Irene By The Numbers

Hurricane Irene is a huge storm with unusual power, and it's heading for cities seldom hit by hurricanes. Here's a by-the-numbers look at Irene's potential punch:

3: Category of Irene Thursday afternoon. Meteorologists believe the storm could reach Category 4 before reaching land.

5: States that have declared States of Emergency -- Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia and New York -- as of 4:15 p.m. Thursday.

15: Number of inches of rain estimated to drop on the East Coast.

5: Number of hurricanes since 1851 whose centers passed within 75 miles of New York City since 1851.

10: Number of hurricanes to pass within 75 miles of Boston during the same span.

26: Years since the last major hurricane, Gloria, passed through the New York City area.

80: Miles from the storm's center that hurricane-force winds are blowing, making Irene an unusually large storm.

290: Miles from the storm's center that tropical-force winds extend.

115: Irene's winds, in miles per hour, as of 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

135: The expected speed of Irene's winds, in miles per hour, as the hurricane travels off the coast of Florida early Friday morning.

1882: The year New York City received its wettest month ever. Hurricane Irene could dump enough rain on the city to break that record.

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