2009 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season began on May 28 and ended on November 30, 2009. Within this period are the most tropical storms, since only at this time suitable conditions, such as a warm ocean, moist air and little wind shear, exist to the formation of tropical cyclones allow. This season began three days before the official start of the season.

Storms in the eastern Pacific Ocean are part of the Pacific hurricane season of 2009.

• 2.1 Tropical Depression One
• 2.2 Tropical Storm Ana
• 2.3 Hurricane Bill
• 2.4 Tropical Storm Claudette
• 2.5 Tropical Storm Danny
• 2.6 Tropical Storm Erika
• 2.7 Hurricane Fred
• 2.8 Tropical Depression Eight
• 2.9 Tropical Storm Grace
• 2:10 Tropical Storm Henri
• 2:11 Hurricane Ida

Season forecasts

Predictions about the activity of the coming hurricane season will be created each year by the recognized hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray and her staff at Colorado State University and separately by the meteorologists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA).

Klotz 's team defines the average number of storms per season according to their average occurrence and comes from 1950 to 2000 to 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes, ie, those on the Saffir -Simpson Hurricane scale are classified at least in category 3. A normal season, as it was defined by the NOAA, consists of 9-12 named storms, 5-7 of which reach hurricane strength and 1-3 major hurricanes.

Preseason forecast

. On 10 December 2008 Klotzbach released the long-term forecast for the 2009 hurricane season, he said, an above-average activity ahead (14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 of Category 3 or violent and an ACE index of 125). A milder prediction was published by Klotzbach on April 7, 2009. In it he expects a near- average season, which means 12 named storms, including six hurricanes, two of which, in turn, the Category 3 or higher would achieve. The ACE will be 100.

Forecasts at the beginning of the season

On 2 June 2009 Klotz 's team issued an update of the forecast. It was now from a slightly below-average season in which it was expected 11 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes; the expected ACE gave this forecast with 85.

The UK Met Office ( UKMO ), published on June 18, the prediction that from July to November could form six tropical storms (the probability that 3-9 tropical storms would form, they took with 70% ) and that the ACE will amount to 60 ( a 70 - % probability you took for the bandwidth at 40-80 ).

Updated projections during the season

In a statement issued on 4 August 2009 study Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray rated their previous season forecast down. Due to the development of an El Niño, the season will be weaker than originally forecast. Thus, only ten named storms, including four hurricanes, and from those two heavy (Category 3-5 ) were predicted. The estimated ACE was estimated at 80. The total activity in the Atlantic basin would be equivalent to around 85 percent of the average of the last century. The probability that a severe hurricane hits somewhere on the U.S. coast on land that was given as 46 percent. The long-term average is 52 percent. The probability that a severe hurricane passes through the Caribbean, 37 percent lie (average: 42 percent).

The NOAA evaluated in a 6 August announced update their forecasts, the activity of the season new; now expected that NOAA only 7-11 named storms, of which 3-6 hurricanes, 1-2 of which would develop into a major hurricane.

Storms

Tropical Depression One

The first Tropical Depression of 2009 was formed on 28 May 2009, a few days before the official start of the season on June 1, on the east coast of the United States at about the level of the state of North Carolina and was moving at a speed of about 25 km / h to the northeast. Initially it was expected to register a possible reinforcement of low to a tropical storm, but the organization of the lows over increasingly colder water deteriorated rapidly, so that on May 29, only a weak remnant low was present.

Tropical Storm Ana

Tropical Storm Ana formed on 11 August 2009 in the Eastern Atlantic, 455 kilometers west of the southern Cape Verde Islands, first as Tropical Depression Two and moved westward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. On the western side of the storm system, it came to mean wind speeds of around 45 km / h on the evening of August 13, the system was divided provisionally into a remnant low and was not performed as Tropical Depression. At this time it was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean about 1,500 kilometers west of the Cape Verde Islands. After a little more than 24 hours later, 1735 kilometers east of the Windward Islands, the system regenerated. That same day, strengthened the system for the first named tropical cyclone of the season in the Atlantic and was named Ana. In the afternoon ( local time) on August 16, some 270 kilometers east of the Caribbean island of Dominica, Ana was downgraded back to a tropical depression. With the slowdown was accompanied by a further increase in forward speed 37 km / h at this time. On August 17, Ana lost at sea between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic all circulation, so that only left a remnant low, which moved in the direction of Dominican Republic.

