Click on the graphic to get a larger view of the paths taken by the storms that formed during the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
PINELLAS COUNTY - Thursday is the last day of a mostly uneventful 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray released a summary report of the season on Nov. 17. According to the report, nine named storms formed, which is the fewest named storms to form in the Atlantic since 1997, when only seven named storms formed.
Gray is a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University and head of the Tropical Meteorology Project. Klotzbach is a project member and research associate at Colorado State University and, as of this year, has primary responsibility for the project's seasonal, monthly and landfall probability forecasts.
The report said that five hurricanes formed during the 2006 season, which is the fewest hurricanes to form in the Atlantic since 2002, when four hurricanes formed. Two of the five were classified major hurricanes and, according to the report, 1997 was the most recent year to have fewer than two major hurricanes form.
The season started early. Alberto formed on June 11. The climatological average date for the first named storm formation in the Atlantic, based on 1944-2005 data, is July 10, the report said.
Other special characteristics of the season included that only one hurricane formed during August, which is the fewest hurricanes to form in August since 2002, when no hurricanes formed.
No named storms formed in October, which according to the report is the first time that no named storms have formed in October since 2002. Prior to 2006, only 11 years since 1950 witnessed no named storm formations in October.
The report said that only two named storm days were observed in October, which is the fewest named storm days in October since 1994, when zero named storm days were observed.
No Category 4 or 5 hurricanes formed in the Atlantic basin this year, which is the first year with no Category 4-5 hurricanes in the Atlantic since 1997.
Three named storms made United States landfall in 2006, which according to the report, is the fewest number of named storms to make landfall in the United States since 2001 when three named storms made landfall.
The report said that 2006 is only the 11th year since 1945 that no hurricanes have made United States landfall.
Although the 2006 season was uneventful, especially compared to the years 2004 and 2005, emergency officials urged residents to continue to take preparedness seriously.
Tom Iovino with the county Communications Department said the winter months were a good time to do things to improve structures. He said the hot summer months, when hurricanes form and people begin to make improvements, were not as ideal a time for crawling around in the attic to strengthen the roof as the winter months.
The winter also is a good time to get in touch with a contractor to get a bid for improvements, to order hurricane shutters and make sure hurricane plans are in order.
Iovino said the holidays were the perfect time to take stock of food items in the hurricane kit. He said many people donated the food not used to charity at the end of the season.
The Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year; however, Iovino said that people should remember that tropical storms and hurricanes could form anytime.
"The season is just the most common time that storms form," he said. "People should remain prepared at all times."
Season storm summary by Gray and Klotzbach
Tropical Storm Alberto: Alberto formed from an area of low pressure in the northwest Caribbean. It was upgraded to the first tropical storm of the 2006 season on June 11 based on aircraft reconnaissance measurements as well as a ship report. Alberto slowly intensified into a strong tropical storm reaching a maximum intensity of 60 knots on June 12. The system entrained dry air as it moved northeastward towards the Florida coastline and began to weaken. It weakened considerably before making landfall near Adams Beach, Florida on June 13 with maximum sustained winds at landfall estimated at 40 knots. Alberto became extratropical the following day. It was not responsible for any direct deaths, and property damage was reported to be minimal.
Tropical Storm Beryl: Beryl formed from an area of low pressure located about 250 miles southeast of the North Carolina coast on July 18. Beryl was upgraded to a tropical storm later on July 18 when aircraft reconnaissance measured 1000-foot flight level winds of 47 knots and a central pressure of 1007 mb. It tracked northward through a break in the sub-tropical ridge and intensified somewhat, reaching a maximum intensity of 50 knots on July 19. The system continued to track slowly northward and began to weaken as it moved over the cooler waters of the North Atlantic. A digging trough over the Great Lakes caused Beryl to accelerate northeastward, and it passed over Nantucket Island, MA early on July 21 with sustained winds at landfall estimated at 40 knots. It continued tracking northeastward and was declared extratropical later on July 21. Beryl was not responsible for any deaths, and it caused minimal damage.
