Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Some June storm history While the hurricane season starts on June 1, it is not uncommon for the month to pass by without so much as a tropical depression (as was the case last year). Storms that do manage to form and develop tend to do so in the west Carribean and Gulf of Mexico since that is where the warmest water is during this time of year. Because the water is not at its peak temperature yet (and the relatively small area of the Gulf,) such storms are rarely major. Here are some highlights and trivia of June storms (based on the past 50 years): 16 storms made landfall in the United States in June. Six of those did so as hurricanes, two of them major. Florida leads the way in landfall location (seven storms). Texas and Louisiana have four apiece. The strongest and deadliest of them was Hurricane Audrey, which hit Louisana in 1956. A category 4 storm with 125 knot winds, she claimed the lives of 390 people. Hurricane Alma was a major hurricane in June, 1966. It cut across the Florida Panhandle and Georgia without losing Tropical Storm strength. Hurricane Agnes of 1972 managed to regain tropical storm strength over North Carolina despite having been over land for three days. It made a second landfall in New York. The complete oddball of these storms is 1981's Tropical Storm Bret. It formed due north of Bermuda and made landfall on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. A peculiar way to make landfall at any time of the year, much less June. The most common name among the sixteen: Allison. The 1989 and 2001 editions hit Texas, while the 1995 one hit Florida. The 1995 edition of Allison is also the closest analog to Tropical Depression One, having formed a mere 21 miles away nautical miles away from TD 1's birthplace. Florida Referendums 2004, Weather comment []9:17:04 PM   trackback []