Isn't the idea of a major hurricane bulls-eying N.Y.C. just absurd?.?

We observe New York City politicians, their hands ever out for more national taxpayer money, argue how among many other threatening catastrophes a direct strike from a hurricane would make Katrina's devastation look like a picnic. But, other than the fact that N.Y.C. is not below sea level (most of Manhattan being comfortably with several meters' elevation at least) is it not the case that for a mive storm surge to move up N.Y. Harbor a category 3 or above hurricane must strike the northeastern New Jersey coast while on a north-northwestward track? First of all, has there ever been an Atlantic hurricane of category 4 or 5 over the cooler waters off northern New Jersey? And has there ever been a major hurricane at all that was tracking to the north-northwest at that latitude? If not, shouldn't New York politicians be admonished?