Updated: September 24, 2010  1:40 pm ET

Crystal Beach, TX after Hurricane Ike (2008)
Image:  iWitness Weather user carlie1061

Every community along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the United States is at risk for the direct impacts of a hurricane.  Some areas have experienced hurricanes at greater frequency than others, and are more prone to experiencing stronger hurricane impacts. 

Since a disastrous hurricane in any one metropolitan area is a fairly rare event, some residents can live in an area for a long period of time, perhaps even most or all of their lives, without experiencing one, despite living in a vulnerable location. 

People in other areas have not been so fortunate in recent years, with devastation fresh in their minds while still recovering, but remaining as much at risk as ever. 

So, it seems instructive to highlight examples of locations that are both vulnerable and overdue for a very significant hurricane impact.  Doing so can help remind residents of any area that has escaped a hurricane disaster for quite some time that what has happened to others could happen to them too.  (New Orleans, Gulfport-Biloxi, Galveston and Houston are examples of locations not on this list because they've recently been severely hit.)

While certainly not an exhaustive list, the following five metropolitan areas have been selected based on a combination of the amount of people and property at high risk, and how long it has been since the area has been directly affected by a very strong hurricane.  It is a matter of when, not if, these areas are struck next.