As Hurricane Ivan aims for Florida, the Bay State may be overdue for a serious storm as it has avoided any serious hurricanes since Bob in August of 1991, but there is no cause for immediate concern according to experts.

In the past century, New England has been affected by 41 tropical storms, but only 12 full-strength hurricanes – about one every decade.

David Vallee, a science and operations officer at the National Weather Service, pointed out that the four major hurricanes, which are considered category-three level, all occurred between the years of 1938 and 1954.

Hurricanes during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s had a tendency to arrive in clusters, like they have this year in Florida. The primary reason behind this clustering pattern lies in the climate conditions in which hurricanes are bred, Vallee said.

“From the 1930s to the 1950s, the vast majority of hurricanes were due to a warm phase of sea surface temperatures,” Vallee said. “In later years, there was a cool phase, which relates to a lull in hurricane activity in the ’70s and ’80s.”

Hurricane Bob shut down much of New England when it tore into the area in 1991. It was considered one of the 10 costliest hurricanes in the 20th century, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“I remember taking refuge in the basement of my house while the hurricane blew down many trees in my yard and caused us to lose power for a week afterwards,” said School of Management sophomore Elizabeth O’Brien. “I really don’t want to see anything like it here anytime soon.”

Hurricanes tend to track away from New England, thanks to a west-to-east jet stream. The most active tropical storm season begins in August and runs through the end of September. Gusty winds and rain are normally all that are left of hurricanes that make landfall on the southern east coast.

For that reason, there is no reason to believe Hurricane Ivan, responsible for the deaths of at least 60 in the Caribbean, will make its way to the New England area. Predicted to hit Florida later this week, Florida Keys residents have already packed up and left their island homes.

“It is not uncommon the number of storms we have this season, but it is unprecedented for one state to get creamed by all three of the big ones,” Vallee said.