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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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December
2006
Volume
11 - Number 3 |
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By Eric Zelsdorf The experts missed this one completely; at least in the Atlantic. Hurricane forecasters, led by Philip Klotzbach from the University of Colorado, predicted a very active hurricane season. On December 5, 2005, Klotzbach and team predicted 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes (greater than category 3). But something happened on the way to the show. As the season comes to a conclusion (hurricane season officially ends November 30), those same experts blame the unusually light hurricane season on a late, but rapidly developing el Nino phenomenon and unusually dry atmospheric conditions over the Atlantic. In addition, an unusual deep drop by the jet stream, which usually influences the direction of tropical storms and hurricanes, forced most of the storms out into the Atlantic Ocean, rendering them mostly harmless. The actual Atlantic hurricane season saw 9 named storms, 5 total hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first storm of the season, was indirectly responsible for 2 deaths when it made landfall in Florida. The heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ernesto killed at least 7 people in Haiti and the United States in addition to causing damage totaling more than $100 million in Virginia. Four more hurricanes formed after Ernesto, including the strongest storms of the season, Hurricanes Helene and Gordon: neither of which ever made landfall. No tropical cyclones formed in the month of October, the first time this had happened since the 1994 season, according to sources cited in Wikipedia. The 2006 Pacific typhoon season saw quite a bit more action. Unlike the Atlantic hurricane season, the typhoon season has no official beginning or end, but generally follows the May through November timeframe. The 2006 season (still considered ongoing), saw 21 official (and 2 unofficial) named storms, 12 typhoons, and 6 super typhoons. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) assumes primary responsibility for tracking and categorizing Pacific Rim storms. Most notable of the Pacific storms were super typhoons Chanchu, Ewiniar, Saomai, and Cimaron. Chanchu, the first typhoon of the 2006 season, struck both the Philippines and the southeastern seaboard of China in May, killing a total of 57 people. Chanchu was the second super typhoon in recorded history to form in the South China Sea. The first was Ryan in 1995, according to U.S. Navy historical data. Typhoon Ewiniar formed in late June of 2006 and killed 30 people as it brushed the coast of China. Ewiniar made final landfall in South Korea on July 10th as a tropical storm. Typhoon Saomai formed in early August and quickly grew to a category 5 equivalent by August 9, 2006. Saomai made landfall in Zhejiang, China on August 10 and was responsible for 441 people and causing $1.5 billion (USD) in damage. Typhoon Cimaron formed in late October and was categorized as a super typhoon by October 27th. It made landfall in Luzon (in the Philippines) on October 29th killing 19 people; most of them from drowning. 90% of the homes impacted by Cimaron were damaged. References: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/17/AR2006111701639.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_atlantic_hurricane_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_pacific_typhoon_season |