What Happened to Hurricane Season?
* D.C. Area Forecast | Hurricane Tracking Center | More Coverage * Satellite image of Hurricane Bill on Aug. 19. At the time, Bill was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 135 mph. To date, Bill is the strongest and longest-lasting (Aug. 15-24) storm of a weak 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. Courtesy NASA. Listen closely and you just might hear a pin dropping into the ocean. That’s how quiet this hurricane season has been in the Atlantic. The eight named storms thus far are only one short of the nine expected at this point in an average season. But only two have become hurricanes — in an average season five storms would have reached hurricane strength by now — and most storms have been short-lived and have largely steered clear of land. Capital Weather Gang hurricane expert Greg Postel says a major late-season surge in storm activity doesn’t seem likely. “Conditions may allow for some tropical development later this month,” Postel said. “But the window of opportunity is rapidly
