Very Active Hurricane Season Comes To A Close
BOSTON (CBS) -- A typical hurricane season produces only 10 named storms and six hurricanes.
As forecasters predicted, this year was a very active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.
It is tied for the third most active season on record with 19 named storms, 12 of those became hurricanes and five became major storms of Category 3 or higher.
For the first time in recorded history, 12 hurricanes formed in Atlantic without a single one making landfall.
"There was only a 2 to 3 percent chance of getting this many hurricanes and not having one hit the U.S.," says Colorado State meteorologist William Gray.
Five storms came awfully close within 100 miles, including Alex, Bonnie, Earl, Hermine and Opal.
Short term weather patterns dictate where storms travel and in most cases this year, this was away from the U.S.
Warm and dry conditions in the eastern states acted as a barrier and kept many storms over open water and out to sea.
While the U.S. was spared, the same cannot be said for others like the Caribbean, Mexico and Nova Scotia where heavy flooding and intense winds created extensive property damage and loss of life.
Tropical storm Matthew was the deadliest storm taking 126 lives in Central America.
It is important to remember, no matter how many storms there are, it only takes one to bring disaster and suffering to an area.
With no landfalls or real damage to speak of, we reflect upon just how lucky and fortunate were this time around.
