With one day left in the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, meteorologists say it has been one for the record books. The six-month hurricane season officially ends Tuesday.
For the first time in recorded history, 12 hurricanes formed this year in the Atlantic basin without a single one making landfall in the United States, experts at Colorado State University told USA Today.
"There was only a 2% or 3% chance of getting this many hurricanes and not having one hit the U.S.," according to the newspaper's interview with Colorado State's William Gray, who has been making annual forecasts since 1984.
Other places were not as fortunate. Tropical storms and hurricanes killed more than 250 people in the Caribbean and Central America this season, the Associated Press reported. The deadliest storms were Tropical Storm Matthew, Hurricane Tomas and Hurricane Alex.
According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, 19 named storms — tropical storms (which have sustained winds of at least 39 mph) and hurricanes (74 mph) — formed this year, including the 12 hurricanes. Five of the hurricanes were major, a Category 3 or higher, with wind speeds of at least 111 mph. See what a Category 2 storm can do to a wood-frame house constructed to traditional Midwest standards. This type of construction was part of a series of recent demonstration tests at the IBHS Research Center, where property protection solutions will be developed and tested to help reduce the risk of hurricanes and other disasters damaging homes and businesses.
An average hurricane season sees 10 named storms, of which six are hurricanes and two are major hurricanes. Since 1944, only two other years had as many named storms: 1995 had 19 storms, and 2005 had 28.
Forecasters predicted an extremely active hurricane season in 2010. In June, Colorado State's team of Gray and Phil Klotzbach had predicted that 18 named storms would form, of which 10 would be hurricanes. Colorado State will come out with its first seasonal prediction for 2011 on Dec. 8 and other forecasts will follow in the coming months.
Regardless of how many hurricanes are forecast to hit the U.S., the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) reminds property owners that it only takes one storm to cause major damage. Is your property FORTIFIED against damage?