Hurricane Bill

Hurricane Bill formed as Tropical Depression Three on August 15, about 1190 km west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands from a large area of ​​low air pressure. On the same day the system was upgraded with average wind speeds of 65 km / h to Tropical Storm and was named Bill. The system was located 1320 kilometers west of the Cape Verde Islands at that time and was moving at 26 km / h westward. In the early morning of August 17, the NHC Bill for the first hurricane of the season on classified after evaluation of satellite infrared images, a TRMM scan and Dvorak evaluations close interpreted this measure. On the same day (local time ) enhanced the system to a Category 2 hurricane. At this time it was 1395 km east of the Lesser Antilles and was moving at 28 km / h towards the west - northwest. Over the next few days the hurricane moved further in that direction, but then gradually turned a north-westerly direction, before he put on Bermudian north passing. Here, the hurricane went through a cyclic - eyewall formation. A subtropical trough steered the hurricane then on 23 August from, so that the pulling direction initially turned to the northeast and then east.

Near the Maritime Provinces, the hurricane weakened increasingly lost on 24 August in the amount of Newfoundland the characteristics of a tropical storm.

In the U.S. state of Maine was a seven- year-old girl died after several people were ripped off by a giant wave triggered by Bill from a viewing platform in Acadia National Park in the Atlantic. Nine other people were injured. Thousands of people wanted to observe the unusually high surf at close range.

Tropical Storm Claudette

The fourth system of the season, a relatively small tropical depression, was formed on 16 August in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, about 140 kilometers west-southwest of Tampa, Florida. It had wind speeds of 55 km / h and was moving at 25 km / h north- northwestward toward the U.S. coast. Later in the day the system to Tropical Storm Claudette was upgraded. On August 17, against 5:10 clock UTC the center of Claudette arrived at Fort Walton Beach in the Florida Panhandle over the country.

Tropical Storm Danny

The NHC was on 26 August at 11:00 local time clock known that has grown up around 715 km east of Nassau and 1250 km south- southeast of Cape Hatteras a tropical low pressure system made ​​sufficiently close to the ground circulation to be directly classified as Tropical Storm Danny, the NHC noted that Danny at this time resembled a subtropical storm. Danny moved along the U.S. east coast to the north. On August 29, Danny was absorbed by an extratropical low over North Carolina and broke up. The remains of the system were to this around 130 kilometers southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Tropical Storm Erika

On September 1, was formed from a low pressure area 625 km east of the northern Lesser Antilles Tropical Storm Erika. His initial average wind speeds were around 85 km / h with peaks up to 95 km / h with an air pressure of 1007 hPa. The system was moving west- northwest direction at 15 km / h According to forecast models, the more tension direction depends essentially on the future strength of the storm. A weaker system will therefore move more westward while a stronger system will be further drift to the north. However, after a short-term gain at wind speeds of 95 km / h and air pressure 1004 hPa, the system weakened again slightly, while making a Südschwenk. Also, no clear center was visible. Winds at altitude reconnaissance aircraft, one suggested, however, that Erika could have had several centers at that time. Although the system returned to west-north westerly course and crossed low speed the Lesser Antilles, but the system remained relatively disorganized and weakened from growing. On September 3, Erika was downgraded to Tropical Depression. Later that day, Erika was classified only as a remnant low.

Hurricane Fred

Tropical Storm Fred formed first as Tropical Depression from a general low-pressure area south of the Cape Verde Islands. Early in the morning ( UTC) of September 8, this advancement of the system to a tropical storm occurred. Fred increased rapidly and reached on the night of 8 September 9 hurricane strength. He changed his first western movement towards West. A few hours later he reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane. At this time, the system still was over the eastern Atlantic where hurricanes of this strength are unusual. So far, no other serious hurricane was recorded as far south-east. Fred weakened shortly thereafter due to vertical wind shear off and fell apart on 12 September in a remnant low. The remnant low moved westward and dissipated southwest of Bermuda almost completely on 20 September. The moisture was preserved and came across the southeastern United States and triggers with heavy rains a severe flood in Georgia in 2009, which led to the death of ten persons and damage to property in the amount of at least 500 million U.S. dollars.

