2008 Atlantic Tropical Storm & Hurricane Season

For details of the 2009 season visit our 2009 Atlantic Tropical Storm Season page.

Damage caused by the 2008 storm season is estimated at $54b according to the National Climatic Data Centre. That’s the second largest annual loss from atlantic storms on record (second only to 2005 when Katrina hit).

Here are some interesting facts from the NOAA’s 2008 season press release:

• For the first time on record, six consecutive storms made landfall on the U.S. mainland (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike)
• Three major hurricanes struck Cuba (Gustav, Ike and Paloma)
• This is also the first Atlantic season to have a major hurricane (Category 3) form in five consecutive months (July: Bertha, August: Gustav, September: Ike, October: Omar, November: Paloma)
• Bertha was a tropical cyclone for 17 days (July 3-20), making it the longest-lived July storm on record in the Atlantic Basin
• Fay is the only storm on record to make landfall four times in the state of Florida, and to prompt tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for the state’s entire coastline
• Paloma, reaching Category 4 status with top winds of 145 mph, is the second strongest November hurricane on record

No reports of catastrophe bonds being triggered have surfaced although it seems hurricane Ike came very close indeed. The season saw increased activity on the IFEX and CME windstorm futures and options as well.

Details of all the 2008 seasons storms and other relevant information are below.