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October 2008                                                                                                   Volume 15 - Number 1

Domestic Disaster Update...

Update of Hurricane Season 2008

By Janna Baker

Hurricane season officially begins 1 June and ends 30 November. For comparison, in 2007 there were 15 named storms.

Tropical Storm Arthur made landfall in northeastern Belize on 31 May. There were nine associated fatalities. Damages were estimated at $78 million (US).

Hurricane Bertha was the second named storm. It reached hurricane strength on 7 July. It became extratropical on 20 July, earning a record as the longest July Atlantic basin tropical cyclone. Only minor damages and three deaths were reported.

Next was Tropical Storm Cristobal. On 19 July it gained tropical storm strength off the coast of North Carolina and continued north, failing to make landfall.

On 20 July, Dolly became a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico. Heavy rains and landslides occurred in Guatemala. It strengthened to a hurricane on 22 July and subsequently made landfall over Texas. There were at least 22 storm-associated deaths. Preliminary estimates of damage suggest $1.52 billion.

After that, Tropical Storm Edouard was named on 3 August. It made landfall on southeast Texas on 5 August and soon weakened. Damage estimates are currently unknown; there have been no reported related fatalities at present.

Tropical Storm Fay, the 6^th of the season, was declared on 15 August. That day it hit Hispaniola causing heavy rains. Due to its erratic course, it made landfall in Florida a record-breaking four times, where it caused significant flooding and damage. There were at least 36 fatalities associated with Fay. Damage estimates have not been totaled.

Hurricane Gustav reached Tropical Storm status on 25 August and intensified to a Hurricane on 26 August. It made landfall in the Caribbean and Louisiana causing at least $18 billion worth of damage, $3 billion of which occurred in Cuba. The death toll is at least 138.

The next storm was Hurricane Hanna; it was upgraded from a tropical depression to a Tropical Storm on 28 August and then to a Hurricane on 1 September. Haiti received a large amount of rainfall and sustained a devastating toll of at least 529 deaths. Hanna weakened and moved north off the east coast of the US, causing 7 additional deaths. $104 million in damages have been estimated to date.

Hurricane Ike followed as the 9^th storm of the season. It became a Tropical Storm on 1 September and two days later underwent explosive intensification, growing from a Tropical Storm to a Category Four Hurricane in 12 hours. It crossed several Caribbean islands, causing significant damages and at least 83 deaths. It made landfall on Texas on 13 September. Ike was the most destructive Hurricane in Texas history. Additionally, it caused far-reaching flooding and power outages. Ike resulted in at least 143 deaths and $27 billion worth of damage.

Tropical Storm Josephine (named 2 September) dissipated on 6 September without coming near land.

Hurricane Kyle gained Tropical Storm status on 25 September and was upgraded to a Hurricane on 27 September. It made landfall off Nova Scotia late 28 September then became extratropical. Most recently, a weather system gained tropical characteristics and was named Subtropical Storm Laura on 29 September.

For further information:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Atlantic_hurricane_season