Weather History: Hurricane Gloria

On this date back in 1985, Hurricane Gloria made its second landfall on the western end of Long Island, NY.  The storm’s strong winds and heavy rain pounded the area, including New York City.

Peaking as a category-4 hurricane in the tropical Atlantic, Gloria weakened to a category-1 storm as it moved northward.  Despite its downgraded status, this storm packed a serious punch.  Battering the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to the Canadian Maritimes, Gloria claimed the lives of eight people and caused $1.94 billion (2012 USD) worth of damage.

Recognizing this storm’s widespread and destructive impact, the WMO retired the name Gloria from the Atlantic Basin’s list of tropical storm names in 1986.

Image Credit: NOAA