New York's weirdest weather: 2011 and through history (ContributorNetwork)

Anything can happen in New York and usually does. We don't just have strange people - even our weather is strange. We have had earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and heat waves in New York City in 2011, and the year isn't over yet.

Earthquakes

Forget California, we have earthquakes, too. This summer, an earthquake that traveled the length and breadth of the East Coast and damaged the Washington Monument in D.C. But that wasn't the first time NYC experienced tremors. There have also been rumblings from time to time along a fault line that runs down 125th Street in Harlem. By the way, our Indian Point nuclear plant is sited not far from the Ramapo Fault. Earthquake junkies can observe real-time reports on a map in the New York Museum of Natural History.

Hurricanes in the city

Then, there are the hurricanes. Remember Irene? Probably the most well-covered storm in New York City history, it left a swath of destruction in its path, uprooting venerable trees and flooding roadways and rivers throughout the area, but as storms go, it was far from the worst. That honor probably belongs to the Long Island Express of 1938, which carved out Shinnecock Inlet in Long Island and widened Moriches Inlet. This one storm permanently altered the shape of Long Island.

A Christmas blizzard

Have a holly, jolly Christmas. And don't forget to bring a shovel when you visit our fair city. An stealth blizzard blanketed the New York City last Christmas. With the mayor out of town and city officials caught flat-footed, the Christmas storm dumped 20 inches of snow in Central Park over 17 hours. Snow drifts as high as 5 feet covered cars, and traffic came to a standstill. Who was dreaming of a white Christmas? Maybe the lawyers. There were hearings galore and lots of finger-pointing. If you want to get a jump on the next blizzard, consult the good folks at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A year with no summer

After 2011's notoriously brutal summer featuring 106-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures, a year without a summer has a certain appeal. Thanks to Tamboro Volcano that erupted east of Java in 1815, the summer of 1816 never arrived. Dust from the massive volcano blackened the skies and brought on a chill that killed crops throughout the entire northeastern United States. The corn crop was ruined and orchards devastated. Food prices in New York City markets skyrocketed.

Absolute Astronomy says that temperatures of 26 below zero Fahrenheit in the winter of 1817 froze the waters of New York's Upper Bay and made it possible for horses to travel across the ice from Brooklyn's Buttermilk Channel to Governor's Island. It's enough to make this year's mind-numbing heat look good by comparison.

Clouds of cicadas

So, what's still to come after the harrowing weather of 2011, which featured blizzards, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and heat waves? Why, plagues of locusts, of course. The New York City area hosts massive broods of "locusts" - actually periodical cicadas - that show up en masse every 13 or 17 years, depending on the variety. According to Cicada Mania, the next outbreak of 17-year "locusts" will be brood VII dropping by in 2018.

There you have it, folks: earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, heat waves, and an upcoming plague of locusts. Welcome to the Big Apple!

Mary Finn, a native New Yorker, offers a unique perspective on the city of New York.

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Deadliest Typhoons in Recent History (ContributorNetwork)

With Typhoon Nesat heading toward North Vietnam, moving at 14 mph producing winds of up to 85 mph and gusts of up to 105 mph, Filipino locals say Nesat has brought the worst flooding Manila Bay has seen in decades. So far, 16 are dead, and there are presumably more as at least four are missing.

Nesat hit Luzon Island's northern areas right before sunrise on Tuesday, when it was a Category 3 typhoon, bringing winds of 125 mph with much stronger gusts. Nesat is projected to hit landfall again sometime Thursday night, passing over the Haiku peninsula in China before it hits North Vietnam.

Let's look at the most damaging and deadliest in recent history.

September 2009 -- Typhoon Ondoy

Also known as Typhoon Ketsana, Typhoon Ondoy struck the Philippines on Sept. 26, 2009, and it killed more than 500 people. At the time, Typhoon Ondoy had caused the worst flooding the country and town had seen in a long time. That was at least until Nesat hit this year. This typhoon also hit Vietnam, then devastated Cambodia as well.

October 2009 -- Typhoon Pepeng

Also known as Typhoon Parma, Typhoon Pepeng hit the Philippines in the same area Nesat hit, in northern Luzon, about a week after Ondoy, which was one of the reasons it was so destructive. The death toll was 492 with hundreds more missing. But the first death toll count was at only 15 with another 10 missing. The total monetary damage caused reached upward of $608 million and is to date classified the single most destructive typhoon in Filipino history.

