The official hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico) is from 1 June to 30 November. As seen in the graph above, the peak of the season is from mid-August to late October. However, deadly hurricanes can occur anytime in the hurricane season.
Tropical Cyclone Return Periods
Hurricane return periods are the frequency at which a certain intensity or category of hurricane can be expected within 75 nm (86 statute miles) of a given location. In simpler terms, a return period of 20 years for a Category 3 or greater hurricane means that on average during the previous 100 years, a Category 3 or greater hurricane passed within 75 nm (86 miles) of that location about five times. We would then expect, on average, an additional five Category 3 or greater hurricanes within that radius over the next 100 years.
Hurricane Tracks By Month
The figures below show the zones of origin and tracks for different months during the hurricane season. These figures only depict average conditions. Hurricanes can originate in different locations and travel much different paths from the average. Nonetheless, having a sense of the general pattern can give you a better picture of the average hurricane season for your area.
South Florida Hurricane Climatology
(Click image below for larger view)
From 1851 to 2005 fifteen intense hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) have made landfall in southeast Florida or have affected this region.
Strongest and most intense storms were Storm Two (1935) and Andrew (1992); both were Category 5 hurricanes.
South Florida receives most strikes during October; these hits typically originate in the Caribbean (1948 hurricanes, Irene in 1999, and Wilma in 2005).
The hurricanes that produced the largest amounts of precipitation in south Florida were Storm Eight (1947) and Irene (1999).
Only a few hurricanes have struck Broward County from the east, including one major hurricane (the Category 4 Storm Four in 1947) that produced gusts of 155 mph at Pompano Beach.
Most landfalls over the past 100 years have occurred south of Fort Lauderdale and north of Lake Worth, Florida.
Most hurricane strikes in the United States have occurred in the southern half of the Florida peninsula and in the Florida Panhandle region east to Cedar Key.
The deadliest hurricane that affected the region was Storm Four (1928) which struck the Palm Beach area as a Category 4. It moved inland over Lake Okeechobee, and a large storm surge resulted in breaches in the muck dike along the southern shores. A total of at least 2,500 persons were killed. Gusts were estimated to have been in excess of 160 mph at Canal Point, and sustained winds may have reached 145 mph at landfall in Florida.
The largest hurricanes that affected the region occurred in 1947, 2004, and 2005. The September storms in 1926 and 1928 also likely featured large wind fields.
For more local and basin-wide information for TC climatology, visit this site for detailed information. For information on United States landfalling storms, climatology, and deadliest and costliest storms, see this site for excellent up to date data.
