Welcome to the fifth “Storm Summary” post of the hurricane season.
Each Friday from now until the official end of the season (November 30) I will post an update on past and present storms, like the following:
| NAME | PEAK STATUS | DATE | LOCATION | DAMAGE |
| Ana | TD | 28-May | Mid Atlantic | None |
| Blanca | TS | 7/6 to 7/8 | East Pacific | None |
| Carlos | Cat. 1 | 7/10 to 7/16 | East Pacific | None |
| Dolores | TS | 7/15 to 7/17 | East Pacific | None |
| Enrique | TS | 8/4 to 8/7 | East Pacific | None |
| Felicia | Cat. 4 | 8/3 to 8/11 | East Pacific | None |
| Guillermo | Cat. 3 | 8/12 to 8/19 | East Pacific | None |
| Bill | Cat. 4 | 8/15 to 8/24 | Mid Atlantic | No major damage |
| Claudette | TS | 8/16 to 8/18 | Gulf of Mexico | No major damage |
| Danny | TS | 8/26 to present | Mid Atlantic | None |
Tropical Storm Danny is on everyone’s radar as the well-developed storm hugs the eastern seaboard, with its current path projecting a rare New England landfall. The last major storm to hit the northern United States was Hurricane Hanna in 2008, which wreaked havoc with major flooding in Westchester County, New York. The storm also knocked out power to 32,000 on Long Island.
A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the North Carolina coast.
Though the Atlantic has only seen three named storms, the waters of the Pacific are seeing constant activity, due, in part, to El Niño, which is “the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters [that] occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months.” Although most people think of this phenomenon in negative terms for the damage it can spur on the West Coast, it is actually beneficial to the East Coast/Gulf Coast in the sense that warmer waters in the Pacific usually create conditions that suppress Atlantic hurricanes. Why exactly this occurs is not something I’m qualified to explain but, as I recall, it has something to do with warm and cool air mixing in a different way and creating a “wind shear” that helps prevent storms from developing.
The International Research Institute for Climate and Society can probably explain it better.
For constant, up-to-date storm information, visit NOAA. And for breaking information on the insured losses the storms create, check out the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Services Office.
Most importantly, don’t forget to check back next Friday for our seventh “Storm Summary” installment.