Warmer Atlantic Heightens Mass. Storm Worry

It has been years since a major hurricane hit Massachusetts but emergency officials are advising residents to be prepared this year.

Peter Judge, from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, says warmer-than-usual waters mean Atlantic storms are less likely to dissipate and slow down as they move up the coast, putting the state at greater risk.

"You know, we're not Florida, we're not the Gulf coast, but we are a coastal state and therefore always susceptible to these kinds of storms," Judge said.

But Judge says the warning is not just for coastal cities and towns.

"We tend to think of hurricanes as kind of a coastal event, and if we're inland it won't really affect us," he said. "But a hurricane can literally impact from the Cape to the Berkshires on any given year."

Residents are advised to review their property insurance with insurance agents and make preparedness plans, including protection of computer files.