Tropical Storm Summary - 2006

The 2006 Hurricane Season forecast this year is highlighting the region from the Carolinas northeast as the prime area for above-normal risk of impact from hurricane activity. While the Carolina coast has seen direct hurricane landfalls several times since the start of the current multi-decadal cycle in 1995 (Bertha and Fran in 1996, Bonnie in 1998, Floyd in 1999 and Isabel in 2003), Long Island and southeastern New England have escaped a hurricane strike. Other areas at elevated risk are the Gulf Coast from central Louisiana westward, especially early in the season, with an eye toward the southwest Florida Gulf coast later in the season. The only good news is that this pattern suggests a significantly reduced risk, relative to normal, for the eastern and central Gulf Coast - an area hit by four named storms last season, two of which were major hurricanes. The initial landfall forecast is for three major (Category 3 or greater) hurricane hits this year on the United States coast, two hurricanes of Category 2 or less and one tropical storm - a total of six storms making landfall.

Details for Alberto

Details for Beryl
 

Details for Chris
 

Details for Debby
 

Details for Ernesto
 

Details for Florence
 

Details for Gordon
 

Details for Helene
 

Details for Isaac
 

While the 2006 season did not officially begin until June 1st, Tropical Storm Zeta, which formed on December 30th, 2005 persisted until January 5th of this year, making it the first storm of 2006 in the Atlantic basin. However, the first storm of the official 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was Tropical Storm Alberto, which was named on June 11th off the coast of Cuba. Alberto made landfall on June 13th near Apalachee Bay, FL, and it's overall ACE value was 2.64 x 104 kt2. Since then, the Atlantic season has been much quieter than had been initially forecast. Hurricane Gordon became the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season on September 13th, but did not make landfall. Isaac was the last named storm during the 2006 season. Prior to its dissipation in early October, Isaac brushed the Bermuda coast as a category 1 storm.

For the season, there were 5 hurricanes (2 major) and 4 tropical storms: a below-average season when compared with the recent 1995-2005 average, yet similar to the average of the preceeding 25 years (1970-1994) listed in the paragraph above. Only 2 storms made landfall with the mainland U.S. during 2006, Tropical Storm Alberto in Florida and Hurricane Ernesto as a tropical storm in Florida and North Carolina.