2011 Hurricane Season
In Review
The 2011 Hurricane Season for the Atlantic and East Pacific Basins officially ends today. NOAA's predictions turn out to be very accurate once again.
Active Atlantic (Above Average)
In the Atlantic, there were a total of 19 named storms, the third highest since 1851, from which 7 became hurricanes. Of those, 3 were major hurricanes. Irene was the lone hurricane to hit the United States in 2011, and the first one to do so since Ike struck southeast Texas in 2008. Irene was also the most significant tropical cyclone to strike the Northeast since Hurricane Bob in 1991.
Atlantic Basin
| Forecast Parameter and 1950-2000 Climatology (in parentheses) | NOAA 2011 Prediction | 2011 Actual Results |
| Named Storms (NS) (9.6) | 12-18 | 19 |
| Hurricanes (H) (5.9) | 6-10 | 7 |
| Major Hurricanes (MH) (2.3) | 3-6 | 3 |
East Pacific (Above Average Hurricanes)
The East Pacific was less active than the Atlantic as predicted with a total of 11 named storms, well within the predicted range, from which 10 became hurricanes with 6 becoming major hurricanes. The number and strength of the hurricanes was higher than predicted.
East Pacific
| Forecast Parameter and 1950-2000 Climatology (in parentheses) | NOAA 2011 Prediction | 2011 Actual Results |
| Named Storms (NS) (9.6) | 9-15 | 11 |
| Hurricanes (H) (5.9) | 5-8 | 10 |
| Major Hurricanes (MH) (2.3) | 1-3 | 6 |
Keeping a Watchful Eye
As we have in past years, we monitored the major storms and published updated information on the impact of the tropical weather in both the Atlantic and Pacific regions. We introduced a new static page, Hurricane Zone, which served as an index to all the active storms with three storms being active simultaneously at the peak of the season. The static page also is a clearing house for past information about hurricane seasons as well as predictions and preparedness information from past and present seasons.
Cruise lines monitored all the storms and altered itineraries on several occasions. By far the most disruptive storm was Irene since it lingered up the East Coast of the United States and made landfall. No storms in the Pacific made landfall this year.
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| Looking for past or current hurricanes? Click Image or Here |
We welcome your feedback about the format used for Hurricane Zone and the individual blog posts. Our intention is to keep our readers updated as best we can on the progress and impact of the tropical storms. We include links which can provide up-to-the-minute updates directly from the NHC, cruise lines, and other sources which can be used between updates.
“Although the 2011 hurricane season has ended, our need to prepare for disasters hasn't,” said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Being prepared for all kinds of hazards, from hurricanes to blizzards to tornadoes, is a year-round activity. We encourage all members of the team, especially the public, to continue to prepare for emergencies by staying informed of forecasted weather events, making an emergency plan, and building your emergency preparedness kit. Visit Ready.gov to learn more.”
NOAA will issue its initial outlook for the 2012 hurricane season in May just prior to the official start of the season on June 1. We will start our coverage with the 2012 Hurricane Preparedness Week.