Tropical Storm Chris: Chris formed from a tropical wave while near the Leeward Islands on July 31. It was upgraded to a tropical storm on Aug. 1 due to its appearance in conventional and microwave satellite data. Chris tracked westward and gradually intensified due to favorable upper-tropospheric outflow channels. A ridge to the north of Chris continued to drive the system westward, and it reached its maximum intensity of 55 knots on Aug. 2. It became rapidly disorganized early on August 3 as it encountered strong northerly shear and very dry air. It was downgraded to a tropical depression early on Aug. 4, and it dissipated over Cuba on Aug. 5.
Tropical Storm Debby: Debby formed from a very vigorous tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on Aug. 20. It organized quite quickly and was upgraded to a tropical depression late on Aug. 21 as it passed south of the Cape Verde Islands. Despite stable air, the system was upgraded to a tropical storm early on Aug. 23 based on Dvorak satellite estimates as well as several Quikscat passes indicating winds of 30-35 knots near the center of the circulation. A mid-level high steered Debby towards the northwest, and it slowly intensified to its maximum intensity of 45 knots in an environment of light easterly shear. After undergoing a brief weakening trend likely due to dry air, it again strengthened to a 45-knot tropical storm. Southerly shear began to increase as the system moved northwestward, and it weakened to a minimal tropical storm on Aug. 25 due to increasing shear as well as an environment of dry air. An upper-level low continued to impart southerly shear on Debby, and it was downgraded to a tropical depression on Aug. 26. It dissipated later in the day on Aug. 27.
Hurricane Ernesto: Ernesto formed from a tropical wave that was passing through the Windward Islands on Aug. 24. It initially tracked westward due to a mid-level ridge of high pressure. Ernesto strengthened to a tropical storm the following day based on an aircraft reconnaissance report. An upper-level trough to the northwest of Ernesto imparted some southwesterly shear which prevented the system from intensify rapidly. The shear began to weaken as the upper low moved westward, and Ernesto strengthened to a hurricane on Aug. 27. Even though the synoptic environment became much more favorable for intensification at this time, Ernesto slowed over the southwestern part of Haiti, and this interaction with land rapidly took its toll. It was downgraded to a tropical storm later on Aug. 27. It drifted northward towards Cuba and weakened further to a minimal tropical storm before making landfall near Playa Cazonal on Aug. 28.
Ernesto moved back over water early on Aug. 29 and began to move northward towards the Florida Peninsula as a shortwave trough displaced the subtropical ridge that was previously positioned over the southeastern United States. Even though thermodynamics were favorable for strengthening of Ernesto over the Florida Straits, the system did not strengthen, likely due to some easterly shear. Ernesto made landfall near Plantation Key early on Aug. 30 as a minimal tropical storm. It weakened to a tropical depression while tracking northeastward over the Florida Peninsula. Once Ernesto emerged back over water off the Florida coastline, it began to intensify over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. It reached its secondary maximum intensity of 60 knots before making its second United States landfall near Long Beach, N.C. Ernesto rapidly dissipated over land on Sept. 1. More than $100 million dollars in total damage was attributed to Ernesto in the United States. Two people died in Florida in traffic accidents caused by heavy rains from Ernesto. Ernesto was also responsible for five deaths in Haiti.
Hurricane Florence: Florence formed from a tropical wave about midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles on Sept. 3. Southwesterly shear inhibited intensification early in Florence's life cycle. It became the season's sixth named tropical cyclone on Sept. 5 due to tropical storm-strength classifications from microwave and conventional satellite imagery. It initially tracked northwestward under a subtropical ridge and strengthened slightly over the next couple of days as it continued to battle southerly shear. Florence was a rather large system and continued to fight against southerly shear as it tracked along the periphery of a subtropical ridge. This shear eventually began to relax, and Florence intensified into the second hurricane of the 2006 season on Sept. 10. The system continued to intensify over warm sea surface temperatures as it tracked towards Bermuda. After passing by Bermuda on Sept. 11, the system began to weaken as it encountered cooler sea surface temperatures and strong upper-level westerlies. It underwent extratropical transition on Sept. 12. Although hurricane-force winds were felt on Bermuda from Florence, there was only minimal damage reported on the island, and no fatalities were reported.
