ORLANDO, Fla. – One name will be remembered above all this hurricane season. Dorian. Dorian devastated the northern Bahama Islands in early September making landfall as a Category 5. Dorian eventually brought wind and rain to the East Coast of Florida, but Dorian’s biggest impacts remained offshore. Dorian’s disorganized center early in its life and slow-moving nature made it extremely difficult to forecast.
Dorian wasn’t the only Category 5 hurricane of the 2019 season. Hurricane Lorenzo made history becoming the strongest storm ever so far east in the Atlantic.
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Nestor, albeit a weak tropical storm, had the biggest impact on Central Florida this hurricane season. Waves of heavy rain and storms moved through the peninsula Oct 19. Nestor spawned several tornadoes just south of the News 6 viewing area. The strongest, an EF-2 tornado with winds of 120 mph, caused major damage in Polk County.
The 2019 season was a very active one as predicted by the National Hurricane Center. Their mid-season forecast in August was increased further as El-Nino, a typical limiting factor for Atlantic tropical systems, weakened.
As of Nov 30 there have been 18 named-storms. 6 were hurricanes, 3 of which, Dorian, Humberto and Lorenzo became major. A hurricane reaches major status when it is Category 3 or greater.
While the season officially ends Nov 30, storms, even hurricanes can still develop in December.
As of Nov 30, nothing is brewing in the tropical Atlantic. Let’s keep it that way!