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oday is the last day of the official 2014 Tropical Storm Season (it runs June 1 – Nov 30). The Atlantic produced only eight named tropical storms this year, the fewest since 1997. Six of those storms strengthened to become hurricanes.

Hurricane Arthur was the only storm to make landfall on the US east coast this season. The storm visited coastal NC July 4 with winds peaking near 100 mph. The eye passed over Beaufort. Oriental got Arthur, but the highest winds we experienced were 48 mph. After getting a hurricane visit at the beginning of July (unusually early in the season), many feared we would see more 2014 storms come our way. But it remained calm here – all the other 2014 storms stayed far east of our coast.

Hurricane Arthur from space July 3. The tropical system had begun to cover some of North Carolina… (image courtesy NOAA)

The season’s most powerful storm was Hurricane Gonzalo, peaking at Category 4. From out perspective it “stayed out to sea” – but that wasn’t what you thought on the island of Bermuda 600 miles to our east. Gonzalo hit Bermuda October 17 as a Category 2 storm – causing over $200 million in damage.

Related Links

• Oriental Gets Ready For Hurricane Arthur

• Parade Command Center Announcement

Posted Sunday November 30, 2014 by Keith N. Smith