June 2008 -- Typhoon Fengshen

Also known as Typhoon Frank, Fengshen hit the central Filipino town of Iloilo, causing a dam to collapse and sending 30,000 residents to seek higher ground. This report stated there were only 60 dead, but later reports confirmed the total was more. In fact, multiple reports came in throughout the next day and each had a higher tally of persons killed. The Red Cross said there were 229 dead with hundreds more presumed dead after a boat carrying more than 700 passengers capsized.

November 1991 -- Typhoon Uring

Also known as Tropical Storm Thelma, Typhoon Uring made landfall on Nov. 2 and stuck around until Nov. 7, all the while officially killing a total of 5,100 to 8,000. Because of the flooding, Ormoc City was devastated as it was completely submerged under floodwaters. This typhoon is labeled as the single deadliest typhoon in all of Filipino history; in fact, it is one of the deadliest and costliest in the 20th century, according to HurricaneScience.org. Leaving more than 50,000 homeless, the total damage costs were estimated at $30.4 million.

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History of Hurricanes in New York City (ContributorNetwork)

New York City is getting ready for a monster storm. The entire network of its famed subway system will be shut down in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. Parts of the city will be evacuated in low-lying areas to ensure elderly residents will be safe in case flooding occurs.

In terms of hurricane preparedness, New York City isn't exactly on the cutting edge. However, because it is the largest city in the United States there must be precautions taken to guard its most vulnerable citizens. Perhaps the lessons learned from past New York City hurricane strikes have served as a lesson to current leaders.

1821 Hurricane

Hurricanes didn't get names until 1950. Back in early September 1821, a gigantic storm bore down on New York so fast it caught residents of the city unaware. Walls of water 13 feet high brought high water south of Canal Street. New York Magazine reported the only thing that saved the city from complete ruin was that the brunt of the storm surge came in at low tide.

There were an unspecified number of deaths as records in 1821 were scarce. However, the areas decimated by the 1821 Hurricane were far less populated than they are today so the loss of life was kept relatively low by today's standards.

Hog Island Destroyed, 1893

An estimated Category 2 hurricane hit the area in 1893. The storm completely washed away Hog's Island, a resort part of New York City Aug. 22, 1893. No one in the modern age of New York had seen anything like it. Hog's Island was a mile long. A 30-foot storm surge of water completely washed it away literally overnight.

The site where the hurricane made a direct hit is where JFK International Airport now sits. Should Hurricane Irene pack the same punch as the storm in 1893, imagine what might happen. Howling winds and heavy rain may not do well in low-lying areas of New York.

Long Island Express, 1938

The hurricane dubbed the Long Island Express hit eastern Long Island as a Category 3 hurricane on the afternoon of Sept. 21, 1938. It spared New York City for the most part as the strongest 180 mph winds stayed in sparsely populated areas of Long Island. The storm killed 10 people in New York City alone and 200 overall. Had the hurricane moved 75 miles farther west, New York City would have taken a direct hit.

Insurance adjusters are fearful of another hit like the Long Island Express. Now, a storm of that magnitude would cause damage over $10 billion. Other modern hurricanes have dumped lots of rain and wind on New York. Hurricane Belle grazed New York in August of 1976 causing heavy rain. Hurricane Gloria also pelted the region with monsoon rains in late September of 1985.

As Hurricane Irene approaches, New York is doing what many residents in hurricane-prone areas do. They are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

William Browning is a research librarian.

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Factbox: Deadliest single tornadoes in U.S. history (Reuters)

(Reuters) – A powerful tornado scored a direct hit Joplin killing at least 116 people and leaving about 400 more injured, authorities said on Monday.

The Joplin tornado is the deadliest single twister since Woodward, Oklahoma in 1947.

Here is a list of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history:

1. Mar 18, 1925 Missouri/Illinois/Indiana; 695 dead

2. May 6, 1840 Natchez, Mississippi; 317 dead

3. May 27, 1896 St. Louis, Missouri; 255 dead

4. April 5, 1936 Tupelo, Mississippi; 216 dead

5. April 6, 1936 Gainesville, Georgia; 203 dead

6. April 9, 1947 Woodward, Oklahoma; 181 dead

7. April 24,1908 Amite, La./Purvis, Miss.; 143 dead

8. June 12, 1899 New Richmond, Wisconsin; 117 dead

9. May 22, 2011 Joplin, Missouri; 116 dead

10. June 3, 1953 Flint, Michigan; 115 dead

NOTE: The death toll may rise more in Joplin as the search for missing people continues. Also, the figures do not include the series of tornadoes in the Southeast including Alabama in April 2011 which killed at least 346 people in seven states. Of those, 238 deaths were in Alabama, 41 of which were in Tuscaloosa County.

SOURCE: Storm Prediction Center of National Weather Service's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "25 deadliest tornadoes."

(Compiled by Greg McCune; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst)

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