When it comes to hurricane season, it’s always nice to put September in the rear-view mirror. In addition to being the most active month of the hurricane season, it’s also a turning point for activity. The peak day is September 10th with the peak week being that second week of September as well. That’s certainly held true again this year with a record-setting 23 named storms through September but with the most recent named storm occurring on the 17th. Hopefully, the relative peace we’ve experienced the past couple of weeks continues throughout October.
Of the six months of hurricane season, where do you think October ranks? The answer is third behind September and August. We’re certainly not off the hook just yet as many South Floridians hit by Wilma can attest to. Since tracking began in 1851, 82% of all tropical storms and hurricanes have happened prior to October.
Despite a third of the season being left on the calendar, the better news is that we have less than a fifth of the activity to go this hurricane season if history continues to be a guide. We average 2 tropical storms and 1 hurricane during October. An average of about one tropical storm or hurricane makes landfall in the US every three years during the month. The wind is now at our back, pun intended, as we head down the home stretch of this year’s hurricane season.
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