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Nov 26, 2008 12:59 pm US/Eastern
2008 Hurricane Season Is One For The Record Books
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Packing wind of 145 mph, Paloma cut a path of destruction when it came ashore at Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba.
CBS
With just days to go until the end of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season, NOAA said this year will go down in the record books for most consecutive storms to hit the U.S.
The 2008 season will also go down in history as one of more active seasons in the 64 years since comprehensive records began.
A total of 16 named storms formed this season including eight hurricanes, five of which were Category 3 in strength or higher.
Overall, the season is tied as the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five), and is tied as the fifth most active in terms of hurricanes (eight) since 1944, which was the first year aircraft missions flew into tropical storms and hurricanes.
For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the U.S. mainland and a record three major hurricanes (Gustav, Ike and Paloma) struck Cuba. This is also the first Atlantic season to have a major hurricane (Category 3) form in five consecutive months; July: Bertha, August: Gustav, September: Ike, October: Omar, November: Paloma.
"This year's hurricane season continues the current active hurricane era and is the tenth season to produce above-normal activity in the past 14 years," said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAAs Climate Prediction Center.
An average season has 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
NOAA will issue its initial 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in May, prior to the official start of the season on June 1.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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