The Coming Storm

  • Released Tuesday, June 9, 2015
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When will the next major hurricane strike the U.S.?

When will the next major hurricane strike the U.S.?

In any given year there is a 39 percent chance of one or more major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) making landfall in the continental United States. Although the threat is real, the odds lately have played out in our favor. From 2006 to 2014, no major hurricanes have made landfall. In fact, the current nine-year "drought" is the longest period of time that has passed without a major hurricane making landfall in the U.S. since reliable records began in 1850. According to a new NASA study, a string of nine years without a major hurricane landfall is likely to come along only once every 177 years. So what’s behind the recent break? Scientists say it may simply be a matter of luck. Watch the video to see the path of every Atlantic hurricane season storm from 1980 through 2014.

Lines colored red represent major storms that made landfall; yellow made landfall but were not major; green did not make landfall.

Hurricane Floyd was the only major storm that made landfall in 1999.

Hurricane Floyd was the only major storm that made landfall in 1999.

Four major storms—Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma—made landfall in 2005, which was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.

Four major storms—Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma—made landfall in 2005, which was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.

This chart shows the number and type of all Atlantic hurricane season storms from 1950 to 2014.

This chart shows the number and type of all Atlantic hurricane season storms from 1950 to 2014.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Tuesday, June 9, 2015.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:49 PM EDT.