How Will The 2011 Version of Hurricane Irene Compare to Her Predecessors?

As the East Coast braces for Hurricane Irene, it's time for a brief history lesson in names.

Hurricane Irene isn't even the first time a major hurricane with that namesake has come up the coast. Over the past 60 years, Irene has been the name for a few hurricanes before this one.

There were a few recent Hurricane Irenes in 2005 and 2009. However, neither of these reached land fall and had minimal

The most recent major Hurricane Irene came in 1999 and it produced heavy damage across Southern Florida and Cuba. It came in October after a brutal hurricane season, which saw five storms reach category 4 strength and 12 overall. The 1999 Hurricane Irene was the sixth. It only reached category 2 strength, but it still did some damage.

In Cuba, the hurricane caused four deaths and damage. It caused flooding and damage as well as one death in the Bahamas. It landed on the U.S., in South Florida. It eventually passed through the state and landed on the shores of Virginia and North Carolina. Irene caused 10 inches of rainfall in those states but no major damage.

Overall, 1999 Hurricane Irene caused $850 million in damage and 18 deaths (3 direct, 15 indirect). Cuba was the worst hit and the country needed $217,498 from the Red Cross after the hurricane. There was also significant damage in Florida. It was a torrential rain type hurricane and that's where most of the death and damage came from although it did have 110 mph in winds.

Here's a look at Hurricane Irene from 1999.

Before 1999, there was 1971. The Hurricane Irene in 1971 tore through Central America and was the first hurricane tracked that ended up into the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It wasn't the strongest Hurricane though and was eventually renamed Olivia midway through. It caused less than $1 million in damage and only three direct deaths.

There was also a Hurricane Irene in 1981. However, it never made landfall.

Hurricane Irene 2011 could the worst of them all. Weathermen are predicting the Hurricane will be a Category 3 and it is expected to hit the entire East Coast over the weekend with up to 20 inches of rain and winds above 110 mph.

Follow Gabriel Perna on Twitter at @GabrielSPerna