Hurricane Season Update

 

Hurricane Ida Nearing Landfall, August 2021  (Source: WUSA9)

September is living up to its billing as the most active month of the Atlantic hurricane season with five tropical storms, two hurricanes and one major hurricane.  That’s given the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season a total of 17 tropical storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes, so far.  If no more tropical storms or hurricanes were to develop this season, then 2021 would already finish as a slightly above average season.  That’s because NOAA’s averages for an Atlantic hurricane season are 14 tropical storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. 

There are currently two active tropical storms in the open Atlantic: Peter and Rose.  Moreover, the potential exists for significant tropical systems to develop during the remainder of the season that continues through November 30.  Last season demonstrated that with two major November hurricanes (Eta, Iota).

This season has already continued several recent trends.  First and foremost, 2021 has seen several landfalling tropical systems.  The two most notable were Tropical Storm Henri and Hurricane Ida.  Henri made an exceedingly rare landfall in Rhode Island as a tropical storm on August 22.  Ida was a much stronger storm that made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana on August 29.  Henri and Ida together combined to make this hurricane season a very destructive and deadly one for the United States. 

At least one hurricane has made landfall in the United States for a sixth consecutive year.  The first named storm of 2021, “Ana,” developed on May 22 well before the official start of the season on June 1.  With additional tropical storms and hurricanes a virtual certainty before the end of the 2021 hurricane season, this year should also become the sixth consecutive busier than average Atlantic season.

This season has also produced some weak and short-lived systems, such as Tropical Storms Ana and Odette.  The fact that storms like Ana and Odette are identified and named now should be seen as a testament to the accuracy made possible by the advent of weather satellites.  Sadly, below average Atlantic hurricane seasons have still produced destructive and deadly hurricanes such as Alicia in 1983 and Andrew in 1992.  The next tropical storm this year will be named “Sam.”