ncforecaster's WunderBlog

MAY TROPICAL STORMS (1851-2012):

Posted by: ncforecaster, 1:29 PM GMT on April 28, 2013

Hey everyone,

This particular blog entry will continue our examination of the entire historical record (1851-present), with a focus on "May" Tropical Cyclone (TC) activity throughout the Atlantic Basin. A "May" TC will be characterized as one that initially developed at some point during the month of May (i.e. May 1-May 31). Those TCs (shown by year) that achieved hurricane (H) and/or "major" hurricane (MH) intensity, will be designated by bold case print, in the following respective sections.

ALL TROPICAL STORMS:

Note: These totals include Subtropical Storms (STS), as well.

2 = 1887 and 2012.

1 = 1865, 1889, 1890, 1908, 1916, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1940, 1948, 1951 (MH), 1953, 1959, 1970, 1972 (STS), 1976 (STS), 1981, 2007 (STS), and 2008.

In addition: Storm #1 of 2008 (TS Arthur) maintained TS intensity into the month of June.

This is a visible satellite image, courtesy of NASA, of TS Beryl at 2 pm EDT on May 27, 2012. At the time, it was nearing its peak intensity of 70 mph, while located less than 100 nm off the U.S. coastline of NE Fl. "Beryl" would subsequently move ashore near Jacksonville Beach, Fl. at 1210 am EDT on May 28, 2102, with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense TC, in terms of MSW, ever known to impact the U.S. coastline during the month of May.

ALL U.S. TROPICAL STORM LANDFALLS/STRIKES:

1 = 1908, 1916, 1951, 1959, 1972 (STS), 1976 (STS), 2007 (STS), and 2012.

ALL U.S. HURRICANE LANDFALLS:

1 = 1908

Note: Although the eye of the 1908 H crossed the U.S. coastline as a 75 mph category one storm, there were no reports of hurricane force winds observed on land.

ALL U.S. MAJOR HURRICANE LANDFALLS:

NONE

INTERESTING FACTS:

1) All Atlantic Basin Tropical Storms:

a) Total number of Atlantic basin tropical storms: There were 23 "May" TS or STS systems that developed in the Atlantic Basin during the 162 year period of 1851-2012. This equates to one May TS or STS every 7.04 years, on average.

b) Total number of Atlantic basin hurricanes: There were a total of 4 TCs that achieved hurricane intensity during the month of May. This equates to one May H every 40.5 years, on average.

c) Total number of Atlantic basin "major" hurricanes: There has only been one documented May TC to achieve "major" hurricane (MH) intensity during the month of May.

d) The most intense May hurricane: Hurricane Able of 1951 holds the record as the most intense May hurricane for anywhere in the Atlantic Basin. It became a category three storm (major hurricane intensity) during the early morning hours of May 20, 1951, as it passed offshore of the NC coastline. At the time, it contained a Maximum sustained wind (MSW) of 115 mph. It had previously impacted the extreme NW Bahama Islands as an 85-90 mph category one hurricane on the 18th.

e) The most recent May tropical storm: TS Beryl of 2012 is the most recent "May" TC (of at least TS intensity) to develop anywhere within the Atlantic basin. It became a STS, with a MSW of 45 mph, around 11 PM EDT on May 25, 2012. During the subsequent 24 hours, Beryl drifted very slowly to the west, and then SW, as it drew ever closer to the coastline of NE Fl. By 11 am EDT on May 27, Beryl had intensified into a 60 mph STS, turned back to a due westerly direction, and increased its forward speed to 10 mph. Less than three hours thereafter, Recon found that Beryl had transitioned into a fully "tropical" storm and its winds had increased further to 65 mph. By 8 pm EDT on May 27, TS Beryl had a MSW of 70 mph and was near the threshold of minimal hurricane intensity, while positioned only 75 nm due E of Jacksonville, Fl.

Slightly cooler shelf water and dry air weakened Beryl slightly on its final approach to landfall. Nevertheless, TS Beryl made landfall at 12:10 AM EDT on May 28, 2012, near Jacksonville Beach, Fl., with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, TS Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense "May" TC, in terms of MSW, to impact the U.S. coastline in recorded history.

f) The most recent "May" huricane: H Alma of 1970 is the most recent TC of hurricane intensity to develop in the Atlantic basin. After developing in the SW Carribean Sea, the weak depression that would become "Alma" moved slowly Northwestward and subsequently achieved TS intensity during the late night hours of May 19, 1970. After turning to a due N and then NNE trajectory-while moving over increasingly warmer waters-Alma rapidly intensified into an 80 mph/993 mb category one H by 2 pm EDT on May 20th. A strong area of High pressure to its N caused "Alma" to abruptly turn back to a more westward heading by late on the 21st.

