2019 hurricane season comes to close, fourth consecutive above-normal season
Hurricane Isabel, seen from the International Space Station. (NASA)
HOUSTON - 2019 marked the fourth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. The three major hurricanes this season were Dorian, Humberto, and Lorenzo.
An average season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. This year beat the average with 18 named storms but remained in the usual range with six hurricanes, three of which were major.
This year was a busy one for the Atlantic, setting records for the easternmost hurricane, Pablo, and easternmost Category 5 hurricane, Lorenzo, on record. Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas where it made landfall and stalled.
Tropical Storm Imelda caused significant flooding in Southeast Texas. No other storms came closer to the Texas Gulf Coast than Hurricane Barry, which made landfall in Lousiana.
The 2020 hurricane season will officially begin on June 1 and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will provide its seasonal outlook in May.