Dorian was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, the first major hurricane, and the first Category 5 hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.
Hurricane Dorian.
| Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) |
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| Hurricane Dorian near peak intensity over the Abaco Islands on September 1 |
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| Damage | ≥ $5.1 billion (2019 USD) |
The 2019 Pacific typhoon season was the costliest Pacific typhoon season on record, just ahead of the previous year. The season was fairly above-average, producing 29 named storms, 17 typhoons, and five super typhoons.
The most memorable storm of the 2019 season was Hurricane Dorian, a name almost certain to be retired. The catastrophic category five monster taunted Floridians for days as it crawled through the Bahamas.
Atlantic BasinThe 2018 North Atlantic hurricane season had 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. This is above the 1981-2010 average of 12.1 named storms, 6.4 hurricanes, and 2.7 major hurricanes. The number of named storms ranked as a tie for the tenth most on record.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season set multiple records while producing a record 30 named storms. There were so many that the list of 21 conventional names was exhausted and the Greek alphabet was used for only the second time.
Hurricane Michael making landfall on the Florida Panhandle in October 2018. Michael became the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the state since Hurricane Andrew.
Four storms made landfall in the U.S. during the 2019 season. Barry breached Louisiana's coast as a Cat 1 hurricane July 13; Tropical Storm Imelda hit near Freeport, Texas on Sept. 17; Nestor made landfall near St. Vincent Island on Florida's Panhandle as a post-tropical cyclone Oct.
On October 19, Tropical Storm Nestor made landfall in Northwest Florida, spawning isolated tornadoes and bringing storm surge to Florida's Gulf Coast. Following the storm, Director Moskowitz and FDEM staff deployed to Polk County where tornadoes had caused significant damage.
| 2018 Atlantic hurricane season |
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| Name | Michael |
| • Maximum winds | 160 mph (260 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 919 mbar (hPa; 27.14 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics |
The United States National Hurricane Center currently estimates that a total of 36 tropical cyclones between 1851 and 2021 have peaked as Category 5 hurricanes.
Systems.
| Name | Dorian |
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| Dates as a Category 5 | September 1–2, 2019 |
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| Duration as a Category 5 | 1 day 6 hours |
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| Sustained wind speeds | 185 mph (295 km/h) |
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In addition, the strongest off-season cyclone to make landfall in the United States was Tropical Storm Beryl in May of 2012, which made landfall near Jacksonville Beach, Florida with 65 mph (100 km/h) winds. The most recent off-season storm is Tropical Storm Ana in May 2021.
| 2020 Atlantic hurricane season |
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| Hurricanes | 14 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 7 (record high, tied with 2005) |
| Total fatalities | ≥ 417 total |
| Total damage | > $51.114 billion (2020 USD) |
Seasons with the most named storms, 1851-Present
| Rank | Year | Number of Storms |
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| 1. | 2005 | 28 |
| 2. | 1933 | 20 |
| 3. | 2012 | 19 |
| 4. | 2011 | 19 |
In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall on Cape Hatteras as a Category 2 storm, causing large storm surges to sweep across some islands, particularly Ocracoke.
| 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season |
|---|
| Cyclonic storms | 8 |
| Severe cyclonic storms | 6 |
| Very severe cyclonic storms | 6 (record high) |
| Extremely severe cyclonic storms | 3 (record high) |
The Most Intense Hurricanes in the United States 1851-2004
| Rank | Hurricane | Year |
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| 1 | Unnamed (FL Keys) | 1935 |
| 2 | Camille (MS, SE LA, VA) | 1969 |
| 3 | Andrew (SE FL, SE LA) | 1992 |
| 4 | TX (Indianola) | 1886 |
In 2020 and 2021, 18 named storms made landfall. In 2004-2005, 7 out of the 15 named storms were major hurricanes. From 2009 to 2016, only 13 named storms made landfall in the U.S. In 2020 and 2021, 18 named storms made landfall.
While natural disasters always leave devastation in their paths, the recovery is always harder for the world's poor. The countries with the most hurricanes are, in increasing order, Cuba, Madagascar, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia, the U.S., Mexico, Japan, the Philippines and China.
The full list of storm names for 2019-20 is: Atiyah, Brendan, Ciara, Dennis, Ellen, Francis, Gerda, Hugh, Iris, Jan, Kitty, Liam, Maura, Noah, Olivia, Piet, RóisÃn, Samir, Tara, Vince and Willow.
2020 Atlantic Storm Names
- Tropical Storm Arthur. May 16, 2020 - Tropical Storm Arthur forms about 190 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- Tropical Storm Bertha.
- Tropical Storm Cristobal.
- Tropical Storm Dolly.
- Tropical Storm Edouard.
- Tropical Storm Fay.
- Tropical Storm Gonzalo.
- Hurricane Hanna.
Hurricane Wendy was a weak Category 2 hurricane that made landfall on North Carolina, causing major flooding and damage. Wendy was the 21st named storm and the record breaking 16th hurricane. Hurricane Wendy killed 20 people and caused $1.8 billion in damages. Wendy also caused evacuations in North Carolina.
