Aug 9 and storms brought to you by the letter B

[senorpepr]

Bonnie forms... Up next is Charley, Danielle, and Earl.

Below is a breakdown of what storms were active on Aug 9 between 1954 and 2003. (Note: storm numbers in parenthesis had been finalled out by NHC prior to Aug 9) If applicable, there is a listing of what date the "B" storm developed on. At the end the list is the 50 year average ('54-'03).

Please Note: Number represents the number of storms (excluding subtropical storms) thus far in the season. The start dates of the B-storm are when these systems were tropical depressions.

Active Storms on August 9, followed by the date the B-storm formed.

03 (4); Jun 29
02 2, (3); Aug 04
01 (2); Aug 02
00 1; Aug 13
99 (1); Aug 18
98 (1); Aug 19
97 (4); Jul 11
96 (3); Jul 05
95 6, 7; Jul 05
94 (1); Aug 14
93 2; Aug 04
92 (0); Sep 17
91 (1); Aug 16
90 4, 5; Jul 24
89 4; Jul 09
88 2; Aug 08
87 1; Aug 18
86 (2); Jun 23
85 3; Jul 21
84 (0); Aug 30
83 (0); Aug 23
82 (1); Aug 28
81 4; Jun 29
80 1; Aug 14
79 (3); Jul 09
78 3; Aug 05
77 (0); Sep 03
76 2; Aug 06
75 (2); Jul 24
74 (0); Aug 26
73 (1); Aug 18
72 (1); Aug 22
71 (1); Aug 10
70 (3); Jul 29
69 (1); Aug 11
68 (3); Jun 17
67 (0); Sep 05
66 (5); Jul 01
65 (0); Aug 27
64 2; Aug 07
63 1; Aug 20
62 (0); Aug 27
61 (1); Aug 24
60 (2); Jul 28
59 (4); Jun 15
58 2; Aug 08
57 2; Aug 08
56 2; Aug 09
55 3, 4; Jul 31
54 (2); Jul 27


====
Average # of TS on Aug 9: 02.00 ('04: behind average by 0.00 TSs)
Average Date for B-storm*: Aug 04 ('04: behind schedule by 5 days)

* B-storm occurred 100.0% of the time in the past 50 years.

Note: The following "30-yr averages" encompass the years 2003-1974

TS YTD vs 30yr Seasonal Average: 2 vs 9.97 (-7.97)
HR YTD vs 30yr Seasonal Average: 1 vs 5.83 (-4.83)
MHR YTD vs 30yr Seasonal Average: 1 vs 2.20 (-1.20)

[senorpepr]

2003 Tropical Storm Bill (Hit LA, MS)
2002 Tropical Storm Bertha (Formed off of TX, hit LA)
2001 Tropical Storm Barry (Hit W FL, AL)
2000 Tropical Storm Beryl (Hit N Mexico)
1999 Hurricane (4) Bret (Hit S TX)
1998 Hurricane (3) Bonnie (Hit NC)
1997 Hurricane (1) Bill (Fish)
1996 Hurricane (3) Bertha (Hit US E Coast)
1995 Tropical Storm Barry (Hit Nova Scotia and Newfoundland)
1994 Tropical Storm Beryl (Hit FL, tracked along ern states)
1993 Tropical Storm Bret (Stayed along 10°N; Hit Nrn S America)
1992 Hurricane (2) Bonnie (Fish)
1991 Hurricane (3) Bob* (Hit US E Coast, Portugal, Spain)
1990 Hurricane (1) Bertha (Hit Nova Scotia)
1989 Tropical Storm Barry (Fish)
1988 Tropical Storm Beryl (Hit LA)
1987 Tropical Storm Bret (Fish)
1986 Hurricane (1) Bonnie (Hit TX/LA border)
1985 Hurricane (1) Bob (Hit SE US)
1984 Tropical Storm Bertha (Fish)
1983 Hurricane (1) Barry (Hit FL, Mexico)
1982 Tropical Storm Beryl (Fish)
1981 Tropical Storm Bret (Hit VA)
1980 Hurricane (2) Bonnie (Fish)
1979 Hurricane (1) Bob (Hit LA)
1978 Tropical Storm Bess (Hit Central Mexico)
1977 Hurricane (1) Babe (Hit LA)
1976 Hurricane (3) Belle (Hit New England)
1975 Hurricane (1) Blanche (Hit Nova Scotia)
1974 Hurricane (3) Becky (Fish)
1973 Hurricane (1) Brenda (Hit Yucatan Peninsula)
1972 Hurricane (2) Betty (Fish)
1971 Hurricane (1) Beth (Hit Nova Scotia, Newfoundland)
1970 Tropical Storm Becky (Hit FL)
1969 Hurricane (1) Blanche (Skirted Newfoundland)
1968 Hurricane (1) Brenda (Hit FL)
1967 Super Hurricane (5) Beulah* (Hit Lesser/Greater Antillies, Mexico, TX)
1966 Hurricane (1) Becky (Neared Nova Scotia)
1965 Super Hurricane (5) Betsy* (Hit Windward Is, Bahamas, FL, LA)
1964 Tropical Storm Brenda (Fish)
1963 Hurricane (3) Beulah (Fish)
1962 Tropical Storm Becky (Brushed Azores)
1961 Hurricane (4) Betsy (Fish)
1960 Tropical Storm Brenda (Hit US E Coast)
1959 Tropical Storm Beulah (Hit Mexico)
1958 Tropical Storm Becky (Fish)
1957 Tropical Storm Bertha (Hit LA/TX Border)
1956 Hurricane (3) Betsy (Hit Windward Is, PR, DR, Bahamas)
1955 Tropical Storm Brenda (Hit MS/LA Border)
1954 Tropical Storm Barbara (Hit LA)

