The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season has come to an end, concluding on Sunday night. After a very active mid-season, the tropical season came to a quiet ending.
This hurricane season will long be remembered for powerful Hurricane Ike, which devastated the Texas Gulf Coast in mid-September. However, the season will also be noted for an upswing in activity and storm strength. Statistically, the 2008 hurricane season only produced two more tropical storms than in 2007 -- 16 named storms as compared to 14 last year -- with a notable increase on the stronger end of the scale. Eight hurricanes formed this year, of which five reached "major" status with winds of 111 mph or higher. This is compared to five hurricanes and two major hurricanes in 2007.
The middle of the hurricane season brought the season`s most destructive storms this year. The season`s most powerful storm, Ike, slammed into Galveston Island in the early morning of September 13. Hurricane Ike formed from a tropical disturbance that moved off of Africa on Labor Day weekend. It strengthened as it moved westward across the Atlantic over the next week, reaching Category 4 intensity by September 4. Ike caused massive damage as it crossed the Turks and Caicos, Haiti and Cuba. This did weaken the storm as it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a 100 mph (Category 2) hurricane. Ike strengthened as it moved northwestward toward the Texas coast, and storm surges of 15 feet or more were forecast. These forecasts proved true as Ike slammed ashore in Galveston, Texas, with winds of 110 mph and waves that topped the 17-foot seawall.
Widespread flooding spread across Galveston Island and nearby Houston, and severe damage was reported throughout the island. Estimates of lost homes along Galveston Bay are in the 80 to 90 percent range, and hundreds of people still remain unaccounted for. Houston`s Reliant Stadium was damaged, and numerous sporting events were moved or postponed due to the storm. As Ike moved inland, its remnants caused significant tree damage and power outages across the Ohio Valley. Eighty-two people are confirmed dead in the U.S. from the hurricane, although this number is likely to rise. Damage has been estimated at $31.5 billion, which would make it the third costliest Atlantic hurricane on record.
Just a couple weeks earlier, Hurricane Gustav had brought comparisons to 2005`s Hurricane Katrina as it reached Category 4 strength and set its sights on New Orleans on Labor Day weekend. Calling the hurricane "the mother of all storms," officials ordered an evacuation of New Orleans and all of southern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Fortunately, the storm weakened after crossing Cuba, and a slight turn to the west brought the storm`s landfall to Cocodrie, La., which limited the destruction in New Orleans itself. However, Baton Rouge, La., suffered a direct hit from the storm, with severe tree and power line damage that shut down the Louisiana capital for days. Gustav produced $18 billion in damage, killing 43 people in the U.S. and 138 people overall.
Other very powerful hurricanes were also noted during this active season. Tropical Storm Fay slammed Haiti and Cuba, and then slowly snaked back and forth across Florida on August 24 and 25, dropping up to 25 inches of rain near Melbourne, Fla., and more than a foot of rain across large swaths of central and northern Florida. Following on Gustav`s heels, Hurricane Hanna formed in the western Atlantic, and moved south toward Haiti, stalling out near the island nation. The hurricane brought more than 30 inches of rain to Goncaives, Haiti, killing more than 500 people and causing "catastrophic" damage. The storm then turned toward the U.S. East Coast, moving through the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, bringing the region 3 to 6 inches of rain.
The end of the season also brought intense hurricanes. Hurricane Omar formed in the Caribbean Sea in early October, hitting the Virgin Islands with 140 mph winds. The storm grazed St. Croix and British Virgin Islands, limiting the damage. In early November, Hurricane Paloma moved from along the coast of Central America and smashed through the Cayman Islands with winds of 145 mph. It then weakened as it made landfall on Cuba, falling apart over the island.
The 2008 hurricane season produced more than an average number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes. On average, 11 tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes form. The 2008 total was more active than WeatherBug had predicted for the season. The forecast had called for 10 to 12 named storms, with four to six reaching hurricane strength and two to four major hurricanes.
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Streaming Video - Hurricane season 2008 prediction - Hurricane expert, meteorologist Dr. William Gray -
