2011 Atlantic Tropical Season Comes to a Close

Storms in pink shading have already formed and dissipated by this date. Storms in red denote either active named storms, or those that were active on this date. Boxed storms indicate the latest storms in each year, or the latest storm to form in an average year.

As you can see, the 18 named storms in 2011 far exceeds the long-term average number of named storms per season (11). The number of hurricanes (7) and major hurricanes (3) in 2011 were slightly above the long-term average.



Now, let's recap the named storms in 2011.

Tropical Storm Sean Dates of activity: Nov. 8 - 11 Peak Strength:65 mph; 983 mb Landfall: None Summary: Tropical Storm Sean started out as a non-tropical area of low pressure before transitioning into a subtropical storm on the morning of November 8, 2011. Later that day, Sean had enough of a concentration of shower and thunderstorm activity near its center to be classified as fully tropical. Just prior to being absorbed by a frontal system on November 11, Sean brought tropical-storm force winds and periods of rain to Bermuda. Full Recap: Tropical Storm Sean

Hurricane Rina Dates of activity: Oct. 23 - 28 Peak Strength: 110 mph (Cat. 2); 966 mb Landfall: Just west of Cozumel (Oct. 27) as tropical storm Summary: Rina's bark ended up being much worse than its bite on Cancun & Cozumel, as strong wind shear ripped convection away from the circulation. Strengthened from a tropical depression to a hurricane in just 21 hours, one of the fastest such rates on record.

Hurricane Philippe Dates of activity: Sep. 24 - Oct. 8 Peak strength: 90 mph (Cat. 1); 976 mb Landfall: None Summary: Philippe fought wind shear, including that produced from the outflow of Hurricane Ophelia, during the first 7-10 days of its life in the central Atlantic. Twelve days after being first designated a depression, Philippe finally became a hurricane on Oct. 6., then finally merged with a front in the north Atlantic.

Hurricane Ophelia Dates of activity: September 20 - 25, 27 - October 3 Peak strength: 140 mph (Category 4); 940 mb Landfall: Lost tropical characteristics while passing over Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. Summary: Ophelia struggled with wind shear, degenerating into a remnant low east of the Lesser Antilles Sep. 25. Two days later, Ophelia made a comeback, intensifying into a Category 4 hurricane on Oct. 1, before weakening after tracking east of Bermuda. Ophelia produced tropical storm-force gusts on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula.

Hurricane Nate Dates of activity: September 7 - 11 Peak strength: 75 mph (Category 1); 994 mb Landfall: Near Barra de Nautla, MX Summary: Dry, stable air limited the development of Nate. Two of Mexico's primary oil ports were shuttered for a time, and there were reports of 10 oil rig employees missing. Three died, according to Reuters. This was the 4th tropical cyclone to affect this part of Mexico in the last two seasons (Arlene & Harvey in 2011, Hurricane Karl in 2010).

Hurricane Maria Dates of activity: September 6 - 16 Peak strength: 80 mph; 979 mb Landfall: Near Cape Pine, Newfoundland (Sep. 16, 2011; 2:30pm ET) Summary: Maria produced heavy rain, flash flooding and landslides on Puerto Rico. Tropical storm-force winds and rain squalls lashed parts of Bermuda. Maria clipped the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, producing wind gusts to 64 mph at St. John's, Newfoundland.

Tropical Storm Lee Dates of activity: September 1 - 4 Peak strength: 60 mph; 986 mb Landfall: Pecan Island, La. (Sep. 4, 2011; 4am CT) Summary: Developed over the central Gulf of Mexico as a lopsided area of low pressure with heavy rain on its eastern flank. Dumped over 10" of rain in New Orleans, Mobile, and Jackson, Miss. Floodwaters entered homes in the Jackson, Miss. metro area on Sep. 5. Surge flooding outside levee protection areas of southeast Louisiana. Photos: Lee's flooding images

Hurricane Katia Dates of activity: August 29 - September 10 Peak strength: 135 mph; 946 mb Landfall: None Summary: "Cape Verde" storm spent almost two weeks as a tropical cyclone. Tracked well north of the Antilles, but tracked both well west of Bermuda and well east of the U.S. coast. One death along the Fla. coast due to rip currents generated by swells from Katia.

