If you're familiar with the Atlantic hurricane season, you're aware that we've just begun to enter the peak time of the season. Right on cue, here’s Isaias near our doorstep, as the earliest “I” storm on record. First, how much of the season is statistically behind us? And typically, how much is ahead? Since tracking began in 1851, 14% of all tropical storms happen prior to August and 10% of all hurricanes have formed prior to August.
Already being nine named storms into the season, let’s just hope this year is an outlier with more activity on the front end of the season. As we advance through the month, hopefully, free from the threat of hurricanes, we'll enter peak hurricane season. The peak has historically been the final two weeks of August and the first two weeks of September, with September 10th being the absolute peak of the season. For perspective, there have been more tropical storms and hurricanes in August, than the first seven months of the year combined.
We average 2.3 tropical storms and 1.5 hurricanes, basically about four named systems per year. An average of one storm or hurricane makes landfall in the US every other year. So, here we go, right into the heart of the season. Fingers crossed. Starting with Isaias.
Photo by: National Hurricane Center