Hurricane Gloria Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Hurricane Gloria
Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Gloria near peak intensity to the northeast of the Bahamas on September 24
Formed	September 16, 1985
Dissipated	October 2, 1985
(Extratropical after September 28)



Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h)
Lowest pressure	919 mbar (hPa); 27.14 inHg



Fatalities	14 total
Damage	$900 million (1985 USD)
Areas affected	North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic states, Long Island, New England, Atlantic Canada

Part of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Gloria was a powerful storm that formed in the Atlantic Ocean in September 1985. It was a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which means it formed over warm ocean waters. Gloria was the first big hurricane to hit Long Island and New York state directly in 25 years. The last one was Hurricane Donna.

The storm started as a weak weather system called a tropical depression on September 16. It then grew stronger and became Tropical Storm Gloria on September 17.

How Hurricane Gloria Formed
Where Hurricane Gloria Struck
Impact and Aftermath
Images for kids
See also

How Hurricane Gloria Formed

After becoming a tropical storm, Gloria actually weakened back into a tropical depression on September 18. But it didn't stay weak for long! Two days later, it became a tropical storm again.

On September 22, Gloria officially became a hurricane. It quickly gained a lot of strength on September 24. The very next day, its winds reached an amazing 145 miles per hour (233 km/h). Later studies in 2008 showed that its winds might have been even stronger than first thought.

Where Hurricane Gloria Struck

On September 27, Hurricane Gloria made landfall in eastern North Carolina. At this point, it was a Category 2 hurricane. This means it had strong winds, but not as strong as its peak.

After hitting North Carolina, the storm moved quickly up the East Coast of the United States. Later that same day, it struck western Long Island in New York. Its winds were about 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) when it hit Long Island. Just one hour after that, it hit land again near Westport, Connecticut.

Gloria then continued to move northeast. It traveled through parts of Atlantic Canada, bringing strong winds and rain there too.

Impact and Aftermath

Hurricane Gloria caused a lot of damage. The total cost of the damage from the storm was about $900 million. This was a huge amount of money in 1985.

Sadly, the storm also caused deaths. A total of fourteen people died because of Hurricane Gloria.

Because of the serious damage and loss of life it caused, the name Gloria was officially "retired." This means no future Atlantic hurricanes will ever be named Gloria again. The name was replaced with Grace on the list of hurricane names.