The five cities overdue for a major hurricane

Honolulu is the U.S. city most overdue for a direct hit by a “significant” hurricane in 2011, a hurricane expert says.

Rick Knabb, a hurricane expert at the Weather Channel, says he ranked the five cities on his list based on how long they’ve gone without a substantial direct hit from a hurricane. The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season started June 1.

At the top of Knabb’s list is Honolulu. Records show that the capital of Hawaii never has been hit by a hurricane.

“The prospect of a major hurricane striking Honolulu is scary, especially if the center of the eye passes just west of the city and places the strongest, onshore winds where the most people and infrastructures are located,” Knabb wrote on Weather.com.

The other cities on Knabb’s list are:

2. San Diego.

3. New York City.

4. Savannah, Ga.

5. Tampa, Fla.

“These and dozens of other U.S. cities … all are vulnerable and could be hit this year or any year, and everyone needs to be hurricane-prepared,” Knabb wrote.

“Many residents of the cities on this list, however, might be among the starkest examples of people who truly believe their hometown is immune from hurricanes. As a result, they might not have chosen to make sure they have enough insurance to replace their home if damaged or destroyed by a hurricane.”

In many hurricane-prone areas, homeowners who do buy insurance have standard coverage as well as windstorm coverage and flood coverage. These three types of coverage normally have to be purchased separately.

For information about hurricane preparedness, visit www.ready.gov.

–InsuranceQuotes.com staff