6th straight year of double-digit tropical cyclones..a 1st..

[Stormsfury]

With the development of Juan, this marks the 6th straight year that 10 tropical cyclones developed in the Atlantic Basin. Since 1851, this is the first time in documented history that this has occurred and the most active 6 year period in the North Atlantic tropics-wise.

Also in the six year period, there have been a total of 79 tropical cyclones (including 2003 up to this point with 11) which is another record. 8 of the last 9 years have featured 10 or more tropical cyclones in the Atlantic (since 1995). Since 1995, there have been 119 observed tropical cyclones or a rough average of 13.2 tropical cyclones since 1995.

Below is a link to the total number of TC's, hurricanes, and major hurricanes by year from 1851-2002. (These numbers include the AOML reanalysis from 1851-1910 and will be updated when the AOML planned reanalysis from 1911-1943 - or the pre-hurricane hunter era is complete).

Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, and Major Hurricanes from 1851-2002

SF

[AussieMark]

if it wasn't for the strong El-Nino event of 1997 we could have had 9 years straight of hyper active Hurricane season.

[cycloneye]

Yes we are living in an active multi-decade years that will see plenty of activity in the next 2 decades followed by a slowdown and then once again an active period.

[AussieMark]

So far out of this activity the US has been lucky as far as Major Hurricanes are concerned. Only Opal(1995) and Fran(1996) and Bret(1999) came ashore as Majors.

The Caribbean and Central America not so lucky

Mexico - Roxanne(1995), Isiodore (2002)
Belize - Iris(2001)
Bahamas - Lili(1996), Floyd(1999)
Cuba - Michelle(2001)
DOminican Republic - Georges(1998)
Puerto Rico - Georges(1998)
Virgin Islands - Marilyn(1995), Lenny(1999)
Lesser Antilles - Luis(1995), Marilyn(1995), Georges(1998), Lenny(1999)

[JetMaxx]

It's absolutely mind-boggling that only one major hurricane (Bret) has struck the U.S. mainland since 1998....and only 3 (Opal, Fran, and Bret) since 1995.

Southern Florida has now gone 39 September's since the last landfalling major in that normally active month (Betsy in Sept. 1965)....and unless a major hurricane strikes SoFla in October, it will be 11 hurricane seasons since a major hitting the peninsula period -- ONLY the 4th time that's occurred since in over 160 years (since 1840).

The periods from 1849-1870; 1874-1887; and 1966-1991 were the only previous occurrences of over 10 seasons between landfalling major hurricanes in South Florida....and it's very possible a couple major landfalling hurricanes were missed in southern Florida before 1900....it was extremely remote and sparsely populated at that time (even Miami wasn't incorporated as a city until 1896).

[Aquawind]

if it wasn't for the strong El-Nino event of 1997 we could have had 9 years straight of hyper active Hurricane season.

Good Point..Incredibly Busy..

[tomboudreau]

TWW...

Shouldnt Mitch be on the list that you provided for the Caribeane? When was Mitch, BTW...1998? Just curious.

Tom

[ColdFront77]

Yes, Hurricane Mitch was in 1998.

http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atl ... /track.gif

[msbee]

tropicalweatherwatcher
you said:
Lesser Antilles - Luis(1995), Marilyn(1995), Georges(1998), Lenny(1999)

don't forget
Bertha (1996), and Jose (1999)

we had 6 storms in 5 years!

[AussieMark]

i was mentioning Major Hurricanes at landfall.

Mitch was bad but was Category 1 at landfall as well as Cesar(1996) and Hortense(1996) and the ones u mentioned above.

[Stormsfury]

i was mentioning Major Hurricanes at landfall.

Mitch was bad but was Category 1 at landfall as well as Cesar(1996) and Hortense(1996) and the ones u mentioned above.

You've definitely done your homework. Even though, Mitch peaked at 905 mb and 185 mph sustained winds, tropicalweatherwatcher is exactly right. Mitch made landfall as a Category 1 and catastrophic inland flooding was the result when as much as 40" of rain fell in portions of Honduras and Nicaragua (and what was responsible for most all of the deaths). Mitch is presumed to be the second deadliest hurricane EVER of record only behind the Great Hurricane of 1780 which is presumed to have claimed 22,000 lives between October 10th through the 16th, 1780. The storm went through Martinique, St. Eustatious, and Barbados as well as killing many more offshore.

SF