Northern Latitudes

MYTH #4: "We don't have to worry about hurricanes this far north."

Region affected: Atlantic coastline north of Cape Hatteras.

Eastern US and Atlantic with shading to delineate tropical, subtropical, and middle latitudes

Although most hurricanes don't form north of Cape Hatteras, the atmospheric steering currents can carry them there. Northern locations may also be subject to intense flooding from dissipating hurricanes or tropical remnants moving overland from the south.

Northern hurricanes coming in from the ocean often approach the coastline at a high rate of speed, as the prevailing winds at those latitudes (dark green in the above illustration) are faster than the winds in the tropics (blue) and subtropics (light green). This translates to shorter warning times with respect to distance for people in the northern latitudes.

1938 New England Hurricane, from the NOAA Photo Library

There may be some tendency to believe that if palm trees don't grow in a particular place, or if it snows there - if it is considered to be a cold weather climate - then it isn't subject to hurricanes. History, however, tells a far different story: the New England Hurricane of 1938 (left), a Category-3 hurricane, killed upwards of 600 people. Such Atlantic coastal locations north of Cape Hatteras, including New England, are just as subject to hurricanes today as they were in 1938.

New York City is particularly vulnerable because of the funnel shape of its coastline. Should a hurricane approach that area at a 90 degree angle (right angle), the New York metropolitan area could be subjected to quite a destructive storm surge.

Next Section - Storm Surge Forecast Interpretation
Previous Page - Shape of the Coastline
Back to Tutorial Home

Printer-friendly page