Everything about 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season totally explained
The
2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active
Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering previous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with at least 2,280 deaths and record damages of over $128 billion
USD. Of the storms that made
landfall, five of the season's seven
major hurricanes—
Dennis,
Emily,
Katrina,
Rita, and
Wilma—were responsible for most of the destruction. The
Mexican states of
Quintana Roo and
Yucatán and the
U.S. states of
Florida and
Louisiana were each struck twice by major hurricanes;
Cuba, the
Bahamas,
Haiti,
Mississippi,
Texas, and
Tamaulipas were each struck once and in each case brushed by at least one more. The most catastrophic effects of the season were felt on the United States'
Gulf Coast, where a 30-foot (10 m)
storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused devastating flooding that inundated
New Orleans, Louisiana and destroyed most structures on the Mississippi coastline, and in
Guatemala, where
Hurricane Stan combined with an extratropical system to cause deadly mudslides.
The season officially began on
June 1 2005, and lasted until
November 30, although it effectively persisted into January 2006 due to continued storm activity. A record twenty-eight
tropical and
subtropical storms formed, of which a record fifteen became hurricanes. Of these, seven strengthened into major hurricanes, a record-tying five became Category 4 hurricanes and a record four reached Category 5 strength, the highest categorization for hurricanes on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Among these Category 5 storms were Hurricanes
Katrina and
Wilma, the former the costliest and the latter the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record.
Seasonal forecasts
Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane expert Dr.
William M. Gray and his associates at
Colorado State University (CSU), and separately by forecasters with the U.S. Government's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Prior to and during the 2005 season, Dr. Gray issued four forecasts, each time increasing the predicted level of activity. The NOAA issued two forecasts, one shortly before the season and one two months into the season, drastically increasing the predicted level of activity in the second release. Nonetheless, all forecasts fell far short of the actual activity of the season.
Preseason forecasts
On
December 3,
2004, Dr. Gray's team issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2005 season, predicting a slightly above-average season. Additionally, the team predicted a greatly increased chance of a major hurricane striking the
East Coast of the United States and the
Florida peninsula. Though the forecast predicted above-average activity, the level predicted was significantly less than the
2004 season.
On
May 16,
2005, 15 days before the season began, NOAA issued its outlook for the 2005 season, forecasting a 70% chance of above-normal activity. The
accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) value for the season was predicted to be 120–190% of the median. Shortly thereafter, on
May 31, the day before the season officially began, Dr. Gray's team revised its April forecast upwards to 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes.
Midseason outlook
On
August 2, after an extraordinarily active early season, the NOAA released an updated outlook on the remainder of the season, significantly raising the expected level of activity to numbers about double those of a normal season. The ACE value was now forecast to be 180 to 270% of the median. The NOAA also noted a higher than normal confidence in the forecast of above-normal activity. On
August 5 2005, Dr. Gray and his associates followed suit and issued their updated forecast; it was consistent with NOAA's update. Although neither the NOAA nor Dr. Gray had ever forecast such high levels of activity, even the midseason outlooks fell far short of the actual level of activity.
Storms
June and July
On
June 9, nearly two months earlier than when the
2004 season started,
Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the western
Caribbean, crossing
Cuba before making landfall on the
Florida Panhandle on the 11th. Arlene caused only moderate damage, although one swimmer was caught in a
riptide and drowned in
Miami Beach, Florida.
Tropical Storm Bret formed in the
Bay of Campeche on
June 28 and made landfall in
Veracruz the next morning. The storm damaged hundreds of homes and caused flooding which killed two people.
Hurricane Cindy formed in the Gulf of Mexico on
July 4. Originally thought to be a tropical storm, Cindy made landfall in
Louisiana on the 5th as a minimal hurricane, dropping up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain, spawning several tornadoes, flooding some coastal areas including Coden, Alabama, and killing three people. Cindy was upgraded to a hurricane in the post-storm analysis.
On
July 5,
Hurricane Dennis formed in the eastern Caribbean; it crossed
Grenada before intensifying into a Category 4 hurricane, the strongest ever recorded in July with a pressure of 930
mbar (
hPa). Dennis struck
Cuba at full force, then made a final landfall on the
Florida Panhandle. The hurricane killed 89 people (mostly in
Haiti) and caused $4–$6 billion in damages in
Cuba and the
United States.
