Hurricanes & Tropical Storms - Annual 2011 2011 Season Summary:
The 2011 North Atlantic hurricane season had 19 named storms,
seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. The 19 named
storms tied with 2010, 1995, and 1887 as the third busiest year
for tropical cyclones in the basin. The second most active
tropical cyclone year for the Atlantic basin was 1933. An
average season has 11 named storms, six hurricanes, and two
major hurricanes. The seven storms which reached hurricane
strength and the three that reached Category 3 status (major
hurricane) are both near the average, despite the high number of
tropical storms. One hurricane (Irene) and one tropical storm
(Lee) made landfall in the U.S. during the 2011 season.
Hurricane Irene was the first Hurricane since Ike in 2008 that
made landfall in the nation. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy
(ACE) index of tropical cyclone activity also indicated an
above-average season. The ACE index is used to calculate the
intensity of the hurricane season and is a function