End of 2008

Today is the last day of 2008. On June 1 and May 15 next year, the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season and east/central Pacific hurricane season, respectively, will begin.

2008 has been a memorable year for tropical cyclones. Cyclone Nargis killed over 100,000 people in Myanmar early this year. The Atlantic season was particularly notable and devastating, with many new records set, including most storms to consecutively hit the U.S. (6), the only time there's been a major (Category 3+) hurricane every month from July-November (Bertha, Gustav, Ike, Omar and Paloma), the smallest tropical cyclone on record (Tropical Storm Marco) and possibly the strongest gust observed in a hurricane (212mph in Gustav in Cuba).

The most destructive and deadly storms of the Atlantic season were Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Paloma. Hurricane Gustav killed dozens in Haiti via flooding rains and grew into a powerful Category 4 hurricane and slammed into western Cuba. Although it was predicted Gustav would strengthen to a Category 5 storm and hit near New Orleans, shear, land interaction and dry air weakened Gustav to a Category 2 hurricane. The system veered more to the west, and hit well away from New Orleans, although it still caused overtopping of the levees in the city. Gustav caused up to $20 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest tropical cyclones worldwide.

Concurrent with Gustav was Category 1 Hurricane Hanna. While not particularly powerful, it's rains devastated Haiti, killing around 600 people and making it the deadliest storm of the Atlantic season this year.

Following Hanna was Ike, which is by far the costliest hurricane in Texas known and the third costliest overall. This was a Cape Verde hurricane which hit the Turks and Caicos, Bahamas and Cuba as a major hurricane. Ike became a very large, sprawling but disorganized Category 2 hurricane once in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of it's extreme size, the storm surge was characteristic of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. Ike caused the largest peacetime evacuation ever in Texas, and then hit Galveston, devastating the upper Texas and lower Louisiana coasts. It caused over $30 billion in damage.

After a brief break, tropical activity returned in the Atlantic. Hurricane Omar exploded into a Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean sea and brushed the Virgin Islands. In early November, Paloma - the last storm of the Atlantic season - also rapidly intensified to Category 4 intensity, and slammed into southern Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, causing tremendous damage.

Although not as damaging as the big four mentioned above, Tropical Storm Fay had significant impacts on Florida, where it hit a record-breaking four times. Like with Hanna, the damage came from rainfall and the flooding it caused.

Texas has seen well above normal activity, with Category 1/2 borderline Hurricane Dolly, Tropical Storm Edouard and Category 2 (but with the effects of a Category 4) Hurricane Ike hitting the state.

Haiti has also been hit hard. Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike have all caused significant amounts of rain in the country, amounting to hundreds of deaths and widespread devastation.

The East Pacific saw Hurricane Norbet hit Baja California as a Category 2 system.

Next year looks to be busy in the Atlantic ocean, Caribbean sea and Gulf of Mexico, according to forecasts by Dr. Grey and TSR. I am predicting 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes in 2009 in the Atlantic (2008 had 16/8/5).

Some changes are being made to the site right now. The StormFlash News Updates are being replaced by a blog, of which this is the first entry. The Historical Storm Database is being worked on as well, so this site should be complete by June 1, 2009 . . . .