Soon thereafter,
Hurricane Emily formed in the Atlantic on
July 11. It entered the
Caribbean Sea and quickly intensified to a Category 4 storm, breaking Dennis's record for July intensity when its pressure reached 929 mbar (hPa). Emily then briefly reached Category 5 intensity—the earliest such storm ever recorded in the Atlantic. Emily crossed the
Yucatán Peninsula at Category 4 strength before hitting
Tamaulipas at Category 3 strength. Emily killed at least 14 people over the course of its path. An estimated $400 million in damages have been reported.
Tropical Storm Franklin formed off
the Bahamas on
July 18. The storm moved northeast and became extratropical off the coast of
Atlantic Canada without ever having threatened land.
Tropical Storm Gert followed soon after on
July 24. Gert struck Veracruz near where Emily had hit a few days before; roughly 1,000 people were evacuated for fear of flooding, but no damages or deaths were reported.
August
Like July, August also got off to a fast start:
Tropical Storm Harvey formed southwest of
Bermuda on
August 3. Harvey dropped some rain on Bermuda as it moved to the northeast; it became extratropical on
August 8 in the open
Atlantic Ocean.
The tropical depression that would become
Hurricane Irene formed west of the
Cape Verde Islands on
August 4. The system moved west and north and didn't reach hurricane strength until
August 14, at which point it became the second
Cape Verde-type hurricane of the season. Irene turned northeast and briefly reached
Category 2 status before weakening and becoming extratropical on
August 18. It never posed a threat to land.
Tropical Depression Ten formed east of the
Lesser Antilles on
August 13. The system dissipated the next day. Its remnants soon merged with another system and eventually contributed to the formation of Hurricane Katrina.
Tropical Storm Jose followed, forming in the
Bay of Campeche on
August 22. It strengthened rapidly but quickly reached the coast and made landfall in the
Mexican state of
Veracruz on
August 23, preventing further strengthening. Jose forced 25,000 people to evacuate their homes in Veracruz and killed six people in the state of
Oaxaca; two more were reported missing. In all, damage in Mexico amounted to $45 million (2005 USD).
Hurricane Katrina formed in mid-August over
the Bahamas. It became a tropical storm on
August 24 and reached hurricane intensity before making landfall in south
Florida as a minimal hurricane. A few hours later, the storm entered the
Gulf of Mexico and intensified rapidly into a
Category 5 hurricane while crossing the
Loop Current on
August 28. Katrina made landfall on
August 29 near the mouth of the
Mississippi River as an extremely large Category 3 hurricane. Category 5-level storm surge (as the storm had weakened only in the previous several hours) caused catastrophic damage along the coastlines of
Louisiana,
Mississippi, and
Alabama. Levees separating
Lake Pontchartrain from
New Orleans, Louisiana were breached by the surge, ultimately flooding about 80% of the city. Wind damage was reported well inland, impeding relief efforts. Katrina is estimated to be responsible for at least $81.2 billion in damages, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. It was the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, killing at least 1,836 people.
Tropical Storm Lee formed out in the Atlantic on
August 31 but dissipated several days later without having threatened land.
September
Hurricane Maria led off the month of September, forming as a tropical storm well east of the
Leeward Islands on
September 2. Maria reached its peak as a
Category 3 hurricane on
September 5, turning northeast and weakening before becoming extratropical on the 10th. Unusually, this extratropical storm strengthened as it moved toward
Iceland; its remnants struck
Norway where one person was killed in a landslide.
Hurricane Nate formed southwest of Bermuda on
September 5 and moved northeast as it strengthened into a strong Category 1 hurricane. Nate became extratropical on the 10th; the storm never approached land, although it did interfere with Canadian naval vessels en route to the
Gulf Coast to help in Katrina relief efforts.
Hurricane Ophelia formed as a tropical depression in
the Bahamas on
September 6 and almost immediately made landfall on
Grand Bahama. It became a tropical storm off the coast of Florida before strengthening into a large Category 1 storm and raking a long stretch of the southern
North Carolina coast with heavy winds and storm surge on the 12th and 13th. The hurricane's eye never made landfall and moved back out to sea before becoming extratropical on the 17th and striking
Atlantic Canada. Damages were around $70 million.
