WBZ Weather Madness; The Hurricane Division
Yesterday's battle was the closest we've had so far. The Blizzard of 2013 came out on top by a 13% margin and moves on to the "Elite 8".
Today, we break down the Hurricane Division with two key matchups…
Hurricane Bob vs. Hurricane Gloria
Hurricane Bob was one of the costliest hurricanes in New England history. Bob made landfall twice in Rhode Island as a Category 2 hurricane on August 19; first on Block Island and then in Newport. Coastal communities bared the brunt of this storm. Sustained winds in Massachusetts peaked at 100 mph in Provincetown and there was an unofficial report of a gust of 125 mph in Brewster. Storm surge peaked at 5.8 ft in New Bedford and Woods Hole. Over 61 houses were destroyed and boat damage was significant.
The last hurricane event before Bob was Hurricane Gloria that affected the region on September 27, 1985. Gloria came ashore over Connecticut and brought sustained winds over 80 mph with a peak gust of 110 mph in Chatham. Thousands of trees were knocked down and nearly ½ million people lost power. Damage across MA was estimated at $61 million, including $6 million in crop damage.
Hurricane Sandy vs. Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, spanning 1100 miles, was the 2nd costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Damage estimates have been assessed around 75 billion, second only to Hurricane Katrina. Winds gusted over 80 mph on the Outer Cape and Sandy left over 300,000 without power in MA alone. Most of the damage was at the immediate coast where significant flooding and surge damaged thousands of homes.
Hurricane Irene was the first storm to attain major status (Cat 3 or higher) in the 2011 season, and ranks as the 7th most costliest Hurricane in U.S. history. This storm affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States. In New England, heavy rain and flooding took the biggest toll with a widespread 6-12" of rain falling across the six-state region. In Vermont, almost every river and stream flooded; roads were washed out, bridges destroyed and towns became isolated from travel for weeks.
Clearly all these storms had significant impact on New England. They all affected everyone differently. Which ones left the biggest lasting impression and impact on you?
-Danielle