"B" names in the past...
52% became category one hurricanes
26% became category two hurricanes
20% became category three hurricanes
08% became category four hurricanes
04% became category five hurricanes

(Names with asterisk denotes retired name)

[cctx]

I've seen the term used alot but never asked before now -- what does it mean when you say a storm is a "fish" ? Thanks to any and all who can help me with this

[senorpepr]

I've seen the term used alot but never asked before now -- what does it mean when you say a storm is a "fish" ? Thanks to any and all who can help me with this

Primarily it's used to talk about a storm that was well away from land; only affecting the fish and shipping lanes.

[cctx]

Thanks senorpepr! Every little bit helps when you're trying to learn this stuff.

[senorpepr]

Thanks senorpepr! Every little bit helps when you're trying to learn this stuff.

Of course! Don't feel afraid to ask any questions. That's how most of us got to where we are today.

[Brent]

We're caught up now. Charley has formed.

[LAwxrgal]

I think Bonnie should've been retired after 1998. Although it's JMO.

Yeh, the tropics are cooking now, Bonnie AND Charley?

[Brent]

I think Bonnie should've been retired after 1998. Although it's JMO.

Yeh, the tropics are cooking now, Bonnie AND Charley?

I was a *little* surprised it wasn't retired. I believe it is still today the last major hurricane to hit the U.S.(It was a marginal 3, but still a major). Georges, Floyd, Lili, and Isabel were Category 2's.

[Hyperstorm]

Correction: Bonnie was a category 3 BEFORE it struck NC. It made landfall as a strong category 2. Hurricane Bret in 1999 was the last major hurricane to make landfall in the US, but did so in an unusually sparsed sector of the US coastline.

The United States of America has been ridiculously lucky since the new era of Atlantic hurricanes began in 1995. There have been just SO MANY close calls about powerful storms weakening before landfall. I'm afraid the Luck Time will soon be closing out and, unfortunately, all indications point toward Charley breaking that spell...

[HurricaneBill]

I feel these storms from the past should have been retired:

Hurricane Alma (1966) An early season major hurricane that struck Central America as a TD, Cuba as a Category 3, Florida as a Category 2, offshore of NC as a Category 1 and struck New England as a TS.

Alma is the earliest hurricane to make landfall on the U.S.

She struck on June 9th, 1966.

Alma left a total of 90 dead.

Hurricane Francelia (1969) Brushed Honduras as a Category 3 and made landfall on Belize as a Category 2. Left 100 dead.

Hurricane Edith (1971) Struck near the Honduras/Nicaragua border as a Category 5, Belize as a TS, Mexico as a TS, recurved and moved offshore of Texas as a Category 1 and finally made landfall on Louisiana as a Category 2.

Left 30 dead.

Hurricane Kate (1985) Late season major hurricane that struck Cuba as a Category 2 and also the Florida panhandle as a Category 2.

Kate is the latest hurricane to strike the U.S. She made landfall on November 21st, 1985.

Kate left 24 dead.

Hurricane Gordon (1994) Moved through Central America, Caribbean, and Florida as a TS. Offshore of NC as a Category 1.
Erratic path caused Gordon to do a figure 8 off the U.S. coast.

Gordon made 3 separate landfalls on Florida and caused $540 million in damage.

Gordon left 1145 dead. (Most in Haiti, but 8 in Florida.)

Hurricane Bertha (1996) The earliest Cape Verde hurricane. Bertha eventually became a Category 3 before weakening down to a Category 1 off the East Coast. However, prior to her NC landfall, Bertha quickly reintensified and was a strong Category 2 at landfall. Bertha then moved up the coast and struck New England as a tropical storm.

Bertha did more than $240 million in damage and left 12 dead.

[senorpepr]

Bump to update the data set to 1954-2003.