The 2013 hurricane season has officially ended today. Unless some fluke storm occurs in December, it appears the Atlantic will finish below normal in activity. There were 14 tropical depressions, 13 tropical storms, and only 2 hurricanes. None of the hurricanes reached major hurricane (Category 3) status, and we didn't even have one reach Category 2 either. Having no major hurricanes is a feat that has not occurred since 1994 in the Atlantic basin. Also, only having two hurricanes for a season has not been seen since 1983. The Eastern Pacific, however, finished above normal in activity with 18 tropical depressions, 18 tropical storms, and 8 hurricanes. Surprisingly, only one of the hurricanes reached major hurricane status, which was Raymond with winds of 125 mph.
There were obviously more storms in the central and western Pacific, and super typhoon Haiyan is a clear reminder as it bottomed out at 895 mb and caused at least 5,600 confirmed deaths in the Philippines. Fortunately, the United States only had two landfalls this season from tropical storms with only 4 deaths in total reported. Mexico experienced much worse impact as I counted eight landfalls in total from the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins and at least 200 deaths. I've never been a fan of seasonal forecasts, and 2013 should show everyone why it's almost impossible to predict how an overall season will fare. Hope all of you had fun tracking this season! I'll lock this thread when this calender year ends.
