October’s Hurricane History – 2023
Bottom Line: September has been active as usual but thankfully far less eventful for Florida than it was last year. It was a year ago today Florida faced one of the most devastating hurricanes in our state’s history in Ian. It’s always nice to put September in the rear-view mirror. In addition to being the most active month of hurricane season, it’s also a significant turning point for activity. The early months of hurricane season work as a hurricane incubator by gradually heating up the ocean creating favorable conditions for development. The gradually cooler weather we’ve begun to experience as we exit September has the opposite effect. Despite what’s proven to be an active hurricane season to this point. On Florida’s east coast we’ve continued to benefit from the impact of El Nino which has served to keep systems east and north of us.
Entering October last year, we had 9 named storms, two years ago we were at 20 and three years ago, during the record setting 2020 season, we were already at 23. This year we’ve experienced 16 named storms with a 17th if you include the unnamed subtropical storm in January which the National Hurricane Center discovered in May – making this season’s activity above average independent of any future storms which may form. So, about October’s hurricane history.
Of the six months of hurricane season, where do you think October ranks? The answer is third behind September and August – so we’re certainly not off the hook just yet as many South Floridians hit by Wilma can attest to. Incidentally, it was Wilma in October of 2005, which was the last hurricane to make landfall in Southeast Florida.
Since tracking began in 1851:
- 82% of all tropical storms & hurricanes have happened prior to October
Despite a third of the season being left on the calendar, the better news is that we have less than a fifth of the activity to go this hurricane season if history continues to be a guide. Here's what we average during October:
- 2 tropical storms
- 1 hurricane
An average of about one tropical storm or hurricane makes landfall in the US every three years during the month. The wind is now at our back (pun intended) as we head down the home stretch of this year’s hurricane season. May the wind be with us.