Can New York City sustain a direct hit from Hurricane Irene?

Can NYC sustain a direct hit from Hurricane Irene? Weather expert and author Mike Smith believes the city is woefully unprepared-and the danger is imminent. In WARNINGS, the facinating story of all things weather from Category 5 hurricanes to F-5 tornadoes, nationally-recgonized meteorologist and author Mike Smith predicted that, if a hurricane were to hit NYC, the city would be ill prepared to handle the emergency. Today, there is a very high probability that his prediction will be put to the test. In his chapter on Hurricane Katrina, Mike Smith decried the lack of preparedness and warned that the government could not adequately respond to the situation. He asserted that we could be equally unprepared in the event of a hurricane emergency in another large coastal city-specifically New York. In an excerpt from WARNINGS: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather, Mike wrote:

But here is the sobering bottom line: Katrina turned out not to be the worst case. She weakened before she hit land. Had she maintained Category-Five strength, the flooding in New Orleans would have been quicker (due to additional breaches, likely resulting in more deaths), the impressive storm surge in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana would have been higher (likely resulting in more deaths) and the inland wind damage would have been worse.

New York City has been hit by hurricanes and will be again. The Baltimore-Washington area is vulnerable if a major hurricane moves up Chesapeake Bay. Andrew did not hit the heart of Miami; a direct hit will be far worse. Houston-Galveston is a huge, growing, and vulnerable population center. And there’s one few people have considered: hurricanes have hit California. There are zero plans in place for when a hurricane returns to the West Coast.

The point is that there are many possible “Katrinas” lurking. 

 Most of us just want to say "Good night Irene" but Irene wants to stay out a little bit  later.

For information or  to request an interview with Mike Smith please contact Mindy Cook with Mike Smith Enterprises at 316-204-9969.