The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season – By the Numbers
The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season was an above-average one that fell well short of pre-season expectations and faded away peacefully on Sunday, November 30th. The 2008 season had an above-normal number of named storms (16), hurricanes (8), and major hurricanes (5). All but one of the 16 tropical storms made landfall somewhere in the Atlantic Basin.
Each of the last five months of the 2008 season produced a major hurricane. Two of those major storms shared the claim of being the strongest of the season. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike were both Category Four storms on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Gustav held the mark for the highest winds at 155 miles per hour, while Ike had the lowest pressure at 935 millibars, or 27.61 inches.
Three of the eight hurricanes from the 2008 season made landfall in the United States. Dolly struck land on South Padre Island, Texas. Gustav made landfall in Louisiana. Ike came ashore in Galveston, Texas. The biggest story of the season in the U.S. was Ike, though. It caused $30 billion in damage and left 102 people dead. Hurricane Ike, which also caused $7.3 billion in damage to Cuba, ranks as the 9th costliest hurricane ever in the United States.
Haiti was ravaged by four consecutive tropical cyclones: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. The four storms left over 800 people on the island dead. They also combined to cause $1 billion in damage to the impoverished island. Cuba suffered significant destruction from Gustav, Ike, and Paloma. The economic toll ended up being $10 billion in damage. Eight Cubans also lost their lives.
The last several weeks of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season turned out to be tranquil. Hurricane Paloma was the last named storm of the season and dissipated on November 10th. Let’s take a look at the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season by the numbers.
| Total Depressions/PTCs | 17 |
| Total Storms | 16 |
| Named Storm Days | 88.25 |
| Month with Most Named Storms | August and September – 4 |
| Total Hurricanes | 8 |
| Hurricane Days | 30.5 |
| Month with Most Hurricanes | September – 3 |
| Total Major Hurricanes | 5 |
| Major Hurricane Days | 7.5 |
| Month with Most Major Hurricanes | July, August, September, October, and November – 1 |
| Category Five Hurricanes | 0 |
| Category Five Days | 0 |
| U.S. Landfalling Hurricanes | 3 |
| Strongest Storm | Hurricane Gustav* |
| Max Sustained Winds (mph) | 155 |
| Lowest Pressure (mb) | 941 |
| ACE | 145.7 |
| Damage Costs | $49.53 billion |
| Deaths | 1,073 |
*Hurricane Ike had the lowest pressure of all Atlantic storms with 935 millibars, but its highest winds were only 145 miles per hour.
Sources: Colorado State University, National Hurricane Center, and Wikipedia.