2006 Hurricane Season: Uneventful

On Wednesday, the Hurricane season, which began June 11, will be officially over. What was predicted to be an active year for hurricanes, turned out to be uneventful.

This year brought only 9 named storms. Five of which are hurricanes and two were classified as major hurricanes. In a summary report given by hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray, the last time that only a few hurricanes formed was in 1997.

The 2005 hurricane season produced 28 storms, of which 15 were classified as hurricanes and 5 as major hurricanes.

This year’s 9 named storm included tropical storm Alberto (June 10), tropical storm Beryl (July), tropical storm Chris (August 1), tropical storm Debby (August 21), hurricane Ernesto (August 24), hurricane Florence (September 3), intense hurricane Gordon (September 11), intense hurricane Helene (September 12) and hurricane Isaac (September 27).

The report also included the following information:

• No category 4 or 5 hurricanes since 1997

• Only 3 named storms made landfall in United States; fewest since 2001

• 2006: 11th year since 1945 when no hurricanes made landfall

Hurricane experts advise that people should continue to be vigilant. They also said that improvements are more ideal during winter months than in the summer months. An inactive hurricane season doesn’t mean that next year will be the same as well. It might only be a pause in its cycle.

During the winter months, it will also be better if people contact contractors and surveyors. Other recommendations also include stocking on food items in the hurricane kit.

To be more prepared, the National Hurricane Center is building a special Doppler radar units attached to hurricane hunter aircrafts to study atmosphere as well as a new computerized forecasting model.

The agency also believed that several factors contributed to this year’s hurricane turnout. Among them are the atmospheric condition El Nino that shreds storms; Saharan air outbreaks that dries out the atmosphere; protection from a high pressure area in the Western Atlantic and half a degree cooler waters which discourages high category hurricane formation.