Intense Hurricane Gordon: Gordon formed from a tropical wave early on Sept. 11 while located northeast of the Lesser Antilles. The system was initially under significant northerly shear generated by the upper-level anticyclone surrounding Hurricane Florence. It was upgraded to the seventh tropical storm of the year later on Sept.11 and began to intensify further as it moved into an area of light shear and warm sea surface temperatures. It turned northward while moving through a break in the subtropical ridge and was classified as a hurricane early on Sept. 13. The system continued to deepen on Sept. 13 and became the first major hurricane of the year early on Sept.14.
Gordon began to turn towards the northeast as it became embedded in the westerlies. It began to weaken later on Sept. 14, and it was only a minimal hurricane with 65 knot winds early on Sept. 16. At this point, steering currents collapsed, and Gordon drifted slowly northeastward across the open Atlantic. Gordon then began to defy the odds and strengthened while traveling over somewhat cooler waters. It reached a secondary peak with 90 knot winds on Sept. 19. Gordon then turned eastward as it became completely embedded in the westerlies and tracked towards the Azores Islands. It passed over the Azores as a Category 1 hurricane and weakened to a tropical storm on Sept. 20. The system became extratropical later that day. Damage in the Azores from Gordon was minimal.
Intense Hurricane Helene: Helene formed in the far eastern tropical Atlantic from a tropical wave on Sept. 12. It initially tracked westward under the subtropical ridge. Initial intensification was inhibited by a strong mid-level jet; however, it was able to escape from the jet's influence and became classified as a tropical storm on Sept. 14. Despite being in a low-shear environment, Helene struggled to develop further due to large amounts of dry air penetrating into the cyclonic circulation. It eventually began to enter a more favorable environment with more copious amounts of moisture. Helene became a hurricane on Sept. 16. It began to move towards a break in the subtropical ridge and turned northwestward. At this point, Helene entered a very favorable environment for intensification with warm waters and low vertical wind shear, and it became the second major hurricane of the year on Sept. 18. It maintained major hurricane status for the next couple of days while tracking more westward as a ridge temporarily built to the north of Helene. An upper-level trough soon broke down the ridge, and Helene began to track northward. Some dry air and increased levels of wind shear began to affect the cyclone, and it weakened to a Category 2 hurricane on Sept. 19 and a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 21. By early on Sept. 23, Helene was becoming less tropical in nature and was downgraded to a tropical storm. It was upgraded back to a hurricane later on Sept. 23 due to satellite-measured hurricane-force winds. An upper-level trough was rapidly approaching Helene at this point, and it underwent extratropical transition on Sept. 24.
Hurricane Isaac: Isaac developed from an area of low pressure in the central Atlantic on Sept. 27. An upper-level low caused some southerly shear over Isaac, which initially inhibited intensification. It was upgraded to a tropical storm on Sept. 28 based on a Quikscat pass, which indicated that the system had 35-knot winds. Isaac tracked northwestward as it interacted with the upper-level low and strengthened slowly while battling dry air entrainment and continued southerly shear.
By later on Sept. 29, the shear began to abate and the surrounding environment became moister, and Isaac strengthened. A strong trough began to curve Isaac more towards the north at this time. It became the fifth hurricane of the year on Sept. 30 and reached its maximum intensity of 75 knots early on Oct. 1. At this point, southwesterly shear and cooler sea surface temperatures began to impact Isaac, and it was downgraded to a tropical storm on Oct. 2. Isaac began to accelerate towards the north and northeast, and it became extratropical later on Oct. 2.
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