A significant increase in vertical wind shear caused H Alma to quickly degenerate back to tropical depression status by 2 am EDT on the 22nd. From there, it would maintain this intensity as it tracked through the NW Carribean, across eastern Cuba, and through the western Gulf of Mexico to its eventual landfall near Cedar Key, Fl. After landfall, it moved off in a general N to NNE motion through the SE coastal states before ultimately becoming absorbed by a large low pressure system-just as it was about to exit the U.S. coastline near Norfolk, Va.-very late on the 26th.

g) The most tropical storms to develop in one season: The 1887 and 2012 Atlantic Basin hurricane seasons are shown to have been the most prolific for "May" TC formations-with 2 each, respectively.

h) The most hurricanes to develop in one season: The 1889, 1908, 1951, and 1970 Atlantic basin hurricane seasons hold the record for spawning the most TC's of hurricane intensity-with one each, respectively.

i) The most "major" hurricanes to develop in one season: The 1951 hurricane season is the only one known to have spawned a MH during the entire historical record of 1851-2012.

2) All U.S. Tropical Storm Landfalls:

a) Total number of U.S. tropical storm strikes: There were a total of 8 May TS or STS systems that made a U.S. landfall (or strike) during the aforementioned 162 year period. This equates to one May TS or STS landfall (or strike) every 20.25 years, on average. Moreover, a full 34.8% of all "May" Atlantic Basin storms made landfall in the U.S.

b) Total number of U.S. hurricane strikes: Storm #2 of 1908 is the only known hurricane to have made a direct strike on the U.S. coastline during the month of May. The eye of this historic storm brushed along the extreme eastern portions of the NC Outer Banks as a 75 mph/989 mb hurricane-during the early evening hours on May 29, 1908. In doing so, it is estimated that a MSW of 65 mph likely impacted that area-with hurricane-force winds staying just offshore.

c) The most recent U.S. tropical storm strike: TS Beryl of 2012 is the most recent TC of either STS or TS intensity to bring tropical storm force winds to the U.S. shoreline-constituting a TS strike. As noted above in section 1e, TS Beryl made landfall at 12:10 AM EDT on May 28, 2012, near Jacksonville Beach, Fl., with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, TS Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense "May" TC, in terms of MSW, to impact the U.S. coastline in recorded history.

FUTURE BLOG ENTRIES:

I will post additional blog entries (similar to this one) for the other respective months of a calendar year. With that in mind, the next entry should be a thorough examination of the entire climatological record for "June" TCs in the Atlantic Basin.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read and/or post in my blogs. I hope each one of you have a great rest of the day!:)

Most sincerely,
Tony

Categories:Hurricane History

Updated: 12:08 AM GMT on April 29, 2013

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (9)

ALL JANUARY-APRIL TROPICAL STORMS (1851-2012):

Posted by: ncforecaster, 12:38 PM GMT on February 03, 2013

Hey everyone,

This blog entry will constitute the very first one I have posted for this new year. With that in mind, I hope and pray each one of you are having a truly blessed year, thus far.

Since we are currently at a point in the calendar year where one doesn't expect to see any tropical cyclone (TC) development-in the North Atlantic basin-I thought it would be interesting to some if we examined the entire historical record (1851-present)...

Categories:Hurricane History

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (3)

OCTOBER TROPICAL STORMS (1851-2011):

Posted by: ncforecaster, 4:23 AM GMT on October 21, 2012

Hey everyone,

This particular blog entry is an updated version of a similar blog entry I wrote last year (to account for the 2011 season and various other HURDAT revisions). In it, we will continue our examination of the entire historical record (1851-present), with a focus on "October" Tropical Cyclone (TC) activity throughout the Atlantic basin. An "October" TC will be characterized as one that initially developed at some point during the month of Oct...

Categories:Hurricane History

Updated: 7:27 AM GMT on February 06, 2013

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (5)

SEPTEMBER TROPICAL STORMS (1851-2011):

Posted by: ncforecaster, 6:26 AM GMT on September 03, 2012

Hey everyone,

This particular blog entry is an updated version of a similar blog entry I wrote last year (to account for the 2011 season and various other HURDAT revisions). In it, we will continue our examination of the entire historical record (1851-present), with a focus on "September" Tropical Cyclone (TC) activity throughout the Atlantic Basin. A "September" TC will be characterized as one that initially developed at some point during the month of S...

Categories:Hurricane History

Updated: 8:35 AM GMT on February 04, 2013

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (6)

AUGUST TROPICAL STORMS (1851-2011):

Posted by: ncforecaster, 4:51 AM GMT on August 05, 2012

Hey everyone,

This particular blog entry is an updated version of a similar blog entry I wrote last year (to account for the 2011 season and various other HURDAT revisions). In it, we will continue our examination of the entire historical record (1851-present), with a focus on "August" Tropical Cyclone (TC) activity throughout the North Atlantic basin. An "August" TC will be characterized as one that initially developed at some point during the month of...

Categories:Hurricane History

Updated: 9:10 AM GMT on February 04, 2013

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (7)

« View Older Entries

About ncforecaster