Hurricane Philippe formed east of the
Leeward Islands on
September 17. It moved northwards, reaching
Category 1 intensity before weakening and finally dissipating on the 23rd. No landmasses were affected.
Hurricane Rita formed as a tropical storm over the
Turks and Caicos Islands on
September 18. The storm reached Category 2 intensity as it moved south of the
Florida Keys on
September 20. Rapid intensification ensued as Rita moved into the
Gulf of Mexico, and Rita became a Category 5 hurricane on the 21st, becoming the third (now fourth) most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. Rita made landfall near the
Texas-
Louisiana border on
September 24. Major flooding was reported in
Port Arthur and
Beaumont, Texas, while
Cameron and
Calcasieu Parishes in Louisiana were devastated. Offshore oil platforms throughout Rita's path also suffered significant damage. Six people are confirmed dead from Rita's direct effects, and total damage from the storm is estimated at about $10 billion. One hundred and thirteen indirect deaths have been reported, mostly from the mass exodus from
Houston, Texas and surrounding counties.
Tropical Depression Nineteen formed west of the
Cape Verde Islands on
September 30 but dissipated on
October 2 without having threatened land.
October
Hurricane Stan was the first October storm, reaching tropical storm status on
October 2 just before crossing the
Yucatán Peninsula. In the
Bay of Campeche, Stan briefly reached hurricane strength before making landfall south of
Veracruz, Veracruz, on
October 4. Stan was a part of a large system of rainstorms, which dropped torrential rainfall that caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides over southern Mexico and
Central America. Well over 1,000 total deaths were caused by the flooding, of which 80–100 are directly attributed to Stan.
An initially unnoticed
Unnamed Subtropical Storm was discovered by the NHC during the postseason analysis. This short-lived
subtropical storm formed on
October 4 south of the Azores and was absorbed by an extratropical low the next day, after passing over those islands.
Tropical Storm Tammy led a brief existence before making landfall in northeastern
Florida on
October 5. Tammy dropped heavy rains over portions of the southeast United States before merging with a frontal system that would eventually cause the
Northeast U.S. flooding of October 2005.
Subtropical Depression Twenty-two formed southeast of
Bermuda on
October 8. It dissipated the next day, although its remnants approached New England and contributed to the
Northeast U.S. flooding of October 2005.
Hurricane Vince formed over unfavorably cold water in the east Atlantic near the
Madeira Islands on
October 8 as a
subtropical storm. It was first recorded by the NHC on
October 9 when it became tropical, and shortly thereafter, it briefly strengthened into a hurricane. The storm made an even more unusual landfall in
Spain on
October 11, making it the first tropical cyclone on record to impact Spain.
Hurricane Wilma formed on
October 17 in the western Caribbean southwest of
Jamaica and rapidly strengthened. On
October 19 it became the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the
Atlantic basin, with 185 mph (295 km/h) winds and a central pressure of 882
mbar (
hPa). The hurricane moved slowly and struck
Quintana Roo on
October 22 as a
Category 4 hurricane, causing very heavy damage to
Cancún and
Cozumel. After emerging into the
Gulf of Mexico, Wilma sharply changed directions and passed north of
Cuba before striking southern
Florida on the 24th as a Category 3 storm, then moving into the
Atlantic Ocean and becoming extratropical. Wilma is directly credited with 23 deaths; total damages are estimated at around $29 billion, mostly in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba.
Tropical Storm Alpha formed in the eastern Caribbean on
October 22 and crossed
Hispaniola, causing major flooding before merging with Wilma. A total of 42 people are reported dead from the storm in
Haiti and the
Dominican Republic.
Hurricane Beta formed in the southern Caribbean on
October 26 and strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in the
Colombian islands of
San Andrés & Providencia and in
Nicaragua on the 30th. Damage and fatality reports have not yet been released to the public.
November, December, and January
Tropical activity declined only very slowly as the season wound down.
Tropical Storm Gamma initially formed on
November 15 in the central Caribbean, and degenerated into a tropical wave before reforming. Although the storm dissipated on
November 20 without having made landfall, rainfall from Gamma caused 41 deaths in
Honduras and
Belize.
