1, was a Cat 4
1938 - "New England Hurricane" - landed as a Cat 3, was a Cat 5

So judging by this track record, we are well overdue for a powerful hurricane to hit us in Sutton! Be sure you're prepared with:

* bottled water
* flashlights / battery lamps
* canned food that doesn't need heating
* wind-up radio

The categories of hurricanes are determined by wind speed and storm surge:

Category	Speed	Surge
Five	156+ mph	18+ ft
Four	131-155 mph	13-18 ft
Three	111-130 mph	9-12 ft
Two	96-110 mph	6-8 ft
One	74-95 mph	4-5 ft

Preparing for a Hurricane

Photos in Sutton Massachusetts