Helene was the most destructive hurricane of the Atlantic season

The Atlantic hurricane season nears its conclusion this Saturday with above-average activity and elevating Helene, which made landfall in Florida with winds of 140 miles per hour, as the most destructive cyclone this year.

As reported this Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, in English), Helene, whose center made landfall on September 26 on the Florida coast of the Gulf of Mexico, caused more than 150 deaths and left a path of destruction that reached the mountainous area of ​​North Carolina.

Helene was not only the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States since Katrina in 2005, but It is the most powerful to reach the Big Bend region of Florida, in the northwest of the state, since records began.

Another record that occurred this season, which began on June 1 and will officially end on November 30, was the one set by Beryl, the category 5 hurricane, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which appeared earlier. in the season.

Formed in late June, Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane, and the storm surge it brought caused significant flooding in that state and Louisiana.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Siesta Key (Florida) on October 9, was another cyclone that was among the most destructive this year, after causing “an outbreak of tornadoes that produced 46 tornadoes.” NOAA highlighted today.

Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, caused torrential rains and flooding with totals of up to 15 inches (380 millimeters) in some parts, along with a destructive storm surge.

Another peculiarity that Milton had is that it has been one of the cyclones with the fastest intensifications ever observed, after increasing the power of its winds 90 miles per hour in the span of 24 hours, between October 6 and 7.

NOAA meteorologists had anticipated this would be an above average seasona forecast that has been fulfilled by registering a total of 18 tropical storms, of which eleven became hurricanes and five became major hurricanes, that is, with winds of 178 kilometers per hour (111 miles) or more.

An average season generates 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

With information from EFE

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