In response to the destruction that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have left in their wake, New York State Senator Michael Balboni, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, asked the question of whether the metro area is prepared for a destructive hurricane.

"In our own communities, we have been spared major storms for the past 19 years," said Balboni, who held a Senate hearing last week at Mineola Village Hall on hurricane preparedness. "With some 11 million people in the area, we must make sure that all levels of government have every resource available and are focused on preparedness whether it's a hurricane, a blizzard or a terrorist attack."

The last hurricane to hit the Long Island area was Hurricane Gloria in September of 1985, 20 years ago. Does this mean Long Island is due? Michael Wyllie, meteorologist-in-charge at the New York City office of the National Weather Service testified that since 1995, warm sea surface temperatures over the Atlantic basin means an active tropical cyclone season, meaning the chances of hurricanes are increased.

The last major hurricane to hit Long Island was the Long Island Express of 1938, which killed 600 people and left more than 60,000 homeless. "That was when Long Island was essentially one big farm. Could you imagine what it would do today," asked Balboni.

Hurricanes are classified into five categories. A Category 5 is the most severe. Hurricane Gloria was mostly a Category I hurricane on Long Island, which means it hit the Island in most parts with winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour with a storm surge of four to five feet above normal.

The frequency of hurricanes in recent years could mean that Long Island in coming years could be facing another storm. Wyllie testified that from 1966 to 1992, there was an inactive period with only two hurricanes - Hugo and Gloria making landfall. From 1995 to 2003, an active period, there were 32 major hurricanes in the United States (Category III or higher) with three making landfall. However, in 2004, three out of six major hurricanes made landfall and in 2005, three out of five major hurricanes made landfall including Katrina, which was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall.

If a major hurricane with 111 mph winds or higher were to hit Long Island, there would be significant damage. "A Category 3 on Long Island could do incredible damage basically to the entire island," said Wyllie.

Wyllie believes although Long Island hasn't been hit with a hurricane it some time, it remains a real threat. However, residents shouldn't rely solely on the government to come up with a plan. Everybody should come up with their own plan in case a hurricane were to hit Long Island. For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit www.nhc.noaa.gov.