CYCLONIC FURY

Active, Destructive 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially comes to a close

December 4, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

On November 30, the very active and extremely destructive 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially came to a close. The season featured a total of 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes, with an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) of approximately 162 units. A majority of the season’s damage and death toll came from Hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton. Six hurricanes made landfall in the Continental United States in 2024, four of which made landfall in Florida. Prior to the…

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Cyclonic Fury Remembers Hurricane Hazel: 70 years later

October 15, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Today is October 15, 2024, which marks exactly 70 years since Hurricane Hazel made landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hazel, the only Category 4 hurricane on record to affect North Carolina, produced confirmed major hurricane winds in Wilmington (source: NWS Newport/Morehead City NC). Hazel’s development is traced to a tropical wave that likely exited the west coast of Africa in late September 1954. On October 5, the wave organized into Tropical Storm Hazel, located just east of the Windward…

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Powerful Hurricane Milton headed for the western Florida Gulf Coast

October 9, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Hurricane Milton, which previously became a Category 5 hurricane and the fifth-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record by central pressure, has now weakened to a Category 4 hurricane as it accelerates northeastwards to the western Florida Peninsula. Milton has potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes for Florida, and preparations should have been completed for those in the path of the storm. Interests in the area must follow local evacuation orders! As of 12:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the eye…

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Category 4 Hurricane Helene approaches the Florida Big Bend, expected to have significant impacts well inland

September 26, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Hurricane Helene is very close to landfall near the Big Bend region of Florida, as a very dangerous Category 4 major hurricane. Preparations should have been completed for those that live in the path of Helene. As of 11:00 p.m. EDT Thursday, Hurricane Helene was centered near 29.9°N 83.9°W, and was moving north-northeastward at approximately 24 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 120 knots (140 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 938 mb. The eye of Helene should make landfall…

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Hurricane Helene heads for the Big Bend of Florida, expected to become a powerful hurricane

September 25, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Hurricane Helene – the fifth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season – was upgraded Wednesday morning as it emerged into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Helene is expected to intensify into a powerful major hurricane tomorrow, and is expected to make landfall in the eastern Florida Panhandle Thursday evening. As of 5:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Hurricane Helene was centered near 22.5°N 86.6°W, and was moving northward at approximately 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 75 knots (85 mph), with…

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Tropical Storm Gordon forms over the eastern tropical Atlantic, expected to stay weak for a while

September 13, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

The unexpectedly tame 2024 Atlantic hurricane season had the formation of its seventh named storm on Friday. Tropical Depression Seven strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon Friday morning, but is currently no threat to land and likely to stay weak, at least in the short term. As of 11:00 a.m. EDT Friday, Tropical Storm Gordon was centered near 19.4°N 38.6°W. Maximum sustained winds were 35 knots (40 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 1006 mb. Gordon is expected to continue…

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A bizarrely quiet start to peak season in the Atlantic

September 6, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Historically, tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic basin rapidly increases around August 20. The late Dr. William Gray, a meteorologist and hurricane expert at Colorado State University, would ring a bell every year on that date to signal the start of the active portion of the Atlantic hurricane season. Early projections, including our own, predicted that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season would have well above-average activity, and could be one of the most active seasons on record. The formation…

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Beryl slowly strengthening, expected to become a hurricane before making landfall in Texas

July 7, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Once a mighty Category 5 hurricane (the earliest in the North Atlantic on record), Tropical Storm Beryl has been slowly strengthening over the Gulf of Mexico, and is expected to make landfall in central Texas early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane. Due to dry air and a fairly broad wind field, Beryl has been unable to rapidly intensify over the Gulf of Mexico thus far, but some additional intensification appears likely in the last few hours before landfall….

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Tropical Storm Alberto forms over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico – impacts expected well north of the center

June 19, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

Tropical Storm Alberto – the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season – formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning, and is expected to make landfall over central Mexico early tomorrow morning. Alberto is the latest first named storm in the Atlantic basin since Arthur in 2014; however, this is nothing unusual: the long-term average date for the first named storm in the Atlantic is June 25. As of 5:00 p.m. EDT (4:00 p.m. CDT…

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Broad area of low pressure worth watching for possible tropical development off U.S. east coast

June 11, 2024 Daulton Bahm Comments 0 Comment

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1, though so far, no tropical cyclones have developed in the Atlantic basin this season despite expectations of an extremely active season. This is not particularly unusual, as the average first named storm in the Atlantic basin does not occur until approximately June 25. However, there is now a system worth watching for potential development, designated Invest 90L by the National Hurricane Center. A broad area of low pressure has developed over…

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