Tropical Storm Delta formed in the eastern Atlantic on
November 23; it approached but never attained hurricane strength. Delta became extratropical on the 28th shortly before striking the
Canary Islands at full force, causing seven deaths and toppling
El Dedo de Dios, a famous land formation on
Gran Canaria.
Hurricane Epsilon formed as a tropical storm on
November 29 in a hostile environment in the middle of the Atlantic. It reached hurricane strength on
December 2 and defied forecasting by persisting for over a week before dissipating.
Tropical Storm Zeta became the final storm of the season when it formed on
December 30, six hours short of tying the record of
Hurricane Alice of 1954 as the latest-forming named storm in a season. Zeta dissipated on
January 6,
2006, having become the longest-lived January tropical cyclone in
Atlantic basin history.
Deaths and damage
The storms of the season were extraordinarily damaging and were responsible for significant loss of life. Total damages are estimated to be over $100 billion (2005
USD), and at least 2,280 people have been confirmed dead.
The hardest-hit area was the
United States Gulf Coast from eastern
Texas to the
Florida Panhandle. First to strike the area was Hurricane Dennis, which caused $2.23 billion in damages along the Florida Panhandle.
Hurricane Rita struck near the same area, re-flooded New Orleans, (though to a far less degree than Katrina) and caused extensive damage along the coastlines of
Louisiana and
Texas; total damages are estimated at about $10 billion.
Tropical Storm Arlene and
Hurricane Cindy also struck the Gulf Coast but caused much lighter damage.
The
Mexican state of
Quintana Roo was also heavily hit, suffering billions of dollars in damages when Hurricanes
Emily and
Wilma both made landfall between
Cozumel and
Cancún. Wilma was particularly devastating, lashing the area with major hurricane-force winds for over a full day, and was possibly the most damaging hurricane in Mexican history. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had struck the same area earlier, causing lesser (but still significant) damage, and Tropical Storm Arlene killed one person caught in a
rip current.
Tropical Storm Delta,
Hurricane Epsilon and
Tropical Storm Zeta all formed over the cold waters of the late-season eastern Atlantic, much like Hurricane Vince (though at lower latitudes). All three persisted in the face of heavy wind shear, and Epsilon managed to reach hurricane strength over waters well below the temperatures previously thought necessary for hurricane formation. Epsilon became the longest-lasting December hurricane although records before 1944 are incomplete.
Number of storms
Storm formation during the 2005 season>
| Systems |
Average |
OldRecord |
2005 |
| Storms |
10 |
21 |
28 |
| Hurricanes |
6 |
12 |
15 |
| Category 3+ Hurricanes |
2 |
8 |
7 |
| Category 5 Hurricanes |
0.3 |
2 (tie) |
4 |
During the season 28 storms formed (27 named and one unnamed), surpassing almost all records for storm formation in the Atlantic. More tropical storms, hurricanes, and Category 5 hurricanes formed during the season than in any previously recorded Atlantic season; the only major record for number of storms the season didn't capture was most major hurricanes, still held by the
1950 season.
The season was the first season to use "V" and "W" names, and when the season ran out of official alphabetical names after the use of
Wilma, forecasters resorted to using letters from the
Greek alphabet for the first time (although
Alpha and
Delta had been used for subtropical storms in the 1970s).
Almost every storm in 2005 set a record for early formation. Of the twenty-eight storms which formed, twenty-two of them qualified as the earliest-forming storm of that number; starting with
Hurricane Dennis, almost every storm was such.
Intense storms
Three of the six most intense hurricanes on record formed in 2005, topped off by Hurricane Wilma's 882
mbar minimum pressure, shattering the 17-year-old record set by
Hurricane Gilbert. The 2005 season is the only season on record with four Category 5 storms on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale; the previous record was only two. In addition, Hurricane Dennis reached Category 4 status, tying the record set by the
1999 season with five Category 4 storms.
Early strength and activity
In July,
Hurricane Dennis became the strongest storm to form prior to August and the earliest Category 4 storm to form in the Caribbean.
This surpassed the previous record for the number of hurricane names retired after a single season, four (held by the
1955,
1995, and
2004 seasons).
Further Information
Get more info on '2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season'.
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