[Nexus]

I don't think a storm could maintain that kind of power in these 'northern' waters

Don't mean to scare you, but one could. A strong storm riding up the gulf stream, just grazing the coast,would only hit "cooler" water right past the tip of NC, from there it's only a couple hundred miles to NYC - not enough to diminish the intensity very much at all. An intense 170 mph storm would drop to 145/150, still a cat5. This hasn't happened in a major extent in modern meteorological times, trajectory and all, but I'm sure it's possible.

[StriperSniper]

Doesn't scare me, although maybe it should, but you're right that it's just possible. And the Gulf Stream isn't really all that far off the Jersey coast, only about 300 miles. We get eddies that bring 80 degree water to within 50-100 miles of the coast sometimes.

Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Lab Sea Surface Tempertures

[oceanview]

not since 1938.

and it would only be the eastern part of the eye that the real damage would be done, the eastern part of the eye at best would cross eastern long island.

[varina davis]

Don't mean to scare you, but one could. A strong storm riding up the gulf stream, just grazing the coast,would only hit "cooler" water right past the tip of NC, from there it's only a couple hundred miles to NYC - not enough to diminish the intensity very much at all.

A good example is the infamous "Long Island Express" hurricane of 1938. Devastated L.I. and points surrounding.