In recorded history, only two Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States. Note the exaggeration of the vertical scale to emphasize the changes. Northeasters, or winter extra-tropical storms impacting the east coast of the United States, can cause considerable coastal change and damage. For example, one of the most destructive storms to ever impact the mid-Atlantic states was the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962. Extensive coastal change occurred over 1,000 km of coast.
Northeasters owe their destructive power to their long duration.
Winds are typically below hurricane force, but can persist for several days to a week generating large waves and enhanced storm surge. In comparison, hurricanes are more severe in terms of wind speed and storm surge but the shoreline impacts tend to be more localized, confined to order 100 km of coast. Hurricanes also tend to be more short-lived moving across coastal areas in hours rather than days.