Tropical Storm Jose Dates of activity: August 28 - 29 Peak strength: 45 mph; 1007 mb Landfall: None Summary: Born from a tropical wave that emerged from west Africa August 17. Did not develop into a named storm until the morning of Irene's landfalls in the Northeast. Only lasted as a tropical cyclone 27 hours, continuing a theme from earlier in the 2011 season.

Hurricane Irene Dates of activity: August 20 - 28 Peak strength: 120 mph (Category 3); 942 mb Landfalls: Punta Santiago, P.R., Cape Lookout, N.C., Little Egg Inlet, N.J. (1st hurricane landfall in N.J. since 1903), New York City Summary: Daily image diary | Stunning photos Storm "scrapbooks": Carolinas/Va. | Mid-Atlantic/Northeast | Conn. | Catskills | Vermont

Tropical Storm Harvey Dates of activity: August 18 - 22 Peak strength: 60 mph; 994 mb Landfall(s): Dangriga Town, Belize (Around 2pm ET Aug. 20); Just south of Veracruz, Mexico (Around 2am ET Aug. 22) Summary: Heavy rainbands hit Roatan Islands off north coast of Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and southern Mexico. An iWitnessWeather reporter caught this waterspout coming ashore in Belize during Harvey.

Tropical Storm Gert Dates of activity: August 13 - 16 Peak strength: 60 mph; 1000 mb Landfall: None Summary: Formed as a tropical depression southeast of Bermuda late on August 13. Moved north-northeast, remaining about 135 miles east of Bermuda at its closest pass on August 15.

Tropical Storm Franklin Dates of activity: August 12 - 13 Peak strength: 45 mph; 1004 mb Landfall: None Summary: Formed as a tropical depression north of Bermuda, then strengthened to T.S. Franklin 12 hours later, before gaining enough latitude to fall victim to increasing vertical wind shear and colder waters of the North Atlantic late on the 13th.

Tropical Storm Emily Dates of activity: August 1-4, 6-7 Peak strength: 50 mph; 1003 mb Landfall: None Impacts: Widespread flash flooding, and one landslide on Martinique. Flooding of at least 3 rivers in Puerto Rico. Some roads impassable by landslides. Homes flooded in city of Ceiba, P.R. Over 5" rain in Barahona, D.R., prompting evacuation of 5,000. 3 dead in D.R., 1 killed in Haiti from flooding.

Tropical Storm Don Dates of activity: July 27 - July 29 Peak strength: 50 mph; 998 mb Landfall: Near Baffin Bay, TX (as a tropical depression) Impacts: Most rainfall virtually dissipated upon landfall. Only a .02" of rain fell in Corpus Christi, Texas. Patchy 1/2"+ amounts in S. Texas.

Tropical Storm Cindy Dates of activity: July 20 - July 22 Peak strength: 60 mph; 1000 mb Landfall: None Impacts: Cindy developed several hundred miles east-northeast of Bermuda over the open waters of the Atlantic. The storm never made landfall. Hostile wind shear took its toll on the fledgling storm.

Tropical Storm Bret Dates of activity: July 17 - July 22 Peak strength: 65 mph; 996 mb Landfall: None Impacts: Bret formed off the southeast U.S. Coast, remaining over open waters. Areas of rain soaked parts of the northern Bahamas and Bermuda. Rough surf along Fla. East Coast lead to some injuries.

Tropical Storm Arlene Dates of activity: June 28 - June 30 Peak strength: 65 mph; 993 mb Landfall: Near Cabo Rojo, Mexico June 30. Impacts: Unofficially 22 killed in Mexico. Power outages affected up to 285,000. Evacuations required due to flooding and landslides. Parts of drought-plagued S. Texas picked up over 3" of rain.