By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATAN — The good news is that Hurricane Earl has been downgraded, but the powerful storm could still head our way.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Hurricane Earl to a category 3 storm on Wednesday. A category 3 hurricane is marked by sustained winds of 111-130 mph, according to AccuWeather.
Forecasters expect the core of the storm to remain offshore as Earl churns northward up the east coast, but there is a chance it could make landfall on parts of Long Island Friday afternoon and evening, meteorologists said.
Rain and heavy winds are expected on Friday, though the amount depends on how close the storm comes to shore, according to forecasters.
In the mean time, city agencies aren't taking any chances. The Department of Buildings, for instance, is advising construction workers to tie down loose items that could be taken up by the potentially massive winds. They're even performing random spot-check inspections to make sure construction sites are taking necessary precautions.
The Weather Channel released a study in July saying New York City is the second-most vulnerable and overdue city to be hit with a hurricane in the country behind Miami.
A major hurricane has not hit the Big Apple directly in 117 years, but a few have come close.
Hurricane Gloria blasted Long Island and Connecticut in 1985 with winds of more than 95 miles per hour and left an estimated 680,000 without power. In 1991, Hurricane Bob did $1.5 billion in damage when the eye of the storm passed about 65 miles east of Montauk.
The last time the city was hit directly was in 1893 when a category 2 hurricane clobbered New York City with winds of up to 90 mph. The hurricane swell pushed boats inland, downed trees in Central Park and heavily damaged Coney Island, according to reports.
Most recently, Hurricane Floyd hit the area after being downgraded to a tropical storm and dumped a foot of rain in parts of New Jersey and upstate New York in 1999.
