Major Hurricane Drought: Nine Years Without a Major Hurricane Making US Landfall

  • Released Wednesday, May 13, 2015
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Hurricane tracks from 1980 through 2014. Green tracks did not make landfall in US; yellow tracks made landfall but were not major hurricanes at the time; red tracks made landfall and were major hurricanes.
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Statistacal analyses from hurricane track data back to 1850 indicate that for any particular Atlantic Hurricane season, there is approximately a 40% chance that a major hurricane (categrory 3 or higher) will make landfall in the continental United States. However, during the 9-year period from 2006 to 2014, no major hurricanes have made landfall.

These visualizations show hurricane tracks from 1980 through 2014. Green tracks are storms that did not make landfall in the continental US; yellow tracks are storms made landfall but were not category 3 or higher when they made landfall; and, red tracks are storms that made landfall and where category 3 or higher. A corresponding chart on the right accumulates the number and types of storms for each year. Notice the large gap in any red blocks between 2006 and 2014.

Background Earth layer

Background Earth layer

Tracks layer with alpha

Dates layer with alpha

Table layer with alpha

Storm tracks are shown from 2006 through 2014. During this period, no storms made landfall in the continental US that were category 3 or up.

Accumulated tracks (2006 through 2014) with alpha

Print resolution still of 2005 season

Print resolution still of 2005 season

Print resolution still from 2006 through 2014, the major hurricane drought period

Print resolution still from 2006 through 2014, the major hurricane drought period

Print resolution still of 2014 season

Print resolution still of 2014 season

Print resolution still of Atlantic hurricane categories table. Green blocks indicate storms that missed CONUS. Yellow blocks indicate storms that made landfall in CONUS, but were not category 3+. Red blocks indicate storms that made landfall in CONUS and where category 3+ at the time of landfall.

Print resolution still of Atlantic hurricane categories table. Green blocks indicate storms that missed CONUS. Yellow blocks indicate storms that made landfall in CONUS, but were not category 3+. Red blocks indicate storms that made landfall in CONUS and where category 3+ at the time of landfall.

States that are hit by a hurricane that's category 3 or higher with alpha

States that are hit by a hurricane that's category 3 or higher with alpha

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Wednesday, May 13, 2015.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:49 PM EDT.

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