With the 2011 hurricane season already spawning 11 named storms before the height of the season even begins, could this year be even more active than 2005? While only time will tell, the storms that have already formed are following the same development pattern that happened in 2005, which resulted in nearly 30 storms, thousands of deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage.
Those who live along the coast will never forget how active the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was. 27 named storms formed, shattering previous records and causing the United States to run out of alphabet names. After Hurricane Wilma, forecasters were forced to use the Greek alphabet, which was made up of tropical storms Alpha, Gamma, Delta and Zeta. There were additional hurricanes as well, named Beta and Epsilon.
The 2005 hurricane season also broke the record for the most major hurricanes, defined as a category three or higher, to hit the U.S. coast. In addition, the season spawned four category five storms, the strongest level possible, with the most well-known being Hurricane Katrina. Katrina alone resulted in over 1,800 deaths and cost $108 billion, making it the most costly storm in U.S. history.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. On average, there are between nine to 10 storms, with only half of those developing into hurricanes. In 2005, however, there were 27 named storms. Sticking to statistics, just over half of these developed into hurricanes.
Eleven storms have formed as of Aug. 31. This means that in the first two months alone, we've already broken the record average of storms expected. With four months left to go, many are wondering how bad this season will get. Worse still is that the most active months are still to come.
September is by far the worst time in hurricane season. The number of storms expected to form jumps by more than 50 percent, with the peak being around the middle of the month. September is also the month known for the strongest hurricanes, including Opal, Ivan, Rita, Carla, Helene, Donna and The Great Labor Day Storm.
In the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, 12 storms had already formed as of Aug. 31. This made it the busiest season to date. Now, in 2011, the Atlantic seems to be mimicking its previous behavior, spawning 11 storms, just one short of tying the record.
If the 2011 season continues to follow this behavior, we can expect as many as 16 storms to form in the coming months. The only bright side to the Atlantic's crazy behavior is that, unlike in 2005, most of these storms are remaining weak and avoiding the United States.
Even so, those who live along the coast should definitely keep a sharp eye on the waters and stay prepared. Hurricanes are unpredictable and can form at anytime. Remaining alert and prepared could save your life this storm season.
Sources:
nhc.noaa.gov: "2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season"
rainstorm.com: "2005, Season of Firsts"
hurricaneville.com: "Average Number of Storms," and "Historic Hurricanes"
dosomething.org: "11 Facts about Hurricane Katrina"
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