Do You Remember When Hurricane Irene Smacked Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, & New York?

Fortunately, here in New England, we rarely get slammed by hurricanes or tropical storms.

However, it does happen.

In 2023, we got hit with two tropical storms back to back.  This year, we have already had two close brushes with significant storms.

That being said, it has been a while since we have been hit directly by a hurricane or tropical storm.  One of the last to hit us was 2011's Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene

It was this week back in 2011 that Hurricane Irene steamrolled across New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Irene first made landfall in Cape Lookout, North Carolina on August 27th, 2011.  The storm continued to move northeast where it smashed across New York and Massachusetts.

By the evening of August 28th, the storm was bringing 60-knot-per-hour winds and downpours to New Hampshire and Maine.

Much of the damage caused by the storm was done by the insane flooding that it caused.

During the course of the storm, many New England rivers set flooding records.  According to the National Weather Service, rivers on this list included:

• This storm brought the 7th highest Pemigewasset river crest of all time in Holderness, NH at 21.35 feet.
• Pemigewasset River at Woodstock (flood stage 9.0 ft), which crested at 16.5 ft.
• Pemigewasset River at Plymouth (flood stage 13.0 ft), which crested at 21.7 ft.
• Ammonoosuc River at Bethlehem (flood stage 8.0 ft), which crested at 10.9 ft.
• Baker River at Rumney (flood stage 10.0 ft), which crested at 14.0 ft.
• Saco River at Conway (flood stage 9.0 ft), which crested at 17.2.
• Connecticut River at West Lebanon (flood stage 18.0 ft), which crested at 29.6 ft.
• Suncook River at North Chichester (flood stage 7.0 ft), which crested at 8.1 ft.

By the time the storm had dissipated, it had killed 58 people and caused over $14 billion in damage.

Irene was not the only major storm to hit New England in the early 2000s.

Super Storm Sandy

A little over a year after Irene, the northeast was pummeled by Hurricane Sandy (AKA Super Storm Sandy).

Sandy brought destruction to the East Coast during the third week of October 2012.  The storm killed over 250 people and did almost $69 billion in damage.