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Tracking the Eye of the Storm
Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record. Twenty-eight storms formed, including 27 named tropical storms and one unnamed subtropical storm. This broke the old record of 21 set in 1933. Fifteen storms became hurricanes, breaking the old record of 12 set in 1969. Seven of the hurricanes became major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, including four (Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) which reached Category 5 intensity. This is the first time since records began in 1851 that four Category 5 storms have been known to occur in a season. In contrast, based on the last 40 years, in an average season there would have been 11 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. Wilma had a minimum central pressure of 882 hPa, the lowest ever observed in an Atlantic hurricane. The season also included three depressions—two tropical and one subtropical—that did not reach tropical storm strength.
Seven tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States, including Hurricanes Cindy, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. The latter four were major hurricanes at landfall, and this was the first time that four major hurricanes hit the United States in one season. Katrina was the deadliest U. S. hurricane since the Palm Beach-Lake Okeechobee hurricane of September 1928. It devastated portions of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is the most costly U. S. hurricane of record. Hurricane Ophelia also struck the United States, although the circulation center stayed just off the coast of North Carolina. Seven tropical cyclones hit Mexico, including major hurricanes Emily and Wilma. Dennis hit Cuba as a major hurricane, while Hurricane Beta hit the Colombian island of Providencia as well as Nicaragua. Vince made landfall in Spain as a tropical depression, making it the first tropical cyclone on record to hit that country.
Records of The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season
(previous record: 32 most recently in 1995-96)
(previous record: 21 in 1886-87)
(ties record in 1950-51)
(previous record: five in 1954-55)
(previous record: three in 1949-50)
(previous record: 43 most recently in 2002-04)
(previous record: 27 in 1886-88)
(ties record in 1949-51 and 1950-52
(Costliest)
Hurricane: Katrina (at least $80 billion)
(previous record Andrew, $26.5 billion - 1992 dollars
(Deadliest)
U.S. Hurricane since 1928: Katrina (at least 1,300)
(Strongest)
- Hurricane in the Atlantic Basin: Wilma 882 millibars (mb)
(previous record: Gilbert at 888 mb) - Three of the six strongest hurricanes on record: Wilma 882 mb (1st), Rita 897 mb (4th), Katrina 902 mb (6th)
July hurricane: Emily (160 mph top sustained winds)
(previous record: Dennis (150 mph) in 2005; Hurricane #1 (140 mph) in 1926
Unfortunately, the 2005 Hurricane Season will be remembered as a deadly season, the deadliest in the Atlantic since 1780 (2800-3000 estimated deaths) and the deadliest US hurricane season since 1928 with 1300-1400 lives lost. Hurricane Katrina ranks as the third deadliest hurricane in US history.
While many hurricane season records were set in 2005, a few still remain. The season fell one storm short of equalling the season records for most major hurricanes (8 in 1950) and most tropical storms to hit the US (8 in 1916, 2004). The season fell ten days short for the most "named-storm" days (136 in 1933.) There were eight landfalling hurricane in 2005, one fewer than in 1933 and thirteen landfalling tropical storms (record 17 in 1933).
Hurricane Wilma's maximum recorded wind speed (185 mph) tied it with Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 for the third spot alltime behind 190 mph speed registered by Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Allen (1980).
When Hurrican Vince, one of the smallest (in diameter) hurricanes ever, formed on 9 October, it became the farthest north tropical storm (within the period of records) in the Atlantic Basin. Later in the day, it became the farthest east Atlantic hurricane to ever arise. Its birth and subsequent path gave Vince a number of other notable events: The first (pure) tropical depression to hit the Iberian Peninsula, (Spain), Mainland Europe, and the Eastern Hemisphere (excluding Great Britain). It was also the farthest east a tropical storm and a hurricane has ever been recorded.
Later in the seasons, Tropical Storm Delta became the first known tropical storm to ever hit Africa (Morocco) and the Canary Islands and to cause death on the Canary Islands.
With Zeta's formation, the storm capped the season with the latest tropical storm and hurricane to form (tying Alice in 1954/5). But a couple early-season "stormmarks" were also set in 2005. Hurricane Dennis was the earliest Category 4 storm to ever form, 7 July; and Hurricane Emily became the earliest Category 5 storm to form, doing so on 16 July.
The season will be most known for Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating hurricane to hit the United States in many decades, and the third most intense (based on minimum pressure 918 mb) at landfall. Katrina’s lowest pressure central pressure dropped to 902 mb (at the time, the fourth lowest pressure ever measured in the Atlantic basin). Without doubt, Katrina will be the most costly when all ledgers are closed. The present estimate of $75-$100 billion falls just short of the adjusted total of $100 billion for the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. Katrina became the first hurricane to render a major US city uninhabitable. The swath of its destruction at landfall also was the greatest in US history at 90,000 square miles (23.3 million hectares).
As if Katrina were not enough, Hurricanes Rita and Wilma would have been landmark hurricanes in any other year. The now forgotten Hurricane Dennis fell just shy of the Category Five level (maximum sustained winds 150 mph [240 km/h]) but still caused over $2 billion in damages.
Other individual storm records also fell during 2005. Hurricane Wilma, only the third Category 5 storm to form in the Basin in October, registered the lowest central pressure in the Atlantic Basin with a reading of 882mb at noon on 19 October. To reach that pressure, Wilma experienced the most rapid 24-hour intensification ever observed (globally) of 97mb. Wilma also had the smallest eye (2 nautical miles) for any Category 5 storm so observed.
A very extensive list of 2005 tropical storm/hurricane records for the Atlantic basin can be found at Dr. William Gray's Hurricane Season of 2005 Verification and Cory Pesaturo's 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season Records.
