Hurricane Season 2000: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over 

Release Date: September 20, 2000
Release Number: HQ-00-123

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than half of the this year's hurricane season passed before Tropical Storm Gordon ploughed ashore on Florida's Gulf Coast last Sunday, the first of seven named storms to make landfall on U.S. soil through mid-September. If predictions made last June stay on track, at least four more tropical storms can be expected to develop, with three of those escalating into hurricanes.

Judged by weather records, most of the predicted activity likely will occur from now through the end of October. Historically, more than 500 tropical storms were formed in the Atlantic Basin in September and October from 1886 to 1997. That compares with 44 such storms spawned in November, the last month of the season.

Just within the past decade, Atlantic tropical storms averaged more than five a year during the September-October period. Of the 31 total storms that developed in September, 23 muscled up to hurricane strength, as did 15 of the 24 born in October. Significantly, most of the September storms were either formed or remained active during the second half of the month.

By contrast, November hosted only five named storms during the same span, the last of which was Hurricane Lenny that raked Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on November 17 last year.

A total of 12 Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes that made landfall in the September-October period were severe enough to command federal disaster declarations at a cost of more than $5 billion in FEMA funding alone.

Among the most costly hurricanes were Georges in 1998 ($2.4 billion); Floyd in 1999 ($880.4 million); Fran in 1996 ($630.2 million); and Marilyn in 1995 ($484 million). Interestingly, three of these major hurricanes-Georges, Floyd and Marilyn -- struck from the middle through the latter half of September.

Though not a factor this year, August produced six named storms over the past 10 years that caused FEMA to dole out more than $2 billion in response and recovery costs, most of which was expended for Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Last Modified: Monday, 29-Dec-2003 14:58:01