Dale C. S. Destin | We have just passed the mid-point of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season–93 days gone, 90 more to go.
And for the first time in 25 years, we had a stormless August–no tropical storm (or hurricane) in August across the Atlantic. The last time there was a stormless August was in 1997.
The Atlantic in August 2022 was quieter than the library after midnight on Good Friday. Based on reliable data dating back to 1971, a storm-free August has only occurred in two other previous years – 1997 and 1988. The chance of such an August is about 2 percent or once every 50 years on average.
It is clearly rare for the second most active month of the season to score a duck or not score a single storm. It is almost equivalent to Michael Jordon or Vivian Richards going scoreless in a match.
On average, using the climatological period of 1991-2020, August usually produces four named storms, two hurricanes, one major hurricane and an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index of 27.
According to ACE, August usually accounts for 22 percent of the activity for the season. By comparison, September usually accounts for 26 percent of the season’s activity with ACE of 31.5, named storms of 4.4, hurricanes of 2.5 and major hurricanes of 1.2.
The most active August on record, dating back to 1851, is 1893 with an ACE of 120.3. The Augusts with the most named storms are those of 2012, 2004 and 1995 with 8.
The record for the number of hurricanes for the month is 5 – 2004, 1995 and 1893. A maximum of 3 major hurricanes formed in the month in 2004, 1983 and 1886.
Recall the old mariner’s poem which says, “August look out you must”, you must take action to protect your life and property from tropical cyclones in August. Not that I am complaining, but no such action was required for this August.
Safety Steps 