Tropical Depression Eight

The Tropical Depression Eight was a short-lived system and developed on September 25 from a tropical wave west of the Cape Verde Islands. Originally went the NHC believes that the system intensified into a tropical storm. However, this was not because the low pressure system moved northwestward over cooler water and disintegrated on September 26 to an open tropical wave. Although more rain were recorded on the Cape Verde Islands, yet the system caused no reported damage.

Tropical Storm Grace

Tropical Storm Grace formed on October 4 northeast of the Azores, about 1000 km west of the French coast from a previously non-tropical storm in an unlikely place. The system then moved fairly quickly northward and was on October 5, 21:00 UTC clock by a frontal system, about 335 km south of Cork, Ireland absorbed.

Tropical Storm Henri

The NHC said on October 6 at 20:50 UTC Clock is a previously unclassified system to Tropical Storm Henri. At this time, Henri was about 850 km northeast of the Leeward Islands. Henri came on 7 October in a zone unfavorable conditions over cooler water and could not continue to intensify. The storm lost strength and fell apart on October 8 in a remnant low, which was a day later absorbed by a cold front north-east of Cuba.

Hurricane Ida

The end of October wandered a low pressure area in the southern Caribbean Sea. An initially small convection area north of Panama broke away from the Intertropical Convergence Zone and organized into a north- northwestward drifting system. On November 4, at 15:00 UTC clock, the system was about 160 miles off the coast of Nicaragua classified as a tropical depression. Six hours later, persistent wind speeds were found in storm strength on a reconnaissance flight, so that the depression to Tropical Storm Ida was incremented by one. Despite the proximity to the coast Ida intensified due to the warm water and favorable atmospheric conditions further. The analysis of satellite imagery revealed on November 5, around 12:00 UTC clock that has an eye formed, and therefore the NHC Hurricane Ida told to immediately before the tropical cyclone at Tasbapauni, Nicaragua reached overland. Overland train movement of the hurricane stopped first, so that the intensity decreased rapidly. Several hours later, Ida was graded to a tropical storm and later to a tropical depression. However, Ida kept the tropical characteristics as the system moved northward and arrived as a tropical depression in the afternoon of November 6 again over the sea towards Honduras. About water reached Ida on November 7 at 5:30. UTC clock again the strength of a tropical storm and was able to in the following night, again intensify into a hurricane.

Ida left behind in El Salvador according to official figures 144 people dead and dozens missing. Heavy rains left rivers occurred and caused mudslides on the shore. Numerous houses, bridges and roads were destroyed. About 7,000 people were left homeless as a result of the hurricane. Among the most affected regions include the Department of San Vicente. However, in San Salvador, La Libertad, La Paz and Cuscatlan emergency alert was declared. The damage to agriculture are not yet foreseeable. In the most affected areas is about 40 percent of the acreage of the land for crops. The region around the Chichontepec is also coffee -growing region, one of the main export products of El Salvador.

Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE )

The adjacent table shows the ACE for each storm this year. The ACE describes the energy of a tropical storm by the strength of a storm is multiplied by the duration, that is, long -lasting storms and severe storms have a high ACE value. Traditionally, from the NOAA only storms with wind speeds of over 34 knots (63 km / h) recorded.

Time course of the season

Storm names

The Atlantic hurricane season of 2009, the following names are used. This list is used again in 2015, because at the spring meeting 2010, no names have been removed from the list. This list is identical to the list for the Atlantic hurricane season in 2003, with the exception of the name of Fred, Ida, and Joaquin, who Fabian, Isabel and Juan replaced. Names that were not used in this season are shown in gray.

• Ana
• Bill
• Claudette
• Danny
• Heather
• Fred
• Grace

• Henri
• Ida
• Joaquin (unused)
• Kate ( unused)
• Larry (unused)
• Mindy (unused)
• Nicholas ( unused)

• Odette (unused)
• Peter (unused)
• Rose ( unused)
• Sam (unused)
• Teresa ( unused)
• Victor ( unused)
• Wanda (unused)