Recap of the 2009 Hurricane Season for the Tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and The Caribbean Sea
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2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recap
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The 2009 Hurricane Season featured only nine named storms, three hurricanes and two major hurricanes. This was 61%, 38%, and 51%, respectively, of the 1995 - 2008 average storm activity. Wind shear was much higher than average, and middle levels of the atmosphere were dryer than the average relative humidity. This year's moderate El Niño undoubtedly was primarily responsible for these anomilies and for this year's low levels of Atlantic hurricane activity observed. In addition, a stronger and more southerly than usual mid-Atlantic trough was active during much of hurricane season, contributing to high wind shear over the Atlantic.
Strength and Track of 2009 Atlantic Basin Storms
Select Storm To View Track
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Max. |
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Odette |
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Peter |
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Joaquin |
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Rose |
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Kate |
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Sam |
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Larry |
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Teddy |
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Mindy |
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Victor |
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Nicholas |
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Wanda |
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= Dissipated
Saffir-Simpson Scale:
Category One: Sustained winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt). Damaging winds are expected.
Category Two: Sustained winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt). Very strong winds will produce widespread damage.
Category Three: Sustained winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt). Dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.
Category Four: Sustained winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt). Extremely dangerous winds causing devastating damage are expected.
Category Five: Sustained winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt). Catastrophic damage is expected.
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Some other notable feature of the 2009 season:
- A late-starting season. Ana did not form until August 15. This was the latest "A" storm of the season since Andrew formed in 1992 on August 17. However, the 2009 season exploded into a flurry of action August 15 - 16, when the Atlantic featured a rare triple threat of simultaneous named storms beginning with the letters A, B, and C--Ana, Bill, and Claudette. The last time this occurred was in the slow-starting 1984 hurricane season, when Tropical Storms Arthur, Bertha, and Cesar were all active on September 1.
- Nine named storms occurred during 2009. This is the fewest since 1997, when eight named storms formed.
- 27.25 named storm days occurred in 2009. This is the fewest named storm days since 1991, when only 24.25 named storm days were recorded.
- Three hurricanes occurred in 2009. This is the fewest since 1997 when there were also three hurricanes.
- Five named storms (Ana, Danny, Erika, Fred, and Henri) dissipated over the open ocean in the tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic this year. This is a fairly rare occurrence that typically only occurs in years such as this year that are characterized by high levels of tropospheric vertical wind shear.
- 11.25 hurricane days occurred in 2009. This is the fewest hurricane days since 2002 when 10.75 hurricane days were reported.
- 2 major hurricanes formed during the 2009 hurricane season. The last time that fewer than two major hurricanes occurred in a season was in 1997 when only one major hurricane (Erika) formed.
- 3.25 major hurricane days occurred in 2009. This is the fewest major hurricane days in a season since 2006 when only two major hurricane days were recorded.
- The season accrued an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) of 50. The 1951 - 2005 average is 102.3, and the 2009 ACE was the lowest s ince 1997 (41) and the 16th lowest of the last 66 years since the aircraft reconnaissance era began in 1944.
- No Category 5 hurricanes developed in 2009. This is the second consecutive year with no Category 5 hurricanes. The last time that t wo or more years occurred in a row with no Category 5 hurricanes was 1999-2002.
- No named storms formed in June or July. The last time that no storm activity occurred in June or July was 2004 (Alex formed that year on August 1). This is the 18th year of the past 66 years with no storm formations in June or July.
- Hurricane Bill generated 26 ACE units, or 52% of the seasonal total. The last time that one storm generated that much of the seasonal total was Erika in 1997 which generated 63% of the total ACE observed that year.
- Hurricane Fred became the third storm on record to reach major hurricane status east of 35°W, although prior to 1972 when Dvorak satellite estimates from polar-orbiting satellite reconnaissance became routinely available, some storms may have been missed in the eastern part of the Atlantic basin.
- Hurricane Ida became only the second hurricane to reach hurricane status in the Caribbean in November during an El Niño year (where El Niño is defined to be all years since 1950 where the October Niño 3.4 SST anomaly is 0.5ñC or greater). The only other storm to reach hurricane status in the Caribbean in November in an El Niño year was Martha in 1969.
- Ida became the second latest tropical cyclone to make landfall along the Gulf Coast, trailing only Hurricane Kate in 1985 (which made landfall on November 21).