NASA On Air: Ten-Year Gap In Major Hurricanes Continues For U.S. (5/31/2016)

  • Released Tuesday, May 31, 2016
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LEAD: Bonnie, the second tropical storm of the 2016 season, drenched parts of the Atlantic coast from Georgia to Rhode Island with up to 8 inches this past Memorial Day weekend. What’s ahead for the hurricane season of 2016?

1. Over the past 10 years there have been 69 Atlantic hurricanes but during that time no hurricanes of Category 3 or higher have hit the U.S. coastline. Such a string of lucky years is likely to happen only once in 270 years, according to a NASA study.

2. Storms less than Category 3, such as Sandy in 2012, can still be dangerous.

3. But what about this upcoming hurricane season? Statistical analysis indicates that for any given year there is a 40% chance of a Category 3 or higher hurricane landing across the U.S. coastline.

TAG: But remember it only takes one storm in your area. Be prepared this summer.

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:48 PM EDT.