Hurricane Maria is marshaling forces outside Bermuda. Earlier this season, Hurricane Irene blasted the eastern seaboard and Tropical Storm Lee, the southwestern U.S. Will 2011 be a record-breaking year? It's only about mid-season, but let's look at some hurricane facts and figures from history.
First, some background on hurricanes. Hurricane season is officially June 1 through November 30, however prime time for hurricanes is in the months of August to October. 78 percent of tropical storm days occur in this period. 87 percent of category 1 and 2 hurricanes and 96 percent of all Category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes occur between August and October. Some also fall outside the June-November season.
How are hurricanes rated? Meteorologists measure hurricanes on internal low pressure (measured in millibars or millimeters of mercury). Internal low pressure affects wind speed. The lower the pressure, the faster the wind speed. The Saffir-Simpson Scale categorizes hurricanes by wind speed. However, death toll is how the average person rates hurricane severity.
Storms vary in many ways. Some storms that hit Category 4 or 5 in the ocean may make landfall only at a Category 1 or 2. Some storms, like Katrina are not as powerful, but do greater damage or take more lives. Sometimes, the most powerful storms, like Hurricane Wilma do less damage and take fewer lives, too. Sometimes the damage isn't from the winds, but flooding after the storm surge. Here are record setting storms since 1900.
Highest death toll: Since death tolls are often estimated, especially those occurring some time ago, three storms rank highest since 1900. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 in Texas, Hurricane Fifi (1974), in Honduras and Hurricane Mitch (1998) in Central America, primarily Honduras and Nicaragua each have estimated death tolls of over 8,000. The Galveston Hurricane and Hurricane Mitch are believed to killed between 9,000 and 11,000.
Lowest internal storm pressure: In 2005, Hurricane Wilma, the last Category 5 of the season, hit lows of 882 millibars or 26.05 hg. Wilma beat Hurricane Gilbert's record set in 1988.
Strongest winds at landfall: On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camile hit land at wind speeds of 190-200 miles.
Longest season: The 2005 storm season began on June 8 and ended on January 6, 2006.
Most storms per season: Again, that award goes to 2005. There were 31 tropical depressions, 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes. 2005 saw seven major hurricanes, Category 3 or greater: Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma were the strongest and all but Dennis was a Category 5 storm. 3,913 lives were lost, with 1,836 in Hurricane Katrina alone. The list of storm names was used up and six storms had to be named with Greek characters.
Costliest storm damage: In one storm alone, Hurricane Katrina racked up a record $108 billion dollars in storm damage.
Worst flooding: Hurricane Katrina set a record storm surge of 27.8 feet at Pass Christian, Miss. However, the bulk of the flood damage occurred in New Orleans, where storm surges caused breaches at 53 levees. 80 percent of the city was flooded. Katrina was the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about weather from 25 years teaching science and history.
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